{"id":1842,"date":"2009-11-30T00:01:19","date_gmt":"2009-11-30T06:01:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=1842"},"modified":"2012-03-06T09:02:10","modified_gmt":"2012-03-06T15:02:10","slug":"one-impossibly-new-idea-before-breakfast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=1842","title":{"rendered":"“Fieldnotes” with Steven Withrow:
One Impossibly New Idea Before Breakfast"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’m going to try something new here at 7-Imp, and it involves this guy here, writer and researcher and teacher and editor and producer\/film-maker and poet (whew) Steven Withrow<\/strong><\/a>, pictured here with his beautiful daughter. Steven is going to contribute one post a month here at 7-Imp, and just below here in a moment, he’ll tell you what that contribution will be. I’ll still be 7-Imp editor (7-Impitor? Where’s Little Willow<\/strong><\/a> when you need some creative phrasing?), but once a month, Steven will be here to provide some new and exciting content. At least I<\/em> think it sounds great, and all I have to do is take what he’s written and the images he’s provided and post it, people! I get to kick back and read and enjoy, just like you will. Dudes! This’ll be a treat. <\/p>\n

I’ll let him tell you all about it. I asked him to introduce himself and to let us know, in his own words, who he is, what he’s done, what he’s all about, and—of course—what turns him on creatively, spiritually, or emotionally. (He has a good answer for that one.) He rose to the challenge, conducting an energetic, fast-paced interview with himself. (Kudos to him for managing to fit his professional and personal life into less than 800 words.) And, because he chose to close his introduction with his favorite books (and good ones, at that), I have a feeling he’ll fit in comfortably when he stops by here monthly, as a rabid, insane, bordering-on-pathological passion for good books is required to be a contributor. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I should add that Steven is the co-producer of this fabulous project<\/strong><\/a>, which I had posted about here<\/strong><\/a> a while back. When he suggested what specifically he could contribute to the blog, I immediately liked the idea, since there’s always a lot I want to do at 7-Imp and lots of folks I want to chat with — but never quite have the time. <\/p>\n

Oh, and the poetry at Steven’s blog is really quite good, so I’m going to close the post with one of his original poems. My thanks to Steven, and here we go: <\/p>\n

Steven Withrow Introducing Steven Withrow; Or, Crackling Speech . . . <\/p>\n

* * * * * * *<\/strong><\/font><\/center><\/p>\n

Hello, everyone. Because she is wise and powerful {Ed. Note: AS IF<\/font>}<\/em>, Jules has invited me to contribute a monthly post to 7-Imp. I\u2019m calling these posts \u201cFieldnotes,\u201d and they will go up on or around the 15th of each month for the foreseeable future. Each note centers on a children\u2019s publishing professional, or an expert from a related area, who is not primarily known as an author or illustrator\u2014a publisher, editor, agent, art director, designer, critic, scholar, professor, librarian, bookseller, printer, marketer, museum curator, etc. (Suggestions are always welcome.) The first will be an interview with art director and book designer Susan M. Sherman on December 15.<\/p>\n

So…who am I? Read on, and I\u2019ll tell you a little about myself and try to explain why Jules so generously offered me this opportunity to share my love of books and book-making with you all.<\/p>\n

Withrow:<\/strong><\/font> Your childhood in one hundred words…GO!<\/p>\n

Withrow:<\/strong><\/font> Born on a military base in Maryland\u2014March 10, 1974. At the time, my dad was ground radio officer for Air Force One. Moved around many times as a kid, mostly in Massachusetts and New Jersey. Have two sisters and a brother. Fell madly in love with books, comics, cartoons, theatre, movies, music, poetry. Lived for story time in the elementary school library. Daydreamed through math class. Adapted, directed, and starred in a stage play of Madeleine L\u2019Engle\u2019s<\/strong><\/a> A Wrinkle in Time<\/a><\/strong><\/em> in fifth grade. Obsessive reader through high school. Started writing seriously (and not so seriously) at fifteen. Haven\u2019t stopped.<\/p>\n


\n

Page from “Manuwahi”<\/strong><\/a> by Steven and Roberto Corona<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/center><\/p>\n

Withrow:<\/strong><\/font> Not bad. How about your college years in fifty words, smart guy?<\/p>\n

Withrow:<\/strong><\/font> Studied creative writing, literature, and journalism at Roger Williams University<\/strong><\/a> in Bristol, Rhode Island…. Earned a master\u2019s degree in writing and publishing from Emerson College<\/strong><\/a> in Boston in 1999. Thesis project was children\u2019s poetry collection. Also researched\/wrote middle-grade\/young adult science fiction, fantasy, and horror.<\/p>\n

Withrow:<\/strong><\/font> Work life in twenty-five words?<\/p>\n

Withrow:<\/strong><\/font> Have edited molecular biology journals, magazines, and books. Dropped out of science publishing. Have worked in hotel marketing, university publications, greeting cards, and nonprofit communications. <\/p>\n

Withrow:<\/strong><\/font> You write books, too? When do you sleep?<\/p>\n

Withrow:<\/strong><\/font> I don\u2019t sleep as much as I should. While working on some independent comics projects back in 2002, I was hired by The Ilex Press in the UK to write an instructional trade book about digital cartooning in ten weeks. Toon Art<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/strong> was published around the world in 2003. Webcomics<\/a><\/strong><\/em> (with John Barber) followed in 2005. <\/p>\n


\n<\/p>\n

Switched publishers to RotoVision and have written Character Design for Graphic Novels<\/a><\/em><\/strong> (2007; with Alexander Danner), Vector Graphics and Illustration<\/a><\/strong><\/em> (2008; with Jack Harris), Secrets of Digital Animation<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/strong> (2009), and Illustrating Children\u2019s Picture Books<\/a><\/strong><\/em> (2009; with Lesley Breen Withrow). <\/p>\n


\n
\n
\n
\n<\/p>\n

This has led to teaching\/speaking gigs at Suffolk University<\/strong><\/a>, Rhode Island School of Design<\/strong><\/a>, and the Center for Cartoon Studies<\/strong><\/a>. I also have several fiction, poetry, comics, and picture book manuscripts in the works. Assorted comics stories can be read on Comicspace<\/strong><\/em><\/a>. My writing and poetry blog is Crackles of Speech<\/a><\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n

Withrow:<\/strong><\/font> My sources say you\u2019re producing a film now. Is this true? And don\u2019t you ever slow down?<\/p>\n

Withrow:<\/strong><\/font> The Library of the Early Mind<\/a><\/em><\/strong> is a feature-length documentary film about children\u2019s literature, directed and co-produced by journalist and author Edward J. Delaney<\/strong><\/a>, who was my teacher at Roger Williams University. It\u2019s been a dream-come-true project for me, and I\u2019ve been able to converse with and learn from many of my literary gods and goddesses. My non-stop research about the history, culture, and business of books for young readers over the past twenty years is finally paying off. We are now in the midst of editing the film for festival release in 2010. Stay tuned!<\/p>\n

{Ed. Note: Pictured above is Steven interviewing author Jack Gantos<\/strong><\/a> for the film, and below is Ted Delaney and Steven interviewing Mo Willems<\/strong><\/a>.}<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Withrow:<\/strong><\/font> Anything else you\u2019d like to share?<\/p>\n

Withrow:<\/strong><\/font> I\u2019ve known my wife, Lesley Breen Withrow<\/strong><\/a>, who is a very talented children\u2019s illustrator, for nearly seventeen years. We met my second day of college and got married just before September 11, 2001. We now have a four-year-old wunderkind of a daughter, Marin Jeanne, and we live outside Providence, Rhode Island, with a small and often droll black cat. <\/p>\n


\n

Steven and Lesley at R. Michelson Galleries<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/center><\/p>\n


\n

Marin at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/center><\/p>\n

My all-time favorite book is Charlotte\u2019s Web<\/strong><\/a><\/em> by E.B. White<\/strong><\/a>, followed closely by A Wizard of Earthsea<\/strong><\/a><\/em> by Ursula K. Le Guin<\/strong><\/a>. A few recent favorite books I\u2019ve read include Graceling<\/strong><\/a><\/em> by Kristin Cashore<\/strong><\/a>, The White Darkness<\/strong><\/a><\/em> by Geraldine McCaughrean<\/strong><\/a>, The Lion and the Mouse<\/strong><\/a><\/em> by Jerry Pinkney<\/strong><\/a>, Once Upon a Twice<\/strong><\/a><\/em> by Denise Doyen<\/strong><\/a> and Barry Moser<\/strong><\/a>, Stitches<\/strong><\/a><\/em> by David Small<\/strong><\/a>, and Funny Business: Conversations with Writers of Comedy<\/strong><\/a><\/em> by Leonard S. Marcus<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

* * * The Pivot Questionnaire * * *<\/font><\/center><\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: What is your favorite word?<\/font><\/p>\n

Steven<\/font><\/strong>: “Grackle.”<\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: What is your least favorite word?<\/font><\/p>\n

Steven<\/font><\/strong>: “Cannot.”<\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?<\/font> <\/p>\n

Steven<\/font><\/strong>: Getting lost in a really good book.<\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: What turns you off?<\/font><\/p>\n

Steven<\/font><\/strong>: Tedious mathematical equations.<\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: What sound or noise do you love?<\/font><\/p>\n

Steven<\/font><\/strong>: My daughter\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: What sound or noise do you hate?<\/font> <\/p>\n

Steven<\/font><\/strong>: A smoke alarm going off.<\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?<\/font><\/p>\n

Steven<\/font><\/strong>: Theatre actor. <\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: What profession would you not like to do?<\/font><\/p>\n

Steven<\/font><\/strong>: Funeral director. <\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?<\/font><\/p>\n

Steven<\/font><\/strong>: “Now let me explain to you what that was all about.”<\/p>\n

* * * * * * *<\/center><\/p>\n

And here, to close, is one of Steven’s original poems, “Rockhoppers,” a fitting poem as we say goodbye to Thanksgiving, at least for this year:<\/p>\n

Under the right whale bones
\nbreaching the blue ceiling
\nof the New England Aquarium,
\na waddle of rockhopper penguins,
\ntufted punks from the South Pole,
\nskrawks in a raucous chorus
\nas a feeder wades in wetsuited,
\nfloating a bucket of tiny fish
\nfor their lunch. And Marin,
\nwho is four, watches them
\nthrough the low glass partition
\nwith an aquarist\u2019s rigor,
\nher mirrored mouth mimicking each grab
\nand gulp of open orange beak. She
\npresses against me, daughter
\nof my grateful heart, and asks,
\n\u201cWhy don\u2019t they say thank you?\u201d
\nI tell her, \u201cI don\u2019t know.
\nPenguins can\u2019t speak like we do.\u201d
\nBut inside I think of how
\nthey drop from rock to rock,
\nclumsy on their bird-feet,
\nuntil one, and then another, slips
\nwithout a splash into the cool pool
\nthat passes here for home,
\ntheir cold and southern sea.
\nI name them Water-glider,
\nTidal-feather, Torpedo,
\nand Swims-as-peregrine-falcons-fly.
\nWe trace their loops and interlaces
\nand laugh as a pudgy male
\npops his bottle-body up
\nonto the lip of a slick stone slab,
\nupending an unsuspecting hen,
\nbefore barging in line
\nfor a chance at seconds.
\nAfter, Marin tugs my hand,
\nher patience for penguins at its end,
\nand we wander toward tanks
\nthat hold cuttlefish, anemones,
\nlampreys, leafy sea dragons
\npracticing camouflage
\namong the fluorescent fronds.
\nBehind us, the hoppers chatter on,
\nclap their wings against their sides.
\nI want to turn and applaud,
\nbut Marin has spied some mollusk shells,
\nand we give thanks to them.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

* * * * * * *<\/center><\/p>\n

All images and “Rockhoppers” \u00a92009 Steven Withrow and used with permission. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I’m going to try something new here at 7-Imp, and it involves this guy here, writer and researcher and teacher and editor and producer\/film-maker and poet (whew) Steven Withrow, pictured here with his beautiful daughter. Steven is going to contribute one post a month here at 7-Imp, and just below here in a moment, he’ll […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1842","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blogger-interviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1842","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1842"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1842\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1842"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1842"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1842"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}