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Early this year, I did a 2008 7-Imp retrospective post<\/strong><\/a> — merely because, evidently, I’m crazy. (These things take a bit of time to compose.) I decided this week to write what you see here, yet another retrospective post — this one for 2009, of course. <\/p>\nI don’t know why<\/em> I do this. I find it strangely beguiling is all I can say. Yes, I looked forward<\/em> to drafting this post. I’m a sucker at the end of every year for those retrospective round-ups and best-of lists of all sorts that one sees everywhere—both online and in print—about entertainment and literature and politics and on and on. (And, now that it’s the end of a decade<\/em>, my head’s about to explode with all the looking-back-on-the-naughts lists.)<\/p>\n {As but one example: Ooo! Ooo! This<\/strong><\/a> at 100 Scope Notes<\/em> is fun.} <\/p>\n So, what can I say? It’s my warped idea of fun. It’s tidy fun. <\/p>\n This spiffy and sinister gentleman here, introducing this year’s retrospective, which highlights some of the folks who have visited 7-Imp this year, is Alfred. He came to life as a sketch at the hands of author\/illustrator Matt Phelan<\/strong><\/a>. After I interviewed Matt<\/strong><\/a> in September of this year, he gave Alfred permission to pack his bags and take up permanent residence at 7-Imp and introduce the Pivot Questionnaire for each interview. It seemed only fitting that he’d usher us into this post. My, he’s serious about this retrospective, isn’t he?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Alfred wasn’t the only new thing to 7-Imp this year. Also new were the following: <\/p>\n Saying an official goodbye<\/strong><\/a> to Eisha, 7-Imp co-founder, as blogger. Sniff. She’s happy, though, not having blog responsibilities. It’s as she chooses. I saw her this week, in fact, and she says hi to all. <\/p>\n Welcoming<\/strong><\/a> 7-Imp’s new once-a-month contributor, Steven Withrow<\/strong><\/a>. Did you see his first interview<\/strong><\/a> with Susan M. Sherman? Good stuff. <\/p>\n Book deal! Book deal!<\/strong><\/a> Yeah, I’m looking forward to getting to work on that with Betsy<\/strong><\/a> and Peter<\/strong><\/a>. <\/p>\n Let’s get right to it. This post is already long enough, as in ridiculously<\/em>. But it’s definitely one for browsing. Here are—in no particular order whatsoever—some of the visitors to 7-Imp this year (all<\/em> of the 2009 interviewees and a partial list of some of the rest). I thank folks for stopping by. Enjoy. <\/p>\n Author\/illustrator Chris Raschka<\/font> (interviewed August 26, 2009<\/strong><\/a>) on how he plans his year: <\/p>\n Author and poet Kristy Dempsey<\/font> (who visited 7-Imp on May 15, 2009<\/strong><\/a>): “When I first saw the illustrations for <\/em>Me With You<\/strong><\/a>, I think my heart stopped and time suspended for just a moment. Oh my! Chris {Denise} got the emotion just right. If you look in the eyes of the grandfather bear in each spread, you see his unconditional love for the granddaughter bear. I am extremely happy with the way Chris brought these two to life. Even if I hadn\u2019t written it, it is a book I would treasure for its marriage of words and images.”<\/em><\/p>\n Author Angela DiTerlizzi<\/font> (interviewed October 27, 2009<\/strong><\/a>) on collaborating with her husband, Tony: “The process of making a book is a very collaborative one to begin with, and I admire how open to suggestion Tony is when it comes to his work. He has always had a very clear vision of what a final book will look like, but always checks any ego at the door and makes decisions based on what\u2019s best for the book. I\u2019d do it again in a heartbeat.”<\/em> Author\/illustrator (or, as he prefers it, “storyteller”) Tony DiTerlizzi<\/font> (interviewed with Angela on October 27, 2009<\/strong><\/a>): “Think back to that moment, that afternoon when you were eight- or nine-years-old in a library, poking around, half-bored, looking for something that may interest you, and then diving 20,000 leagues under the sea or flying off to fight pirates in Neverland later that night — gripped by the author\u2019s word combinations and the illustrator\u2019s vivid pictures. But really, when you think about it, it’s all just marks on paper. Icons. Symbols. Representations of someone else\u2019s idea of how they see the world. The storyteller can be alive and well crafting new tales in the comfort of their home, or dust and memories from another time. If it speaks to you, it doesn\u2019t matter. That\u2019s when there is true magic. That\u2019s when the outside world stops while you turn the pages. That\u2019s the moment I aspire to be a part of.”<\/em><\/p>\n I showed my drawings to my sister-in-law, who went to art school at night, and she accused me of trying to pass off an older kid’s work as my own, marched me into the living room, and told my parents that I was growing up to be a liar and a criminal. My parents were watching television and, without looking up, told me not to aggravate my sister-in-law. <\/p>\n I got at once never to let these people know what I was doing, and not to let just any adult judge my work. And I did my best to grow up to be a liar and a criminal. <\/p>\n D. B. Johnson is a genius.”<\/em><\/p>\n Author\/illustrator D.B. Johnson<\/font> (interviewed March 30, 2009<\/strong><\/a>): “I’m turned on creatively by a challenge, whether it\u2019s from the limitations imposed on a project or someone\u2019s suggestion that something can\u2019t or shouldn\u2019t be done. Illustrator Pamala Zagarenski<\/font> (interviewed June 18, 2009<\/strong><\/a>): “Picture books lend themselves to more detail, more subtle colors, intricate designs, and characters, but I think children are very sophisticated. They know and can comprehend a lot from very early ages, if given the opportunity. When you give small children a lot of detail, they take in what they can. My nephew is four and he loves the details. He loves finding the ‘hidden’ things in paintings and illustrations. In the end, I think the differences in how one illustrates comes more from the story line and concept behind the book, not so much the age of the child.”<\/em><\/p>\n “Q: Am I the devishly magnetic bon vivant I appear to be?<\/p>\n A: Perhaps.”<\/em><\/p>\n Illustrator Edwin Fotheringham<\/font> (interviewed June 10, 2009<\/strong><\/a>): “The process of creating a historical children\u2019s picture book is unlike anything I\u2019ve ever come across. I loved it, even though I found it to be daunting in scope. My commercial work has usually consisted of single-image narratives: quick visual precis statements that refer to either an event or a specific article. The children\u2019s books I\u2019ve done have been lengthy (for me) and linear. They are also different in that the art really has to expose the writing, and vice versa. By expose, I mean that some punch lines are carried solely in the art, with the writing creating a dry mechanism for the joke. I have found that there is much more conversation (reflection and contrast) between the art and text in these picture books, and I have a new respect for the difficult task of writing for these books. The writing must be extremely clever, concise, funny, and accurate. I\u2019m glad there are others that are good at it.”<\/em><\/p>\n And Mr. Fotheringham again<\/font>—on school visits, that is—because I love this interview excerpt just as much: “I\u2019ve only done a visit to my kids\u2019 (K-5) school, which was the scariest thing I\u2019ve ever attempted. I loosened up after third grade, but I\u2019ve got to say I felt sorry for the poor helpless kids that had to witness the strange sweaty man (I\u2019d just arrived by bike, in haste), who couldn\u2019t speak during long, pregnant pauses. Nothing, but nothing is more nerve-wracking than a group of second graders with high expectations. Not a job interview, nothing. I can\u2019t really relay what it was like, but I can say that I lived to write this answer. Just.”<\/em> <\/p>\n Author Tanita S. Davis<\/font> (interviewed October 8, 2009<\/strong><\/a>, with help from Eisha and Adrienne Furness<\/strong><\/a>) on the most surprising thing she learned while writing Mare\u2019s War<\/strong><\/a><\/em>: “The surprise was really twofold: One, I was surprised that there had BEEN African American women in the European Theater at all, since that\u2019s just not a part of history you learn even in college (at least not at my school, and the WWII geeks I talked to—all grown men—doubted that I was telling the truth when I mentioned it to them). And, two, that they had been so ashamed that the country and everyone else was willing to forget them.”<\/em><\/p>\n Author Sara Lewis Holmes<\/font> (also interviewed October 8, 2009<\/strong><\/a>, with help from Eisha and Adrienne Furness<\/strong><\/a>) on writing her second novel: “For <\/em>Operation Yes<\/strong><\/a>, I wanted to write about a whole community and how they came together to do something amazing. So, I had to learn how to juggle multiple characters and a more omniscient viewpoint. The only thing easier was knowing that somehow, some way, by magic or miracle, I had managed to write a novel before, and I could therefore do it again.”<\/em><\/p>\n Author\/illustrator Dan Yaccarino<\/font> (interviewed April 9, 2009<\/strong><\/a>) on what profession other than his own he’d like to attempt: “Not only would I be totally incapable of doing anything other than exactly what I do, but I really have absolutely no interest in anything else. I know it sounds kind of crazy, but that\u2019s the truth.”<\/em><\/p>\n Illustrator R. Gregory Christie<\/font> (interviewed January 13, 2009<\/strong><\/a>) on school visits: “They are like a Jazz improvisation. I go with the flow of whatever energy I feel from the crowd of students. I bring out main points, such as: art is communication, the aspects involved in the book-making process, and my biographical information. After this, I have an informal conversation about whatever they\u2019d like to speak about; I consider it a time to listen to them, as I honestly and responsibly answer their questions. It\u2019s a very open interaction at this point, and overall it\u2019s a lecture style I use from kindergarten to a group of college professors.”<\/em><\/p>\n Author\/illustrator Holly Meade<\/font> (interviewed August 10, 2009<\/strong><\/a>) on what’s next for her: <\/p>\n {Pictured above is Holly’s Go to the Well<\/em>, three-color linoleum and woodblock print, 2009. Below is Holly at work in her studio.} <\/p>\n However, I have also learned that the inspiration I am looking for will most likely come to me if I am working: words call for more words, images call for more images. I can hardly develop any stories by just thinking about them; instead, I need to start writing them or drawing them, even if I don\u2019t know yet what that story is about. <\/p>\n And so I am also a big disciple of sitting on my table and doing something, anything, but doing it!”<\/em><\/p>\nAuthor\/illustrator Emily Gravett<\/font> (interviewed March 18, 2009<\/strong><\/a>): “I always think that if I ever totally understand the {artistic} process, I\u2019ll either have it made or will be bored and will give up. Ideas come from a different place for each book. If you\u2019re chasing an idea, it can be very evasive and you can spend months worrying about your lack of inspiration, only to wake up one morning knowing EXACTLY what you want to do. Then it\u2019s hard to understand if the idea came because you were chasing it, or if it would have come anyway, and you could have spent your time watching day-time telly and baking cakes instead! …I could be working on a finished spread before I even know what the book is about — and researching and changing things up to the end. It\u2019s messy! (I think it needs to be.) But it can also be amazing fun. The buzz I get when it\u2019s going well is indescribable!”<\/em><\/p>\n
![\"Chris](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/headshot1.jpg\" "\\"Chris")
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Author\/illustrator Jan Thomas<\/font> (interviewed June 23, 2009<\/strong><\/a>, with some help from Betsy Bird<\/strong><\/a> and Adrienne Furness<\/strong><\/a>) on the one thing most people don’t know about her: “I insist on having my back to the wall in a restaurant. It drives my family crazy. I also like spending time in my closet. I call it my ‘happy place.’ You don\u2019t think there\u2019s anything wrong with me, do you?”<\/em><\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/IMP_MWY_141-a.jpg\")
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Author Liz Garton Scanlon<\/font> (interviewed September 8, 2009<\/strong><\/a>) on 2009’s beautiful All the World<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, illustrated by Marla Frazee: “I\u2019m always a little embarrassed to say how many hours I spend on a few hundred words, because people start looking askance at me. I wrote the bulk of the text at a fevered pitch in one month and then worked on it for four more months with our editor, Allyn Johnston. And still I was sad to let it go. I\u2019m loathe to call anything finished.”<\/em><\/p>\n
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\nIllustrator Sean Qualls<\/font> (interviewed April 21, 2009<\/strong><\/a>): “My three-year-old son, Isaiah, gave me some interesting feedback just recently. He informed me that when he illustrates picture books, he will use bright colors, unlike my books.”<\/em><\/p>\n![\"Daniel](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/dp111ret3.jpg\" "\\"Daniel")
Author (and sometimes illustrator) Daniel Pinkwater<\/font> (interviewed February 25, 2009<\/strong><\/a>, with some help from Eisha) on Bear’s Picture<\/strong><\/a><\/em>, re-released in 2008 and illustrated by D.B. Johnson<\/strong><\/a>: “I once saved up money so I could buy a Junior Artist’s kit consisting of some Hunt’s Crow Quill pens, a bottle of India ink, some nice paper, and a little ‘how to draw’ booklet. I went to work and had good results at once. <\/p>\n![\"D.B.](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/DBJohnsonInWoods1.jpg\" "\\"D.B.")
After one of my first readings at a bookstore when <\/em>Henry Hikes to Fitchburg<\/strong><\/a> was published, a parent remarked that she loved how I presented Thoreau\u2019s idea about the importance of the ‘journey,’ but she hoped I wasn\u2019t going to write about how he went to jail. That\u2019s the moment I decided I had to write <\/em>Henry Climbs a Mountain<\/strong><\/a> about the night Henry spends in jail for not paying his taxes. He refused to support a government that allowed people to own slaves. How could I not write that story? It\u2019s one of the great accomplishments of Thoreau that his essay ‘Civil Disobedience’<\/strong><\/a> influenced Ghandi<\/strong><\/a> and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.<\/strong><\/a> The challenge was to write that story for kids. It\u2019s my favorite Henry book.”<\/em> <\/p>\n
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Artist Dave McKean<\/font> (interviewed March 9, 2009<\/strong><\/a> with some help from Jim Di Bartolo<\/strong><\/a> and Eisha): “I have two children…and, since my work often borrows from the rest of my life (and vice versa), it was inevitable that I would start to do some work for children. It\u2019s been a great pleasure to read <\/em>Varjak Paw<\/strong><\/a> or <\/em>Wolves in the Walls<\/strong><\/a> or <\/em>Coraline<\/strong><\/a> to my children in manuscript form, a couple of years before they appeared in the shops. Also, their reactions helped shape the visual side of the books to a degree — what a child feels is scary or funny is not always predictable.”<\/em><\/p>\n
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illustrated by Zagarenski and written by Joyce Sidman<\/strong><\/a>
(Click to enlarge.)<\/em><\/center><\/p>\n![\"Don](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/DonnPrinter1.jpg\" "\\"Don")
Author\/illustrator Don Brown<\/font> (interviewed March 23, 2009<\/strong><\/a>)—having a moment here with his printer, which he says is “both, and at the same time, a miracle machine and Satanic curse”—on the one thing he’d like interviewers to ask him: <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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“Soon Annette was racing her way through Europe.”<\/em><\/center><\/p>\n![\"Laurie](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/lauriepolkadots.jpg\" "\\"Laurie")
Author\/illustrator Laurie Keller<\/font> (interviewed January 26, 2009<\/strong><\/a>) on what profession other than her own she’d like to attempt: “I play the banjo, and if I were better at it, I’d love to perform with a bluegrass band…making the world a better place through banjo music. (I just added that last part because I doubt it’s ever been uttered before…certainly never set to print.)”<\/em> <\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/mareswarcoverretrospective-ba.jpg\")
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“Now Cousteau was free to truly explore. A silent world opened up to him.”<\/em><\/center><\/p>\nAuthor\/illustrator Taeeun Yoo<\/font> (interviewed November 3, 2009<\/strong><\/a>): “I was not a big reader when I was young, which surprised myself after I became a children’s book illustrator. I lived with my great grandmother, and I remember she gave me and my sisters night-time storytelling sometimes. I liked to imagine the scenes with my eyes closed, while I was listening to the story. And there was a whole series of folk tales from all around the world that my mother bought for us. It was a chapter book with black and white drawings, and only the cover had full-color illustration. I loved reading them, imagining each scene in my head.”<\/em><\/p>\n
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“I am currently working on a book written by David Elliott<\/strong><\/a>, titled <\/em>In The Wild. This is my second one with David (<\/em>On the Farm<\/strong><\/a>), and I’m very excited about it. The words are a pure pleasure to read, very fun, and it gives me the opportunity to make pictures of animals, like a jaguar, buffalo, orangatan, etc. A second book I’m just finishing up is one I wrote called, <\/em>If I Never Forever Endeavor. This is a story about a small bird and his internal dabate over whether to attempt that first flight from his safe nest — or not. Both books are done combining printing and watercolor, though in very different ways.”<\/em><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
![\"Yuyi](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/yuyi-retrospective.jpg\" "\\"Yuyi")
Author\/illustrator Yuyi Morales<\/font> (interviewed November 11, 2009<\/strong><\/a>): “I am a big disciple of inspiration, and so most of what I do every day is a constant search. I look for words, images, ideas, and all those things that marvel me, or that scare me, or that keep me thinking, or that make my heart jump. <\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/my_abuelita_breakfast.jpg\")
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![\"Laura](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/laurastampede1-retro.jpg\" "\\"Laura")
Author and poet Laura Purdie Salas<\/font> (interviewed