Visions and Revisions

A few days ago, I sent off the second round of revisions requested by a particular editor. It's rather exciting to have interest in my work. BUT, though we've gotten off to a glorious start, we're still in the early dating stage. I try not to get too giddy when the editor talks about taking it to acquisitions. It's rather like talking about maybe getting married one day. Until there's a contract around my finger, there's no real commitment. Yet, I'm cautiously optimistic.

This last round of revisions was requested with a three week deadline. Whew! Naturally, as Murphy's Law dictates, when the pressure's on, things fall apart. Like my Word program crashing six times, resulting in lost text and pages of scrambled characters. Yes, six times:( The work of revising became the easiest part, thanks to the editor's very concise feedback. But, what should have been the simple process of revise-save-rinse-repeat became a test of endurance for me. Or, rather, a test of my sanity. Alas, all turned out well, I made my deadline, and I still have hair on my head.

Now that I'm able to finally exhale, I'm reflecting a bit on the process. I've entertained my own vision for this picture book biography, revealed in its shape and theme, its emotional highs and lows. When it was first submitted to five publishers, three expressed interest. Awesome, right? But one editor asked me to shorten the book. One asked me to expand it into a chapter book. The third asked me to elaborate on what was already there. That's three radically different visions for the same manuscript.

I had to decide which editor's vision was most in line with my own. I could have begun revisions for all three but, for the moment, I've chosen to focus on editor #3. It's a bit like the dating game, isn't it? Frankly, I like this publisher and what they stand for. They create beautiful, important books with long shelf lives. And, the editor gets me and what I'm trying to convey. We could be a happy book couple.

Today the manuscript, more than double its original length, has been re-visioned from where it began. And I like it. Though I'm sure the book will be re-visioned yet again, this courtship gives me butterflies.

I am, in a word, hopeful!

Blog Roll Under Construction- Again!

Argh! While I was away, my fantabulous blog roll disappeared. Are cyber gremlins afoot?

Stay tuned as I rebuild.

Gone Revising

Pardon the blog interruption while I hunker down for some serious revising.

I'll be back mid-February.

Happy writing!

Author interview: Cynthia Levinson

 

Cynthia Levinson enjoyed a twenty-five year career in various corners of the educational system, helping make schools, classrooms, and policies better for kids. She's also written extensively for children's magazines like Odyssey, Faces, Dig, Cobblestone, Highlights, Stepping Stones, and others. Her evolution into the role of book author seems a natural progression. 

Last week, I posted a review of Cynthia's powerful middle grade nonfiction book, WE'VE GOT A JOB: THE 1963 BIRMINGHAM CHILDREN'S MARCH (Peachtree, February 2012.) The book hasn't officially released yet, but it has already garnered starred reviews by Kirkus, Publisher's Weekly, and Booklist, and is racking up similarly glowing reviews from School Library Journal and others. 

Cynthia very kindly agreed to a Q and A interview for me. So, let's dive right in to hear the story behind the story.

What inspired you to write about the 1963 Birmingham Children's March?

In May 1963, I was a high school senior in Columbus, Ohio—just a little older than and half a world away from three of the four “main characters” I interviewed extensively for the book. We had a “colored” maid, who lived on her side of town. But, other than Betty, I didn’t know any black people—which is why I grew up only half a world, not a whole world away from Birmingham. 

     My father loved talking about history and politics at the dinner table. So, I knew that people in the South were protesting segregation and that some of them were being assaulted by dogs and water canons. What I didn’t know was that those people were children. And I continued to be oblivious of this crucial fact, even though I later taught American History in middle school and high school. The moment that I made that belated discovery, while researching an article on music in the civil rights era for Cobblestone magazine, I knew I had to write a book.

From initial idea to completed book, what was your journey to publication?

With sharp twists and turns, long slogs up steep slopes, and precipitous drops into ravines, the journey was definitely queasy-making. After spending three months reading everything I could find on the Children’s March and on civil rights in Alabama, I developed a proposal. Chris Barton generously looked at it and, even more generously, shared it with his agent, Erin Murphy, who signed me! That was the first peak. The next one—making a sale—took another 18 months and entailed 18 or 20 rejections. (It’s still too depressing to count them all. As I recall, one publisher rejected it twice.)

Once we found an interested—actually, very enthusiastic—publisher, two others quickly followed. And the book went to auction! The offers were wonderful in different ways, and it was a deliciously hard decision. But, after choosing Peachtree, I’ve never looked back, especially when I see the terrific book (shameless self-promotion) that my editor, Kathy Landwehr, helped me produce. I, literally, could not have done it without her.

Of the four thousand young people involved in the historic march, why did you choose Audrey Hendricks, Washington Booker, III, James Stewart, and Arnetta Streeter as your point of view characters?

First of all, they’re wonderful, candid people who want young people to know the story of the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham, especially what young people can accomplish. (I use the present tense here, though, sadly, Audrey died two years ago.) Also, because of their different backgrounds and involvement in the movement, each of them provides a window into black life, politics, and history there. The situation was complex and nuanced, and they offer personal ways to convey essential information. As well, every reader has someone to identify with.  Maybe most importantly, Audrey, James, Arnetta, and Wash were willing to let me interview them for hours at a time over several years. I pursued one other person, who was ambivalent about participating but had great stories to share, for almost a year. In the end, she needed to retain her privacy, for understandable reasons.

You've done a remarkable job of weaving in direct quotes and photos, while laying a contextual foundation about the political environment of the time as well as the ever-evolving Civil Rights Movement. What kinds of research was involved?

Thank you!

     As I mentioned, I started by reading. Fortunately, much has been written about the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham. The events there were so melodramatic—beatings, hoses, dogs, jails. I started with two hefty Pulitzer-prize-winning tomes and, then, went on to other prize-worthy texts, including children’s books (though, at the time, nothing was available for kids on the Children’s March). I read solidly for three months.

     At about that time, I discovered the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI), which has an excellent website, and, even better for my purposes, video interviews with hundreds of civil rights activists. I watched snippets of these interviews online and read many dozens of transcripts.

     Finally, I was ready for my first trip to Birmingham. In addition to spending days in the BCRI and Birmingham Public Library archives, I wanted to meet the people I had been reading about. But, as a new writer, with only magazine articles to my name, I wondered if busy, professional people would be willing to meet with me to talk about events of 45 years ago. Many did! I interviewed not only black people who had marched in 1963 but also white people, including a policeman, about their perspectives. This trip convinced me that onsite research is invaluable, and I ended up taking two more trips to Birmingham—one for the 45^th anniversary of the March and another with my editor.

     Then, while writing the book, I listened to spirituals, gospel music, civil rights songs, sermons, mass meetings. Hearing the voices of the times and the place lent a tone to the text and inspired me to keep writing.

What were the most difficult aspects of writing the book?

There were two main problems I had to grapple with. Above all, everyone knows the outcome. How do you keep readers engaged when they already know what happened? One solution, I discovered, is that, while readers know the end result, they don’t know the steps that led to it. So, including the daily details, just as the four marchers experienced them, maintains the suspense.

Some of these details, however, were arcane. In the midst of the marches, Birmingham was holding mayoral and city council elections. Figuring out how to convey the importance of municipal politics, of all things, without losing readers was tricky. Perhaps some of your readers will tell me how well I succeeded.

Is there anything else you'd like to share? Perhaps an anecdote or some such that didn't make it into the book?

There is a funny story that didn’t fit in the final book. One of the inmates in James’ cell was a man, wearing a business suit, who got swept up in the mass arrests as he walked to work on Thursday morning, May 2, 1963. Repulsed by the tasteless food, he asked a jailer, “Excuse me, do you think I could have some hot sauce?” Even the jailer laughed. The kids, not knowing his name, called him “Hot Sauce.” They’d say, “Hey, Hot Sauce, see if you can get us scotch and soda.”

What do you hope young readers will take away from WE'VE GOT A JOB: THE 1963 BIRMINGHAM CHILDREN'S MARCH?

I hope for layers of knowledge and understanding, and I hope for action. That is, the story of what children accomplished in Birmingham is not well known. So, first, I want this episode to become as familiar in Civil Rights lore as Rosa Parks and the Freedom Riders. Beyond that, the fight for desegregation was not simply a matter of good guys versus bad guys or blacks versus whites. The story is complicated, and I think it’s important for young people to absorb and appreciate the complexity of society and of change. Finally, I would love to see Peace Ponies sprout around America. (For your blog readers who don’t know what I’m referring to, I urge them to read the book, including the dedication.)

What can we expect to see from you next?

My editor has two picture book manuscripts, one of which focuses on Audrey, that I hope we'll all see some day! And, I’m working on a longer piece that also shows remarkable things that children can do.

Learn more at Cynthia Levinson's website. She also blogs with her agent mates at Emu's Debuts.

Review- WE'VE GOT A JOB: THE 1963 BIRMINGHAM CHILDREN'S MARCH

In WE'VE GOT A JOB: THE 1963 BIRMINGHAM CHILDREN'S MARCH (Peachtree, February 2012), author Cynthia Levinson has shone a light on a dark, oft-forgotten chapter in the American struggle for civil rights. Impeccable research, including direct quotes from protestors/marchers themselves, has resulted in an expertly crafted, three dimensional true story. More than a must read, this is a potential catalyst to spark a conversation with children and teens about civil rights and humanity.

In 1963, Birmingham, Alabama was the most segregated city in America. Racist white, dictatorial community leaders had twisted into oblivion the U.S. Supreme court ruling that declared segregation of public facilities unconstitutional. Birmingham was a dam of injustice ready to burst.

Levinson introduces the ensuing flood of events through the accounts of four pivotal young protestors, Washington (Wash) Booker, III, James Stewart, Arnetta Streeter, and the youngest marcher, nine year-old Audrey Hendricks.

African American citizens wanted nothing more than to see the end of segregation. Though black participants of the civil rights movement abided by their own "Ten Commandments of Nonviolence," they frequently fell victim to the KKK, bombings in homes and churches, intentional attacks by police dogs, and the full force of fire hoses.

"When video of children being hosed across asphalt and charged by growling dogs appeared on the news that night, America started to pay attention to how Birmingham treated its Negro population. One child was photographed holding up a hand-lettered sign that read, 'We're Human, Too.'"

When negotiation efforts repeatedly failed, organizers like Martin Luther King, Jr,  Fred Shuttlesworth, and James Bevel became desperate. It was decided the only way to draw attention to Birmingham's civil rights crisis was to peacefully and intentionally get arrested. The crusade was informally dubbed "Project Confrontation or Project C."

"Project C would pit blacks against whites in nonviolent ways by sitting at segregated lunch counters, parks, city hall. They picketed businesses and let Birmingham know that they would no longer 'endure the laws and custom of segregation, brutal treatment by the police and injustice of the courts...' They were willing to fill up the jails."

But, when the adults had to return to work to earn a living, four thousand young people eagerly rose to the challenge. They came in droves, in peaceful protest, until the city, county, and surrounding county jails were beyond capacity.

"Since the beginning of Project C, less than five weeks earlier, a reported 2,425 people, almost all of them students, had been arrested. The jails and fairgrounds were filled to bursting. Downtown businesses were empty. The whole world was watching."

The world continued to watch until change finally came to Birmingham. "Sobered. Angry. Determined. This is the way many people of Birmingham, the country and the White House felt in September 1963. Sobered by racism. Angry about violence. Determined to gain civil rights."

Archival photographs, informational sidebars, a timeline of Birmingham's segregation challenges, and a map of the city are included as a supplemental bonus.


The events in WE'VE GOT A JOB pre-date my generation yet I'm left wondering why I've never heard of Children's March. How could I not have known about the brave young people who, despite unimaginable adversity, shifted the balance of the civil rights movement? Children! The story, as in the era, is about cruelty, injustice, bravery, determination. It's a story about humanity that is woven into our collective history. As they say, if we do not know where we come from, how can we know where we are going?

Though Levinson herself was an Ohio teenager during tenuous 1963, and remembers reading about the marches and the treatment of protestors in her youth, it wasn't until she was researching civil rights music for Cobblestone magazine that she learned the role of children in the Birmingham crusade. In Levinson's words, "Many people, I realized, needed to know how a Children's March changed American history. So, I set out to learn what happened."

I, for one, am very glad she did.

Stay tuned for my interview with author Cynthia Levinson.

Blank Pages and a new Muse

There it is in all its blank glory. The only gift I asked Santa for. Well, that and a new car. Santa's budget clearly looks alot like mine.

There's something exciting, and invigorating, and, yes, a bit scary about having a stack of giant blank pages in front of me, ready for scribbles, and plots, and voices, and magic to spill forth like seeds in a garden. It's bound to get messy, dirty, downright muddy at times. But, for 2012, my muse resolves to reveal white space as opportunity.  I'm confident that, if I tend to the words every day, something marvelous will blossom.

My Herb Garden Fairy by Mark Roberts

And, speaking of my muse, my sweet hubby surprised me with this Herb Fairy on Christmas day. We had recently spotted this little guy in a designer store and I was immediately smitten. He's sparkly, whimsical, and cheery. But, don't let his fairiness fool you. His eyes watch me with expectation. Though I'm not a "stuff" kind of gal, this cutie pie was destined for my desk. 

I know the obvious name for the little guy would be Herb, but I don't know if that fits him. What do you think? Any other ideas?

Happy 2012 to you all. May your own blank pages be filled with life, joy, and art.

Donna's 2011 Reading List- (At least most of them)

Meet Mittens. Promoted from paper weight to list keeper.

In January 2011, I pulled out a crisp new spiral notebook and penned the words "Donna's Reading Log" on the front. My plan was to list every book I read in 2011. I've posted previously about the fluid picture book log I keep, complete with word counts, publishers, and reading levels. But, that list has always been alphabetical. I had never tallied how many books I read in a given year. 

So, here we are at the end of 2011 and I'm staring down the inked-in pages of said new spiral. Some of these titles were pulled for study purposes, some for recreation, some to satisfy a curiosity. Now that I've added up the whole shebang, my exceeded book buying budget and my perpetual library late fees make a bit more sense. This list won't mean anything to you but, for me, it's an interesting reflection of my reading year and writing focus. I'll do the same for 2012 and see how my interests morph. And, as a bonus, my eleven year-old son has decided he wants to start his own reading log. Yes!

In no particular order, except for genre, I offer my 2011 reads.

NF and historical fiction Picture books
STAGECOACH SAL by Deborah Hopkinson
UNDER THE QUILT OF NIGHT by Deborah Hopkinson
ABE LINCOLN CROSSES A CREEK by Deborah Hopkinson
SWEET CLARA AND THE FREEDOM QUILT by Deborah Hopkinson
YOURS FOR JUSTICE, IDA B. WELLS by Philip Dray
I, MATTHEW HENSON: POLAR EXPLORER BY CAROLE BOSTON WEATHERFORD
HUMMINGBIRDS: FACTS AND FOLKLORE FROM THE AMERICAS by Jeanette Larson
DARWIN by Alice B. McGinty
WHEN ABRAHAM TALKED TO THE TREES by Elizabeth Van Steenwyk
MOONSHOT by Brian Floca
HALLELUJAH FLIGHT by Phil Bildner
DAVE THE POTTER: ARTIST, POET, SLAVE by Laban Carrick Hill
ABRAHAM LINCOLN COMES HOME by Robert Burleigh
SO SAID BEN by Michael McCurdy
SUSANA OF THE ALAMO by John Jakes
QUEEN OF THE FALLS by Chris Van Allsburg
LINCOLN AND DOUGLASS by Nikki Giovanni
GEORGE WASHINGTON'S TEETH by Deborah Chandra
FOOTWORK: THE STORY OF FRED AND ADELE ASTAIRE by Roxane Orgill
THE WATCHER: JANE GOODALL'S LIFE WITH CHIMPS by Jeanette Witner
STAND STRAIGHT, ELLA KATE: THE TRUE STORY OF A REAL GIANT by Kate Klise
BALLET FOR MARTHA by Jan Greenberg
HONDA:THE BOY WHO DREAMED OF CARS by Mark Weston
BALARAMA: A ROYAL ELEPHANT by Ted & Betsy Lewin
POP! THE INVENTION OF BUBBLEGUM by Meghan McCarthy
THE POT THAT JUAN BUILT by Nancy Andrews- Corbel
THE LAST BLACK KING OF THE KENTUCKY DERBY by Crystal Hubbard
IF WALLS COULD TALK: FAMILY LIFE AT THE WHITE HOUSE by Jane O'Connor
CATCHING THE MOON: THE STORY OF A YOUNG GIRL'S BASEBALL DREAM by Crystal Hubbard
LOST BOY: THE STORY OF THE MAN WHO CREATED PETER PAN by Jane Yolen
PAUL ROBESON by Eloise Greenfield
BLACK ELK'S VISION: A LAKOTA STORY by S.D. Nelson
JULIA MORGAN BUILT A CASTLE by Celeste Davidson Mannis
JIMI SOUNDS LIKE A RAINBOW:A STORY OF THE YOUNG JIMI HENDRIX by Gary Golio
HOME ON THE RNAGE: JOHN A.  LOMAX AND HIS COWBOY SONGS by Deborah Hopkinson
LIBERTY'S VOICE: THE STORY OF EMMA LAZARUS by Erica Silverman
ROUGH, TOUGH CHARLEY by Verla Kay
WHAT CHARLIE HEARD by Mordicai Gerstein
ODETTA: THE QUEEN OF FOLK by Stephen Alcorn
ODD BOY OUT: YOUNG ALBERT EINSTEIN by Don Brown
LOUISA: THE LIFE OF LOUISA MAY ALCOTT by  Yona Zeldis McDonough
FOR THE LOVE OF MUSIC: THE REMARKABLE STORY OF MARIA ANNA MOZART by Elizabeth Rusch
LIPMAN PIKE: AMERICA'S FIRST HOME RUN KING by Richard Michelson
SAWDUST AND SPANGLES: THE AMAZING LIFE OF W.C. COUP by Ralph Covert
THE DARING MISS QUIMBY by Suzanne George Whitaker
A PICTURE BOOK OF HARRY HOUDINI by David Adler
HARRY HOUDINI: ESCAPE ARTIST by Patricia Lakin
THE GREAT HOUDINI: WORLD FAMOUS MAGICIAN AND ESCAPE ARTIST by Monica Kulling
BEN FRANKLIN: HIS WIT AND WISDOM FROM A-Z by Alan Schroeder
EAT YOUR MATH HOMEWORK by Ann McCallum
THE MULTIPLYING MENACE by Pam Calvert
THE MULTIPLYING MENACE DIVIDES by Pam Calvert
SHE LOVED BASEBALL: THE EFFA MANLEY STORY by Audrey Vernick
RON'S BIG MISSION by Rose Blue
LINCOLN TELLS A JOKE by Kathleen Krull

Fiction Picture Books
ALL THOSE SECRETS OF THE WORLD by Jane Yolen
HARVEST HOME by Jane Yolen
WEINER WOLF by Jeff Crosby
SISTER BEAR: A NORSE TALE by Jane Yolen
SPARKY THE FIRE DOG by Don Hoffman
ROSCOE AND THE PELICAN RESCUE by Lynn Rowe Reed
___
= 61 picture books

Nonfiction Chapter Books (and a few crossovers)
TO FLY: THE STORY OF THE WRIGHT BROTHERS by Wendie C. Olde
KAKAPO RESCUE: SAVING THE WORLD'S STRANGEST PARROT by Sy Montgomery
THE VOICE THAT CHALLENGED A NATION by Russell Freedman
HARNESS HORSES, BUCKING BRONCOS, & PIT PONIES by Jeff Crosby and Shelley Ann Jackson
HEART AND SOUL: THE STORY OF AMERIA AND AFRICAN AMERICANS by Kadir Nelson
THE BOYS WAR by Jim Murphy
LINCOLN: A PHOTOBIOGRAPHY by Russell Freedman
CAN I SEE YOUR ID: TRUE STORIES OF FALSE IDENTITIES by Chris Barton
MARCHING FOR FREEDOM: WALK TOGETHER, CHILDREN, AND DON'T YOU GROW WEARY by Elizabeth Partridge
WE'VE GOT A JOB: THE 1963 BIRMINGHAM CHILDREN'S MARCH by Cynthia Levinson
MUSIC WAS IT: YOUNG LEONARD BERNSTEIN by Susan Goldman Rubin
DIGGING FOR TROY: FROM HOMER to HISARLIK by Jill Rubalcaba and Eric H. Cline
MYSTERY ON EVEREST: A PHOTOBIOGRAPHY OF GEORGE MALLORY by Audrey Salkeld
SHH! WE'RE WRITING THE CONSTITUTION by Jean Fritz 

CAN'T YOU MAKE THEM BEHAVE, KING GEORGE? by Jean Fritz
_____
= 15 NF chapter books

Novels
MASTERPIECE by Elise Broach
ESPERANZA RISING by Pam Munoz Ryan

ALIEN INVASION by Brian Yansky
PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH by Norton Juster
WHAT THE MOON SAW by Laura Resau
ANOTHER WHOLE NOTHER STORY by Dr. Cuthbert Soup and Jeffrey Stewart Timmins
WAITING FOR THE MAGIC by Patricia MacLachlan
THE ADVENTURES OF NANNY PIGGINS by R.A. Spratt
HOW NOT TO BE POPULAR by Jennifer Ziegler
A THOUSAND NEVER EVERS by Shana Burg
TRUTH WITH A CAPITAL T by Bethany Hegedus
TUESDAYS AT THE CASTLE by Jessica Day George
SASS & SERENDIPITY by Jennifer Ziegler
THE PRIVATE THOUGHTS OF AMELIA E. RYE by Bonnie Shimko
Oy MG by Amy Fellner Dominy
CALLI by Jessica Lee Anderson
ODD GIRL IN by Jo Whittemore
AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS by Gennifer Choldenko
BEAUTY QUEENS by Libba Bray
SNOW IN SUMMER by Jane Yolen
MOON OVER MANIFEST by Clare Vanderpool
THE DAY THE FALLS STOOD STILL by Cathy Marie Buchanan
THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett
COMMITTED by Elizabeth Gilbert
______
= 24 novels

Adult Nonfiction- just for fun
SURVIVING TITANIC by Violet Jessop
SELF PORTRAIT WITH SEVEN FINGERS by Jane Yolen and J. Patrick Lewis
INVENTING NIAGARA by Ginger Strand
NIAGARA: A HISTORY OF THE FALLS by Pierre Berton
INVENTING THE VICTORIANS: WHAT WE THINK WE KNOW ABOUT THEM AND WHY WE'RE WRONG by Matthew Sweet
 THE TALENT CODE: GREATNESS ISN'T BORN. IT'S GROWN by Daniel Coyle (my current read-will finish by week's end)
____
= 6 Adult nonfiction

Books about the writing craft
WRITING FOR STORY: CRAFT SECRETS OF DRAMATIC NONFICTION BY A TWO-TIME PULITZER PRIZE WINNER by Jon Franklin
ANATOMY OF NONFICTION by Margery Facklam and Peggy Thomas
SAVE THE CAT : THE LAST BOOK ON SCREENWRITING THAT YOU'LL EVER NEED by Blake Snyder
SECOND SIGHT: AN EDITOR'S TALKS ON WRITING, REVISING, AND PUBLISHING BOOKS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULT by Cheryl Klein
___
= 4 books on craft



Scholarly Books and Sources related to my Works-in-Progress
Sorry...Keeping a lid on my extensive list of research titles
and scores of historic newspapers and journals related to my as-yet-unacquired works-in-progress. That list to come later

Grand total= 104 books in 2011.
It's almost time to turn the page where 2012 will begin.

My 2011 Favorite blogs to follow

2011 has been a great year to follow our favorite publishing professionals through their individual blogs.

Today, I direct your attention to the blogs I've followed throughout the year. Trust me, you'll want to follow them, too.

Drum roll, please.

 

BLOG ROLL 2011