By Susan J Berger
Andrea J Loney is a lot of things. Teacher, Activist, Screen writer, Picture book writer, Ex circus girl? Circus?!!!!!
Yup, I ran away from academia to join the circus.
How did you end up in a circus?
After
I earned my Masters Degree in Dramatic Writing from NYU’s Tisch School of the
Arts, I realized that I’d spent my entire life as a student with no time off to
explore the world I was writing about. When the chance to join a traveling show
came along, I leapt at the opportunity. I originally joined The Big Apple
Circus to work as a roustabout crew girl, but I barely lasted three hours in
that job — once I broke my pinky nail on a floor board, I was out of there!
So
I ran back to the office trailer where I worked for a year as the assistant to
the General Manager, the House Manager, and the Concessions Manager. I also
served as a Tour Guide, an Usher, and an unofficial liaison between the crew
people and the executives in the show’s New York Office. I got to know people
(and animals) of all ages, from all around the world, and from all walks of
life. And I got to watch the entire lifecycle
of a show from rehearsals, to previews, to opening night, to multiple
performances almost every day. It was a great hands-on education in
entertainment.
That's awesome!
That's awesome!
The most exciting thing about Andrea right now is
Her latest book, Double Bass Blues , illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez, is a 2020 Caldecott Honor Book.
I am so happy for her because I know she fought for the kind of illustrations she wanted.
I am so happy for her because I know she fought for the kind of illustrations she wanted.
And her first book, Bunnybear , illustrated by Carmen Saldana, was selected for the 2018 ALA Rainbow list.
I am so happy for her. I met Andrea when we were fellow volunteers at Reading To Kids. And then we were in a couple of critique sessions together. I love her work.
I am so happy for her. I met Andrea when we were fellow volunteers at Reading To Kids. And then we were in a couple of critique sessions together. I love her work.
When did you first see yourself as a writer?
My
grandmother was an English teacher and a literacy specialist so she taught me
how to read when I was three years old. As soon as I could read stories, I
wanted to write them too. I won my first award for writing at the age of eight
— it was a story about a swan in the park. From then I was hooked! I wrote
poems, short stories, comic strips, plays and more.
You have a Master degree in writing, what made you decide on picture
books?
I
distinctly remember reading a book in the second grade and thinking, “Someday I
will make a book like this and some little girl just like me will find it and
fall in love with words forever and ever.” I’ve always dreamed of telling
stories so compelling, they could stay in a child’s heart for the rest of their
lives, just as the work of Ezra Jack Keats, Maurice Sendak, and A.A. Milne
still live in my heart to this day.
Also,
as a young black girl growing up in the suburbs, I did not find many books that
reflected the reality of my life. Now as a supporter of the We Need Diverse
Books campaign, I am committed to do what I can to expand the range of heroes
and heroines in children’s books to reflect the range of diversity our society.
Lifelong impressions and biases — positive and negative — can form quite early
in a child’s life so the earlier a child sees broader representations of race,
gender, class, ableism, and more, the better it is for our society as a whole,
in my opinion.
Finally,
I love the unique challenge of crafting a character’s story in as few words as
possible, while invoking an entire universe without the use of actual images or
the overt description of those images. When it works it’s magical! Even though
I have written professionally for film, television, and theater, picture books
have always been the most beloved form of storytelling for me.
I love firsts, so tell me about the moment when a publisher told you
they wanted to publish your book.
When
I first got the call from Lee & Low, about Take a Picture of Me James Vanderzee
I was on my way into an appointment so the unfamiliar New York number went straight to voicemail. Back in my car I listened to the voicemail, which said that the publisher wanted to discuss my New Voices submission, my first thought was, “Oh man, they hated it. They hated it so much they had to tell me on the phone.” Crazy right? So I wrote the number down in my notebook and just waited it out because they were three hours ahead of Los Angeles and their office was already closed.
I was on my way into an appointment so the unfamiliar New York number went straight to voicemail. Back in my car I listened to the voicemail, which said that the publisher wanted to discuss my New Voices submission, my first thought was, “Oh man, they hated it. They hated it so much they had to tell me on the phone.” Crazy right? So I wrote the number down in my notebook and just waited it out because they were three hours ahead of Los Angeles and their office was already closed.
That
night I didn’t sleep a wink. Was it possible that I won the Honor Award? I
couldn’t have won the big award. Anyway I sprung out of bed at 5:30 am, ready
to call them at 6 am which would be 9 am New York time. And just as I started
to call them, my kitten jumped at the phone and erased the number. It was just
gone.
After
a moment of panic, I realized that I had written the number in my notebook,
which was in my car. So I ran outside to my car in my nightgown and tried not
to hyperventilate as I dialed the number. I was completely shocked when when
the editor, Jessica Echeverria, told me that I had won the New Visions Award.
She told me how much everyone loved the manuscript and the story about my
subject. I could hear in her voice how my passion for James Van Derzee and his
work had somehow traveled to a publishing house across the country and how she
was excited to share that passion with others too.
My
impulse was to blurt out something ridiculous, so I just kept saying “Thank
you, thank you, thank you so much!” Then when the call was over I screamed and
cheered and bounced around in my car. In my nightgown. And it was December 22nd
— what an amazing Christmas gift!
Yes! Love this story!
Yes! Love this story!
Other than your own, who are your favorite (heroes/heroines/writers)
in your genre?
Wow,
there are so many writers whose work I adore. At the moment though it would be
Jacqueline Woodson, Kevin Henkes, Kate DiCamillo, Jonah Winter, Mac Barnett,
Andrea Davis Pinkney, and Joyce Sidman. And so many more!
What is the most exciting moment, so far, in your writing career?
Honestly,
it was the moment I met Jacqueline Woodson at the Los Angeles Festival of
Books. I told her that I won the Lee and Low Award as she signed my well-loved
copy of her masterpiece BROWN GIRL DREAMING, and then she said, “Yes, I know of
James Van DerZee. Which illustrators are you considering?” I don’t even know
how I replied because all I was thinking was, “Holy moly, I am actually talking
shop with National Book Award Winner Jacqueline Woodson! Just like a
professional author! How is this happening?”
What is your favorite pastime, other than writing?
If
I am awake and not writing or driving, I’m probably reading. Other than that, I
like to play video games with my family, make jewelry, knit, hula hoop, and
nap. Wow, do I love naps!
How do you motivate yourself
when inspiration takes a vacation?
Deadlines!
I belong to a few different critique groups and I submit manuscripts regularly
to my agent and editor. I usually have about five writing projects going at any
given time, so if I get stuck on one story I just hop into another one. If I am
on a deadline or tackling a particularly stubborn problem, I journal about the
story instead of trying to write the text. Sometimes I write a series of
questions about the plot or characters before I go to bed, then see if the
answers bubble up the next morning.
Other
inspiration jumpstarts include drawing or coloring, talking to a friend,
listening to new music, going for a walk, making lists, reading something
fascinating , and, of course, napping. Most importantly, I try to see
inspiration more as a bonus than a requirement.
Any advice for new writers just starting out?
The
best advice I ever got was to read stories that work and then figure out how
and why they work. After that, my suggestion would be to write regularly — it
doesn’t need to be daily but it does need to be often enough to build writing
chops and to give inspiration a space to show up. Oh, and always keep a pencil
and paper handy to capture ideas.
The
best choice I ever made for my children’s writing career was joining SCBWI,
reading their articles, attending their events, meeting other writers, and
sharing my work with a critique group (and finding a critique group that suited
my needs).
…Signing
up for Julie Hedlund’s 12x12 Picture Book challenge to join a community of
other picture book writers as I refined those ideas and submitted them to
agents. Also Kristen Fulton’s Nonfiction WOW website and Facebook group
introduced me to the wide world of Nonfiction writing.
Oh
and the best advice that I stubbornly refused to follow for years? While
waiting to hear back on one manuscript, write another one. And another one
after that. And another one after that. Keep writing NEW pieces while revising
the old ones and once they are ready, keep sending them out. By the time my
first picture book sold, I had already recieved over 25 manuscript rejections.
But I was determined to keep going until someone said “yes”. And eventually
they did!
Tell us about James Van De Zee. How did you find your subject.
James
Van DerZee was a studio photographer in Harlem, NY, who took photographs for
nine decades. He was prolific and creative, but most of all he took elegant and
glamorous photos of the black residents of his neighborhood — whether they were
rich, poor, or middle class. He just loved people and that compassion came
through in every shot. From childhood I was always fascinated by this charming
old-time black photographer who was “Photoshopping” pictures long before
computers were invented. The more I learned about his astounding life story,
the more I wanted to share it with others.
What’s your current WIP?
At
the moment, I am working on three picture book revisions, four new picture
books, a middle grade historical
fantasy, and a cozy winter scarf.
Wow!!
Wow!!
And finally, where can we find you?
andreajloney(at)gmail(dot)com
andreajloney
on Twitter https://twitter.com/AndreaJLoney
andreajloney
on Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/AndreaJLoney/
Congratulations, Andrea. I am so proud to know you!