Yeah, Buddy!, war stories, schmoozes, and poetry as a career: working poet, picture book and middle grade writer Shutta Crum
Charlie Barshaw coordinates our regular Writer Spotlight feature and interviews writers of SCBWI-MI. In this piece, meet SCBWI-MI legend with an unusual name, poet and writer Shutta Crum.
My name’s pronounced: shut-ta. It is unusual. It doesn't have any nationality per se. My father's nickname was Shutta. He was the baby of 12 and I believe others were always telling him to shut-up. (He was what we call a “big talker.” Had to be as the baby. Hence, he got his nickname, sometimes shortened to Shuddy.) When I was born, I was the oldest grandchild on my mother's side of the family. So, there was a lot of arguing about who to name me after. My father cleared all that up by saying, "We'll name her Shutta."
Crum is my maiden name. My husband's last name is Clark. I thought that was just too common to go with Shutta, so I kept my maiden name and I like it a lot. I didn't like it when I was young, because I wanted a common name like all my friends—Linda, or Debbie. But now that I'm older, I like being different. So many younger folks have unusual names these days—it fits right in. And no, none of my brothers, nor my sister have an unusual name—though most of our middle names rhyme: Kay, Gaye, and Clay.
You grew up in Kentucky in the Appalachian Mountains. Was the Trail nearby? Did you follow it very far?
I believe the trail goes past KY and through West Virginia. So, I’ve never gotten on it. But I’ve daydreamed about it!
What distinguishes, in your mind, Kentucky Storytelling?
It’s direct, funny, or horrific. And it twists and turns like the roads through the hollers down there. And no matter your age if you’ve got a tale to tell, folks will listen. I loved that as a child. Even very small children could command the attention of a circle of adults who would hear you out. Also, you gotta end your tale with these words “Yeah, buddy!” This tells the listeners that all you’ve just said is God’s truth. (HAH! And if you believe that, I’ve got a bridge I can sell you.)
You relied on the “oral tradition” of storytelling, because books were rare in the house. Did you find a library nearby? When did you first experience powerful storytelling in books?
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| Some Golden encyclopedias |
We didn’t have a lot of money, but Mom brought home volumes of the Golden Encyclopedia whenever she bought a load of groceries. I believe there was a free, or almost free, vol. when you spent a certain amount. I read every one of those from cover to cover! Loved them. And I have fond memories of a dictionary I rescued from an incinerator when the school next door was burning old things from the end of the year. It had part of the “A” section missing, but we kept it and used it. In 2008 my parents died about three weeks apart. Cleaning out their house I found that dictionary. I still have it.
So, yes! Books were very important in our home, partly because my father could not read. He’d had only about a 4th/5th grade education, and a spotty one at that. He could only attend school when the weather was bad. Otherwise, he had to stay home and work on the farm. My father realized all that he had missed, and he always insisted we attend school. And he never minded it if we were caught reading. But he was a great storyteller! (BTW: Here’s a link to an article I wrote mentioning that important dictionary and my love of thesauri titled Lexical Lust: An Ink-slinger’s Confession.)
In addition, we lived next door to our elementary school which had a library that stayed open all summer long, as there was no public library nearby. I haunted that library, reading—I think—almost every book it had. I remember thinking what a huge, wonderful resource it was. But a few years ago, I did a school visit to my alma mater and was given a tour. I discovered that that library was now the janitor’s closet. It was small. But, oh, how big and important it was to me!
What stories from your childhood, either spoken or read, have stuck with you all these years?
This is a hard question to answer—so many. Some important, some not. But I will tell you of the importance of storytelling—a tale that involves my dad who was, as I said, a “big talker.” I was visiting Mom and Dad in their later years and Mom told me that Dad had gone to my niece’s high school history class and had talked to the students about what WWII was like. And what being a soldier was like, etc. They’d just gotten a lovely note from the teacher thanking him and saying that the kids had really enjoyed his enlightening tales of the war. I looked at Mom and said, “How could you let him do that? You know, he was never in the war.”
You see, near the end of his life Dad had Alzheimer’s and he believed a number of things that weren’t so. Three of his brothers had been in the war. But he had served in the army between WWII and Korea, missing both those wars. Mom laughed at my question, shrugged her shoulders, and said, “It’s [storytelling] what keeps him alive.”
In addition, we lived next door to our elementary school which had a library that stayed open all summer long, as there was no public library nearby. I haunted that library, reading—I think—almost every book it had. I remember thinking what a huge, wonderful resource it was. But a few years ago, I did a school visit to my alma mater and was given a tour. I discovered that that library was now the janitor’s closet. It was small. But, oh, how big and important it was to me!
What stories from your childhood, either spoken or read, have stuck with you all these years?
This is a hard question to answer—so many. Some important, some not. But I will tell you of the importance of storytelling—a tale that involves my dad who was, as I said, a “big talker.” I was visiting Mom and Dad in their later years and Mom told me that Dad had gone to my niece’s high school history class and had talked to the students about what WWII was like. And what being a soldier was like, etc. They’d just gotten a lovely note from the teacher thanking him and saying that the kids had really enjoyed his enlightening tales of the war. I looked at Mom and said, “How could you let him do that? You know, he was never in the war.”
You see, near the end of his life Dad had Alzheimer’s and he believed a number of things that weren’t so. Three of his brothers had been in the war. But he had served in the army between WWII and Korea, missing both those wars. Mom laughed at my question, shrugged her shoulders, and said, “It’s [storytelling] what keeps him alive.”
You became a high school English teacher in Michigan. Care to talk more about your experience as a young teacher trying to wrangle your students’ attention from each other?
Hardest job in the world! Kids in the throes of puberty are dealing with so much. I only taught high school for a year. I am in awe of those folks who stay. I loved so much of it. Yet I often locked my door after the day was done, and put my head down and cried during that year. In addition, a beloved shop class teacher’s family was killed in a car accident early in the year. Later, a home economics teacher committed suicide. Many of the students were close to both those teachers. It was a year of much laughter and much anguish. Then I went on to get my master’s degree in library science at U. of M. But what a year of learning—for me!
You went on to teach creative writing at a community college. Did you get a better class of writing student when they had to pay for their classes? How was your own writing progressing while you were teaching young adults to write creatively?
First, you’re assuming the high school students I had were not “a better class” of students. They, in their own way, were wonderful! (If prickly and difficult. And some of them I loved dearly.) In teaching at a community college, you have students of all ages. And teaching the evening courses, I got a lot of older people who were going back to school for one reason or another. Very few were young adults.
Hardest job in the world! Kids in the throes of puberty are dealing with so much. I only taught high school for a year. I am in awe of those folks who stay. I loved so much of it. Yet I often locked my door after the day was done, and put my head down and cried during that year. In addition, a beloved shop class teacher’s family was killed in a car accident early in the year. Later, a home economics teacher committed suicide. Many of the students were close to both those teachers. It was a year of much laughter and much anguish. Then I went on to get my master’s degree in library science at U. of M. But what a year of learning—for me!
You went on to teach creative writing at a community college. Did you get a better class of writing student when they had to pay for their classes? How was your own writing progressing while you were teaching young adults to write creatively?
First, you’re assuming the high school students I had were not “a better class” of students. They, in their own way, were wonderful! (If prickly and difficult. And some of them I loved dearly.) In teaching at a community college, you have students of all ages. And teaching the evening courses, I got a lot of older people who were going back to school for one reason or another. Very few were young adults.
One of my favorite students was 92! He could hardly hear and had to sit next to me while I lectured or led discussions. But what a writer! Partly because he had such a wealth of experiences to draw upon; working in his grandfather’s hardware store in the 1890s, farming, being young at the turn of the century. And having been married to two women in long marriages.
BTW: I still have one or two folks in my writing circle who were my students. I loved teaching at the community college level. And teaching writing does inform one’s own writing—always being reminded of what good writing looks like.
You were the assistant editor of a literary arts journal. Did that mean you wore all the hats, journal-role-wise?
Mostly I helped on the layout of the magazine. It was the Ann Arbor Review published out of Washtenaw Comm. College. Fifty years+ later that magazine now is solely online as the AAR2. But it was through my work on this magazine and the poetry classes I took at W.C.C. that I met my own poetry man—my husband of almost 46 years. He was an associate editor on the magazine as well.
So, librarians are kind of like a secret religious cult, right? They know what the strange codes on the spines of books mean, and they know everything, or how to get the answers to everything. Seriously, what does it take to become a librarian?
Mostly, it took a lot of hours at the libraries at U. of M. learning how things are categorized and how indexes, etc. work before I could get my master’s degree. I still want to pick up a Yellow Pages or a print index instead of going to the computer—sigh . . .
You were the assistant editor of a literary arts journal. Did that mean you wore all the hats, journal-role-wise?
Mostly I helped on the layout of the magazine. It was the Ann Arbor Review published out of Washtenaw Comm. College. Fifty years+ later that magazine now is solely online as the AAR2. But it was through my work on this magazine and the poetry classes I took at W.C.C. that I met my own poetry man—my husband of almost 46 years. He was an associate editor on the magazine as well.
So, librarians are kind of like a secret religious cult, right? They know what the strange codes on the spines of books mean, and they know everything, or how to get the answers to everything. Seriously, what does it take to become a librarian?
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| Librarian Shutta |
Mostly, it took a lot of hours at the libraries at U. of M. learning how things are categorized and how indexes, etc. work before I could get my master’s degree. I still want to pick up a Yellow Pages or a print index instead of going to the computer—sigh . . .
But the best thing is being a children’s librarian. WOW! I have a couple of decades of wonderful experiences to think about and draw upon from my years of being a librarian and working with children. How open young children are about their curiosities.
My favorite reference question: “Just what does God do all day long?” I wrote an article for a professional librarian journal on that and another favorite question I had. It’s here if anyone is interested: God and The Swearing Book. (Twinkly hearts at this point in the interview.)
You were a librarian in Ann Arbor for years. In 2002 you won the Michigan Library Association’s Award of Merit. What did you have to do to earn that award?
I’m not sure how I won it, except that my bosses had to nominate me. By the time I’d gotten the award, my first two books were out. That may have had something to do with it. At any rate, I was eating at the awards banquet at the annual Mich. Library Assoc. conference and was about to shovel food in my mouth when it was announced. (Of course. Spit! Spit!)
You sold your first manuscript in 1999. I could look it up, but I’d rather have you describe your first picture book, and what it took to get it published.
I’d been doing storytimes at the library for years at that point. I had more than 20 manuscripts circulating, hoping to snag a publisher. And I got over 200 rejections on those manuscripts.
You were a librarian in Ann Arbor for years. In 2002 you won the Michigan Library Association’s Award of Merit. What did you have to do to earn that award?
I’m not sure how I won it, except that my bosses had to nominate me. By the time I’d gotten the award, my first two books were out. That may have had something to do with it. At any rate, I was eating at the awards banquet at the annual Mich. Library Assoc. conference and was about to shovel food in my mouth when it was announced. (Of course. Spit! Spit!)
You sold your first manuscript in 1999. I could look it up, but I’d rather have you describe your first picture book, and what it took to get it published.
I’d been doing storytimes at the library for years at that point. I had more than 20 manuscripts circulating, hoping to snag a publisher. And I got over 200 rejections on those manuscripts.
Then, one day I get the call! I did what any self-respecting author does first thing—I called my mom. We squealed and jumped up and down. Anyway, that story was noted as a “retelling,” because it was loosely based on several old tales I often told to older storytime audiences.
My book was titled “Who Took My Hairy Toe?” The funny thing was, people would ask me the title of my book once they found out that I was a published writer. And when I told them, I’d get this funny look—especially if they didn’t know I was a children’s librarian. So, there was that to contend with, at first. As to “what it took to get it published?” Lots of perseverance! I didn’t get an agent until after I’d sold my first seven books myself. So I was researching publishers and submitting a lot. Just gotta stick with it for the long haul.
Everyone wants to talk about the book with 9 ½ words (Mine). But which is your favorite picture book, so far?
I think MY MOUNTAIN SONG and MOUSELING’S WORDS are my two favorite picture books. Mainly because they are autobiographical. I often visited my grandparents in Kentucky in the summers, which is what MY MOUNTAIN SONG is based upon. And I tell folks that MOUSELING’S WORDs is my auto-mouse-ography--me as a mouse. And SPITTING IMAGE is my favorite of the novels because it brings to life so many of the loveable folks of the Appalachians of my youth.
You used to host a regular writer/friend’s get-together on your property, which may have included a barn or some other outbuilding. Sadly, I never got to go. What did I miss?
You missed out on a lot of fun at those “schmoozes!” We had a garage we converted into a playhouse at the farm and once every summer for about 10 years we just had a big party which always included lots of food and a writing prompt, and getting to know each other. The schmoozes are where I met so many dear writing friends for the first time. I remember those times on the farm fondly—and miss them. But we live in town now. It got fairly difficult to keep up so much property and a large pond and barns. Sigh . . .
I first really met you years ago, when we walked ten minutes from our historic Detroit hotel to the aging but still majestic Cobo Hall during the Michigan Reading Association’s spring conference. The bus was full, and Ruth (on the bus) had the easel and maybe also the giant pad of paper, because that was pre-document camera and projector.
So you, instead of waiting for the next shuttle bus, decided to walk the blocks to Cobo Hall, and I walked with you. Mostly with some misguided male belief that I’d make sure you got there. But you also knew the way, to make sure that I got there, too. What I remember is that you told me you’d recently adopted a new health regimen. Looking back at it, I am tempted to call it Shutta’s Second Act. In Save the Cat, the second act is called “fun and games.” Would “fun and games” describe your output for the last twenty years?
Hmm . . . first of all, I did stick to my health regimen, at least for a good many years. Now, I’m kind of with it on some days. But then on other days I think what the heck let’s have some more chocolate.
Everyone wants to talk about the book with 9 ½ words (Mine). But which is your favorite picture book, so far?
I think MY MOUNTAIN SONG and MOUSELING’S WORDS are my two favorite picture books. Mainly because they are autobiographical. I often visited my grandparents in Kentucky in the summers, which is what MY MOUNTAIN SONG is based upon. And I tell folks that MOUSELING’S WORDs is my auto-mouse-ography--me as a mouse. And SPITTING IMAGE is my favorite of the novels because it brings to life so many of the loveable folks of the Appalachians of my youth.
You used to host a regular writer/friend’s get-together on your property, which may have included a barn or some other outbuilding. Sadly, I never got to go. What did I miss?
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| The farmhouse in winter |
You missed out on a lot of fun at those “schmoozes!” We had a garage we converted into a playhouse at the farm and once every summer for about 10 years we just had a big party which always included lots of food and a writing prompt, and getting to know each other. The schmoozes are where I met so many dear writing friends for the first time. I remember those times on the farm fondly—and miss them. But we live in town now. It got fairly difficult to keep up so much property and a large pond and barns. Sigh . . .
I first really met you years ago, when we walked ten minutes from our historic Detroit hotel to the aging but still majestic Cobo Hall during the Michigan Reading Association’s spring conference. The bus was full, and Ruth (on the bus) had the easel and maybe also the giant pad of paper, because that was pre-document camera and projector.
So you, instead of waiting for the next shuttle bus, decided to walk the blocks to Cobo Hall, and I walked with you. Mostly with some misguided male belief that I’d make sure you got there. But you also knew the way, to make sure that I got there, too. What I remember is that you told me you’d recently adopted a new health regimen. Looking back at it, I am tempted to call it Shutta’s Second Act. In Save the Cat, the second act is called “fun and games.” Would “fun and games” describe your output for the last twenty years?
Hmm . . . first of all, I did stick to my health regimen, at least for a good many years. Now, I’m kind of with it on some days. But then on other days I think what the heck let’s have some more chocolate.
But as to “fun and games,” it certainly hasn’t always been that. There are days one wants to tear one’s hair out in frustration. But I do know that no matter how difficult this whole passion for writing for young readers is, I couldn’t stop it.
I write for all ages, in a variety of formats: board books, picture books, MG, teen novels, poetry for adults and articles for professional journals and online organizations. What fun I’d miss if I ever stopped.
I equate writing a picture book to playing in a sprinkler on a hot day. I can jump around, giggle, chat with friends/family nearby. It’s play. Writing a novel is more like swimming across a lake. It’s a concentrated effort that’s deeply emotional. And I never know if I’m going to make it all the way across, until I do. But I keep stroking, hoping to hit the farther shore eventually. And when I do, it’s wonderful! How could anyone give that up?
Your website has a half dozen links to poetry you wrote (Rhymes and Elephants, The Scab). You teach workshops on nocturnes and aubades. Can a working poet pay their mortgage?
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| Shutta at a school visit |
I equate writing a picture book to playing in a sprinkler on a hot day. I can jump around, giggle, chat with friends/family nearby. It’s play. Writing a novel is more like swimming across a lake. It’s a concentrated effort that’s deeply emotional. And I never know if I’m going to make it all the way across, until I do. But I keep stroking, hoping to hit the farther shore eventually. And when I do, it’s wonderful! How could anyone give that up?
Your website has a half dozen links to poetry you wrote (Rhymes and Elephants, The Scab). You teach workshops on nocturnes and aubades. Can a working poet pay their mortgage?
Absolutely not!
But it is fun and keeps one’s brain agile. Never give up a good-paying day job. Wallace Stevens, William Carlos Williams, T.S. Elliot, Lucille Clifton, and Robbie Burns all had day jobs for years.
In probably your most esteemed presentation, you were invited to the 2005 Easter Egg Roll at the White House. What do you remember about that day?
June 27, 2023 is the book birthday for two picture books, Grandpa Heaven and Grandma Heaven, written by you and illustrated by Ruth McNally Barshaw. (Full disclosure: she’s my wife, but I still think her art is marvelous.) What did it take to make these whimsical ideas about a wacky, comforting afterlife appear in book-form?
It took a lot of patience!!! I knew they were good manuscripts, but they did not sell for about ten/eleven years ago. I had read Cynthia Rylant’s Cat Heaven and Dog Heaven and loved both those books. Then, one day while snuggling with my 4-year-old granddaughter she suddenly asked, “Are you going to die?” I told her not for a long, long time. That seemed to satisfy her, and we went back to snuggling. (Though she did comment that she was never going to die, and “not mommy.”) I’m not sure what precipitated that question, but it got me thinking about young worriers who might wonder where do dead loved ones go. Don’t we all wonder that?
I got to see Ruth’s artwork at several stages. It was a lot for her to handle—two books at once. But I had faith in her, and I adore the results. I’ve also worked closely with the Spanish translator. The Spanish edition will come out next January. The nice thing about working with a small publisher like Lawley is that they kept us informed all along the way. I really enjoyed the making of these two books.
So, what’s next, Shutta?
Well, the paperback editions of Grandma Heaven and Grandpa Heaven come out in September. And the Spanish editions in January of 24. I will also have a new poetry book coming out early in 2024 with Kelsay Books. It’s tentatively titled MEET YOU OUT THERE to go along with my other “traveling” titles WHEN YOU GET HERE, and THE WAY TO THE RIVER. I guess, since so much about life and poetry concerns traveling through our days it makes sense.
In probably your most esteemed presentation, you were invited to the 2005 Easter Egg Roll at the White House. What do you remember about that day?
Getting invited was quite the surprise! I got a phone call one morning from my publicist at Knopf and she asked, what are you doing on March 28th? I said “nothing.” She said, “How would you like to read at the White House?” Then I thought the call was a prank and I handed the phone over to my husband and said, “Listen to this. Hah!” Turns out it wasn’t a prank. Laura Bush was the First Lady and she’d been a librarian.
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| Not the White House event, But Bravest of the Brave |
Also, the book they wanted me to read was BRAVEST OF THE BRAVE, my book about a brave little skunk making his way through the forest. At that time, we were in the middle of the Iraq War and so there was a lot of emphasis on the bravery of our troops. Anyway, I went.
Unfortunately, the weather was horrible. Lightning, storms. They had to call off the Easter Egg Roll, though some families had spent a rainy night waiting in line. I did get a lovely trip to Washington D.C. out of it, as well as breakfast in the White House where I actually used one of the restrooms (!), a number of good photo ops with the other writers (which included Mo Willems, Janet Stevens and Doreen Cronin), and some lovely gifts. However, I did not get to read on the outside stages due to the weather.
In 2010 you toured the Department of Defense military base schools across Japan. Was this your first visit to Japan? What were the military base schools in Japan like? Does one of the bases stand out in your recollections?
Yes. It was my first, and only, trip there—so far. It was also another surprise invitation! I simply got an email one day with the subject heading of: “Do you see Japan in your future?” Well, no, I thought at the time. It turns out a resource teacher for the Dept. of Defense had used one of my teaching articles (I also write a lot of professional articles.) and wanted me to come to Japan to present to students and teachers. I did—my hubby tagged along. What an experience! For a whole month we traveled around the country visiting schools at various bases. 11 or 12 bases in all, if I remember correctly. Evenings and weekends I had off, plus some extra time at the end. (My husband had the whole month to tour freely.) Just lovely.
The kids are all Americans, so no language problems. And their system is great! Because the military knows where everyone is at all times, no child falls between the cracks. No child is “left behind.” And the schools all had state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment. For teachers there was a certain freedom because they did not have to teach to the test—since it is federal and not state-run, there is no state-run testing required. The teachers loved teaching creatively and the students seemed to like being there.
I was impressed with how orderly and clean the country was, and how wonderful the schools were.
No one particular base stood out, except that the one in Yokohama was huge! About 1,200 elementary age students in five buildings. There were very few high school students as one can “retire” from the military after twenty years. So, most of the families only had young children.
Two personal highlights: visiting the country’s oldest
Kabuki theater where we sat on the floor and didn’t understand a word but laughed heartily, and luxuriating in a Japanese bath house. Wow! Also, we were there at cherry blossom time. We couldn’t have scheduled it better!
In 2010 you toured the Department of Defense military base schools across Japan. Was this your first visit to Japan? What were the military base schools in Japan like? Does one of the bases stand out in your recollections?
Yes. It was my first, and only, trip there—so far. It was also another surprise invitation! I simply got an email one day with the subject heading of: “Do you see Japan in your future?” Well, no, I thought at the time. It turns out a resource teacher for the Dept. of Defense had used one of my teaching articles (I also write a lot of professional articles.) and wanted me to come to Japan to present to students and teachers. I did—my hubby tagged along. What an experience! For a whole month we traveled around the country visiting schools at various bases. 11 or 12 bases in all, if I remember correctly. Evenings and weekends I had off, plus some extra time at the end. (My husband had the whole month to tour freely.) Just lovely.
The kids are all Americans, so no language problems. And their system is great! Because the military knows where everyone is at all times, no child falls between the cracks. No child is “left behind.” And the schools all had state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment. For teachers there was a certain freedom because they did not have to teach to the test—since it is federal and not state-run, there is no state-run testing required. The teachers loved teaching creatively and the students seemed to like being there.
I was impressed with how orderly and clean the country was, and how wonderful the schools were.
No one particular base stood out, except that the one in Yokohama was huge! About 1,200 elementary age students in five buildings. There were very few high school students as one can “retire” from the military after twenty years. So, most of the families only had young children.
Two personal highlights: visiting the country’s oldest
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| Kabuki theater |
June 27, 2023 is the book birthday for two picture books, Grandpa Heaven and Grandma Heaven, written by you and illustrated by Ruth McNally Barshaw. (Full disclosure: she’s my wife, but I still think her art is marvelous.) What did it take to make these whimsical ideas about a wacky, comforting afterlife appear in book-form?
It took a lot of patience!!! I knew they were good manuscripts, but they did not sell for about ten/eleven years ago. I had read Cynthia Rylant’s Cat Heaven and Dog Heaven and loved both those books. Then, one day while snuggling with my 4-year-old granddaughter she suddenly asked, “Are you going to die?” I told her not for a long, long time. That seemed to satisfy her, and we went back to snuggling. (Though she did comment that she was never going to die, and “not mommy.”) I’m not sure what precipitated that question, but it got me thinking about young worriers who might wonder where do dead loved ones go. Don’t we all wonder that?
The reason it took years and years to sell these companion manuscripts, is they’re not exactly classroom books, nor story-time books. They are books that are needed, but they probably aren’t going to be best-sellers for a large publishing house.
But I have to say that this was the most collaborative experience I’ve had in my 20+ years of getting books published—and the most fun. Because the manuscripts ended up getting taken by a small publishing company out of Arizona (Lawley), they allowed me input into who should illustrate. And since the action takes place in heaven I felt there needed to be lots of white space. I could envision
Quentin Blake-ish dancy figures against all that white. So, of course, Ruth McNally Barshaw came to mind. I love how she draws people--all curvy, all oozing with love. As soon as they saw Ruth’s website, it was a resounding YES!
So, I was able to work with one of my dearest friends! Also, Lawley has a policy of collaborative work. They wanted, and set up, several zoom meetings with Ruth, the art director, the editor and me—all together to talk through how we saw the book developing. Believe me, that doesn’t happen with the big NY companies! I know from experience. This was heavenly. (Pun intended.)
But I have to say that this was the most collaborative experience I’ve had in my 20+ years of getting books published—and the most fun. Because the manuscripts ended up getting taken by a small publishing company out of Arizona (Lawley), they allowed me input into who should illustrate. And since the action takes place in heaven I felt there needed to be lots of white space. I could envision
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| Quentin Blake-style by Quentin Blake |
Quentin Blake-ish dancy figures against all that white. So, of course, Ruth McNally Barshaw came to mind. I love how she draws people--all curvy, all oozing with love. As soon as they saw Ruth’s website, it was a resounding YES!
So, I was able to work with one of my dearest friends! Also, Lawley has a policy of collaborative work. They wanted, and set up, several zoom meetings with Ruth, the art director, the editor and me—all together to talk through how we saw the book developing. Believe me, that doesn’t happen with the big NY companies! I know from experience. This was heavenly. (Pun intended.)
I got to see Ruth’s artwork at several stages. It was a lot for her to handle—two books at once. But I had faith in her, and I adore the results. I’ve also worked closely with the Spanish translator. The Spanish edition will come out next January. The nice thing about working with a small publisher like Lawley is that they kept us informed all along the way. I really enjoyed the making of these two books.
So, what’s next, Shutta?
Well, the paperback editions of Grandma Heaven and Grandpa Heaven come out in September. And the Spanish editions in January of 24. I will also have a new poetry book coming out early in 2024 with Kelsay Books. It’s tentatively titled MEET YOU OUT THERE to go along with my other “traveling” titles WHEN YOU GET HERE, and THE WAY TO THE RIVER. I guess, since so much about life and poetry concerns traveling through our days it makes sense.
As far as children’s books go, I don’t have any more under contract, though I have had a verbal offer and am still waiting for the contract. I’m not sure about the publication date of that one. Info about my books is available at www.shutta.com/books.
And, of course, I continue to write new poems and work on new manuscripts for young readers. I LOVE all the ways today’s writers can approach a subject and use the page. BOOM! It’s like one’s mind is exploding with all that is happening in books for young readers and in poetry today. It’s just so exciting!
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www.shutta.com
facebook.com/Shuttacrum
twitter: @Shutta
Please include any social media contact you wish to share.
www.shutta.com
facebook.com/Shuttacrum
twitter: @Shutta
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