Interview with Native American author Cynthia Leitich Smith<\/p>\n

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LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE: Ms. Smith, a couple of hours after I sent a request to you for this interview, an email appeared in my inbox from World Literature Today<\/em>, announcing you as the winner of the 2021 NSK Neustadt Prize for Children\u2019s Literature. First, congratulations! Second, how did you receive the news? How does it feel to be recognized for \u201coutstanding achievement in the world of children\u2019s and young adult literature\u201d? <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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CYNTHIA LEITICH SMITH<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/a>: Thank you. I received a lovely phone call a few hours before the announcement, which took place at a Zoom ceremony that evening. I\u2019m genuinely gobsmacked by the whole thing. My fellow finalists were among the international luminaries of the field\u2014the people I aspired to be when I grew up. I am deeply grateful to my nominator, Monica Brown, her fellow judges, and everyone involved in the NSK Neustadt Prize and Neustadt Lit Festival. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Monica Brown chose your book <\/span><\/span><\/strong>Hearts Unbroken<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/a> as the example of your work for the Neustadt jury. Please tell us about this novel. <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Hearts Unbroken<\/span><\/span><\/em> is a contemporary, realistic young-adult novel, published by Candlewick Press. It\u2019s the story of two teen journalists covering the controversy around the equitable and inclusive casting of their high-school musical, <\/span><\/span>The Wizard of Oz<\/span><\/span><\/em>. In sum, the new theater teacher has decided to take a <\/span><\/span>Hamiliton<\/span><\/span><\/em>-esque, color-conscious casting approach, and not everyone is happy about it. It\u2019s also a love story about those same two teen reporters. She\u2019s a Native girl. He\u2019s an Arab American boy. They\u2019re trying to figure out themselves, each other, and their relationship in a world that doesn\u2019t make sense to many of us much of the time. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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It\u2019s received some lovely recognition, receiving the ALA\u2019s American Indian Youth Literature Award in the YA division and a Foreword Reviews Silver Medal, among other honors.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Lone Star carried a news brief in December 2019 about your deal with HarperCollins to create Heartdrum, a Native-focused imprint for young readers. How did this project come about? Can you update us on the status?<\/span><\/span><\/strong> <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Ellen Oh, who\u2019s a brilliant author as well as the CEO and president of the We Need Diverse Books nonprofit organization, approached me with the idea of a Native imprint over breakfast at a conference in Houston. She reminded me that books by and about Native people make up fewer than one percent of those published for young readers and suggested that I would be a good fit for raising up more Indigenous creatives and narratives. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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I spent several months thinking about the possibility of an imprint, and the tipping point for me came when I was teaching a Native writers\u2019 workshop called \u201cLoonSong: Turtle Island\u201d in Minnesota. I remember the moment, seated in the screened-in patio, with manuscripts for critique spread out on the table in front of me. The participants were inside, and I could hear their voices, their laughter. I thought, <\/span><\/span>We could do this. We could help change everything<\/span><\/span><\/em>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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From there, I reached out to Rosemary Brosnan, who is the vice president\/editorial director of Quill Tree Books and Heartdrum at HarperCollins Children\u2019s Books. Rosemary is my original children\u2019s book editor, and she\u2019s had a longstanding commitment to publishing underrepresented voices, beginning long before #WeNeedDiverseBooks propelled the movement to a new level.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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As of today, I\u2019m pleased to report that we will launch our first list this winter, featuring Christine Day\u2019s tender middle-grade novel, <\/span><\/span>The Sea in Winter<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/a>. This summer we look forward to the release of Brian Young\u2019s debut middle-grade <\/span><\/span>Healer of the Water Monster<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/a> and the first title in Dawn Quigley\u2019s darling chapter-book series: <\/span><\/span>Jo Jo Makoons: The Used-To-Be Best Friend<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/a>, illustrated by Tara Audibert. I believe our current count is twenty-three signed manuscripts. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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For those who haven\u2019t read Native-focused literature yet, where do you recommend we begin? Which authors do you particularly enjoy and why?<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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With regard to books for grownups, my favorite writers include Louise Erdrich, Joy Harjo, Marcie Rendon, and Linda Hogan.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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When it comes to books for teens, try Eric Gansworth\u2019s <\/span><\/span>Apple: Skin to the Core<\/span><\/span><\/em>, Cherie Dimaline\u2019s <\/span><\/span>The Marrow Thieves<\/span><\/span><\/em>, Darcie Little Badger\u2019s <\/span><\/span>Elatsoe<\/span><\/span><\/em>, Lisa Charleyboy\u2019s <\/span><\/span>Dreaming in Indian: Contemporary Native American Voices<\/span><\/span><\/em> (with Mary Beth Leatherdale), Dawn Quigley\u2019s <\/span><\/span>Apple in the Middle<\/span><\/span><\/em>, Joseph Bruchac\u2019s <\/span><\/span>Killer of Enemies<\/span><\/span><\/em>, Tasha Spillet\u2019s graphic novels, and Angeline Boulley\u2019s upcoming debut, <\/span><\/span>Firekeeper\u2019s Daughter<\/span><\/span><\/em>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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For middle grade, try Louise Erdrich\u2019s <\/span><\/span>The Birchbark House<\/span><\/span><\/em> series, Charlene Willing McManis and Traci Sorell\u2019s <\/span><\/span>Indian No More<\/span><\/span><\/em>, David A. Robertson\u2019s <\/span><\/span>The Barren Grounds<\/span><\/span><\/em>, Christine Day\u2019s <\/span><\/span>I Can Make This Promise<\/span><\/span><\/em>. Plus, for kids in middle school, Eric Gansworth\u2019s <\/span><\/span>If I Ever Get Out of Here<\/span><\/span><\/em> and <\/span><\/span>Give Me Some Truth<\/span><\/span><\/em>, and for the younger readers in, say, third and fourth grade, Andrea L. Rogers\u2019 <\/span><\/span>Mary and the Trail of Tears: A Cherokee Survival Story<\/span><\/span><\/em>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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For picture books, try Julie Flett\u2019s <\/span><\/span>Birdsong<\/span><\/span><\/em>, John Herrington\u2019s <\/span><\/span>Mission to Space<\/span><\/span><\/em>, Monique Gray Smith and Julie Flett\u2019s <\/span><\/span>My Hearts Fills With Happiness<\/span><\/span><\/em>, Carole Lindstrom and Michaela Goade\u2019s <\/span><\/span>We Are Water Protectors<\/span><\/span><\/em>, Kevin Noble Maillard and Juana Martinez-Neal\u2019s <\/span><\/span>Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story<\/span><\/span><\/em>, and Daniel Vandever\u2019s <\/span><\/span>Fall in Line, Holden!<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Please note that my suggestions are by no means comprehensive but merely a place to begin.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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I\u2019d also like to offer a shout out to Choctaw author <\/span><\/span>Tim Tingle<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/a>, who\u2019s likewise based in central Texas, and has published numerous award-winning books for readers of all ages.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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As a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation, how has this heritage shaped your life and career? How does it inform your leadership of the <\/span><\/span><\/strong>annual We Need Diverse Books Native Writing Intensive?<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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I\u2019m from a family that was impacted by the U.S. federal boarding-schools experience, and in some ways, I feel like writing and helping to publish Native children\u2019s books is the ultimate refutation of that. As a child, I tended to shy away from books that reflected Native people and topics, either because of their stereotypical, inaccurate nature or because I couldn\u2019t relate to historical narratives that underscored the myth of extinction\u2014possibly a combination of the two.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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As a young writer, I had the honor of publishing three books\u2014<\/span><\/span>Jingle Dancer<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/a>, <\/span><\/span>Rain Is Not My Indian Name<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/a>, and <\/span><\/span>Indian Shoes<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u2014between 2000 and 2002, which reflected contemporary daily life for Oklahoma-based, suburban, and middle-class Native people. These were considered groundbreaking at the time, and they are currently being updated (technology has changed a <\/span><\/span>lot<\/span><\/span><\/em>!) and repackaged for paperback and e-book releases with new art by Native illustrators. The e-book of <\/span><\/span>Indian Shoes<\/span><\/span><\/em> is already available and being widely used in schools.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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So, when it comes to the intensive, it\u2019s fair to say to the Native writer participants: <\/span><\/span>I\u2019ve been there. I know what it\u2019s like to try to connect Indigenous narratives to the mainstream publishing market and ambassador them beyond that. Here is what to think about. Here are strategies to consider.<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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I also bring a solid knowledge base about the conversation where their work fits, which is helpful in identifying mentor texts for craft development.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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You have a bachelor\u2019s degree in journalism from the University of Kansas and a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School, where you were a co-founder and senior editor of the Michigan Journal of Gender & Law<\/em>\u2014even studying law in Paris. Please tell us about the journey from law school to author.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Law school was an ideal match for my skills. I can read, I can write, and I can talk. That\u2019s basically it. I\u2019m not one for dissection or equations. I\u2019m an iffy driver, and I only learned how to cook since \u201csocial isolation\u201d became a common catchphrase. Being a children\u2019s-teen author requires much of the same skill set. Plus, it clicks well with being an optimist who prefers conflict on the page over conflict in real life. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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My original thought was to become either a media-law professor at a journalism school or First-Amendment professor at a law school. That changed after the Oklahoma City bombing, which took place while I was clerking for the Department of Health and Human Services for Chicago. I was struck with an imperative to do something positive for the world, for the future, and for children in particular. I could think of nothing better than creating books for young readers. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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You mentioned earlier that you teach writing in the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA program. What is your most important advice for young writers? <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Don\u2019t let anyone else tell you what your writing life should look like, and don\u2019t give them the power to take away your joy. Define what \u201csuccess\u201d means to you, and celebrate every victory, no matter how small. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Since this is Lone Star Lit, I always ask what Texas means to a writer and their work. How did you come to Texas and how has Texas impacted your work? <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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I originally moved from Chicago to Austin so I could afford my transition from law to writing, although I\u2019d be interested to see how the respective cost of living in those two cities has shifted over time. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Texas has had an enormous impact on my work. It\u2019s one of the most significant states when it comes to children\u2019s-YA books. We\u2019re home to the Texas Book Festival and Texas Teen Book Festival, several fantastic independent bookstores (like BookPeople in Austin and Blue Willow in Houston), the incredibly influential Texas Library Association (which offers first-rate events), the Writing Barn in Austin, and a bountiful, highly successful and nurturing community of children\u2019s-YA writers and illustrators.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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In YA literature, my <\/span><\/span>Tantalize<\/span><\/span><\/em> series put me on the map (and bestseller list). The kick-off concept is that the many times great-niece of Bram Stoker\u2019s Texan character, Quincey P. Morris, is running an Italian restaurant on South Congress in Austin. The books are horror-comedies with romantic elements and, beyond that, a springboard for engaging with <\/span><\/span>Dracula<\/span><\/span><\/em>\u2019s themes. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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As the author of a multi-creature-universe, I am proud to be the literary inventor of the werearmadillo and turkey werevulture. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Of course, all this also led to the spin-off <\/span><\/span>Feral<\/span><\/span><\/em> trilogy, which is likewise set in Texas.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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I believe you have a few books to release in the not-too-distant future. Can you tell us what\u2019s next for you and your work?<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Next up is <\/span><\/span>Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/a>, which comes out in February. It\u2019s a middle-grade anthology of short stories and poems centered on a two-day intertribal powwow. The contributing writers and illustrator collaborated on the worldbuilding and intersectional content via an online message board, phone calls, emails, texts, and in-person meetings. This resulted in book wherein each entry can stand alone but reading them in concert adds a layer of resonance as, say, a protagonist from one story may \u201cguest star\u201d in another one. For kids, it\u2019ll be a more fully immersive vicarious experience. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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After that, I look forward to the release of <\/span><\/span>Sisters of the Neversea<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/a>, which comes out in June. It\u2019s a modern, Indigenous update to the world of J. M. Barrie\u2019s <\/span><\/span>Peter Pan<\/span><\/span><\/em>. Although the classic\u2019s namesake character plays a significant hero in the story, my heroes are stepsisters Wendy Darling and Lily Roberts, whose lives are upended when Peter and Belle appear at the window of their suburban home. After intrigue, hijinks, and adventure, they must rescue their shared little brother Michael and find a way home from Neverland. I\u2019m hopeful that <\/span><\/span>Sisters of the Neversea<\/span><\/span><\/em> is a compelling, heartfelt, and page-turning adventure in its own right, but I\u2019m also hearing from a lot of people who\u2019re saying they\u2019re curious to find out how a Native writer navigated and reinvented that world.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Beyond that, those early books I mentioned\u2014<\/span><\/span>Jingle Dancer<\/span><\/span><\/em>, <\/span><\/span>Indian Shoes<\/span><\/span><\/em>, and <\/span><\/span>Rain Is Not My Indian Name<\/span><\/span><\/em>\u2014are in the process of coming out in paperback and e-book editions, too.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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It\u2019s so strange with the suddenly accelerated shift to online bookselling and pre-orders. I strongly encourage everyone to keep supporting their brick-and-mortar independent booksellers during this difficult time via their websites, curbside pickup, or whatever your local options may be.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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What books are on your nightstand? <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Twins<\/span><\/span><\/em>, a middle grade graphic novel by Varian Johnson and Shannon Wright, and <\/span><\/span>When We Are Kind<\/span><\/span><\/em>, a picture book by Monique Gray Smith and Nicole Niedhardt.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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