Monday, January 27, 2025

Q&A with Christine Kessides

 


 

Christine Kessides is the author of the new children's picture book A Tail Tale. She also has written the young adult novel Magda, Standing

 

Q: What inspired you to write A Tail Tale, and how did you create your character Wally?

 

A: I wrote A Tail Tale initially as a skit for a children's literature class in college, and it languished in a faded envelope in a closet for decades (evidently I don't clean out closets often!). 

 

After publishing my novel, I rediscovered the dog-eared draft and decided to revise it as a picture book, but at the time I really had no idea what was involved in writing that genre, which is very different than that of a novel. 

 

The original draft of A Tail Tale simply conveyed a boy's fascination with different animal tails, but as I received editorial advice I realized that I needed to develop Wally's motivation for wanting a tail. 

 

He thinks that he needs to change a lot to make his classmates friendly to him. He learns that he has the power to speak up for himself and for the woebegone Snake he meets, who is all tail and gets bullied too. 

 

As I developed the story, I shared it with my 5-year old grandson, who provided useful commentary and I'm sure that Wally is a bit modeled on him. 

 

Q: What do you think Sarah Gledhill’s illustrations add to the story?  

 

A: A great deal! She cleverly captured the emotions and personalities of Wally and the Snake. As I had never worked with an illustrator I appreciate that my publisher put me in contact with her and we had a regular exchange of ideas as she worked on the art, which definitely enhance the characters and drama in the story.

 

Q: You’ve also written a young adult historical novel called Magda, Standing--how much of it was based on your own family history, and how did you research the book?

 

A: The novel is about a German immigrant family in Pittsburgh in 1916-19, during the period of World War One and the Spanish flu. 

 

The teen protagonist, Magda, is told she has to leave high school to care for a younger sibling and her invalid mother, but with the help of two aunts she earns her diploma in time to become a Red Cross nurse's aide and help care for injured soldiers. 

 

Those parameters of the story were based on aspects of my family history and experiences of several older relatives. My grandparents on both sides lost close family members in the Spanish flu, a major element of family lore. The story also deals with the stigma of mental illness, another part of this history. 

 

Unfortunately, I didn't have access to their letters or diaries, so to enhance the oral record I did research at the German American History Museum in Washington, D.C., and read historical accounts, letters and memoirs of the time, especially by immigrants and by women who assisted as nurses in the Great War and during Spanish flu. 

 

Q: As someone who’s written for different age groups, do you have a preference?

 

A: I wrote Magda, Standing with a definite intention of reaching a teen readership, as I wanted to convey to them this period of history that is not much known in the US (much less than WWII), when women were acquiring new rights, working outside the home as the men were drafted, technology was expanding rapidly, and the large flow of immigrants was a major source of social ferment -- all similar in many ways to today. 

 

I love reading YA historical fiction and writing for this audience because such stories are intrinsically about heavy emotion and personal growth, and bringing to life how history remains so relevant to our times. 

 

Picture books are fun and can be profound--I also love reading them to my grandsons (and for my own enjoyment) because picture books likewise portray our growing feelings and understanding of how we fit in the world. 

 

I can't say I have a preference! Both genres are very challenging for a writer.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I have written a sequel to A Tail Tale, which will be released by Atmosphere Press later this year. In the sequel, Tail Tale Too, Wally and his friend the Snake have more adventures with tails as Wally continues to learn about his abilities and agency as a boy. 

 

I am also trying to get going on a second novel, but don't want to jinx anything by saying too much as it's very early stage. 

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I have enjoyed getting to know other authors, especially many local ones in the Washington DC/MD/VA  area, who have helped inspire and encourage my late-in-life shift to creative writing (I was 70 when I published Magda, Standing.)

 

I credit the Writers Center in Bethesda for their classes, which were very helpful to my education in the craft of fiction, as well as groups such as the Maryland Writers Association and Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) for invaluable advice. 

 

Most of all, I appreciate my two publishers, Bold Story Press and Atmosphere Press, both of which are independent  but selective and very professional. I often share this experience with others who are starting their writing and publishing journeys.  

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb

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