Q&A with Andrea Davis Pinkney

 

 

 

 

Andrea Davis Pinkney is the author of the new children's picture book And She Was Loved: Toni Morrison's Life in Stories. Pinkney's many other books include The Red Pencil. She lives in Brooklyn.

 

Q: What inspired you to write this picture book about Toni Morrison, and how was the book's title chosen?

 

A: The breadth and beauty of Toni Morrison’s storytelling has inspired so many readers and writers. Like every child, young Toni Morrison had a very active imagination. She found solace and power in words.

 

This is why I chose to share her story with young readers – to show them that a great writer’s storytelling can begin by scrawling shapes on the sidewalk, with a stick of chalk in-hand.

 

The title And She Was Loved comes from Toni Morrison’s groundbreaking novel Song of Solomon, in which the main character, Pilate, is affirmed as worthy of love with the echoed refrain, which serves as poetic whisper in my picture book: And She Was Loved. . . And She Was Loved. . .

 

Q: The book’s subtitle describes it as “Toni Morrison's Life in Stories.” How did that approach come about?

 

A: Toni Morrison had such a compelling personal history. She was a writer, mother, publishing executive, and griot. In sharing her story, I wanted to show the multifaceted prism that comprised her life and accomplishments.

 

Q: What do you think Daniel Minter’s illustrations add to the book?

 

A: Daniel’s paintings are breathtaking. He’s masterfully created a kaleidoscope of color, texture, and shape—a jewel that calls us to look, and to look again.

 

Like Morrison’s writing, Daniel’s paintings are metaphorical, spiritual, emotionally resonant. He’s told a visual story that is poignant, powerful, transcendent! And there are visual gifts at each and every turn – the cover and endpapers. And, when readers peel back to paper jacket, a surprise is revealed on the case cover.

 

Q: The Publishers Weekly review of the book says, “More glowing tribute than straight biography, it’s a soulful paean to a beloved creator.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: Thank you, Publishers Weekly! To me, And She Was Loved is a praise poem, a love letter, and a thank-you. It’s also an invitation to readers, beckoning them into the exuberant, dazzling, soul-stirring world that is Toni Morrison’s canon.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I was very pleased to record the And She Was Loved audiobook with Hachette Audio. I’ve always believed that hearing a story is a form of literacy. Embracing musicality, cadence, and flow is core to the oral tradition that is at the heart of Black heritage.

 

For all those kids who experience stories by listening, my hope is that the audiobook will inspire!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Andrea Davis Pinkney.