Q&A with Sian Gilbert

  

 

 

Sian Gilbert is the author of the new novel The Five of Us. Her other books include the novel I Did Warn Her. Also an educator, she lives in Bristol, UK. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write The Five of Us, and how did you create your cast of characters?

 

A: The Five of Us was inspired by my time as a teacher during lockdown. I was teaching in 2020 when schools were first closed and the world became unlike anything we had ever known. Expecting young people to suddenly grapple with this alongside an already massive transitional period in their lives created a time of so much uncertainty.

 

A lot of people want to avoid the topic of lockdown entirely, and it is easy to understand why when there was so much sadness surrounding it. But I couldn't help but think of those young people and all the expectations they had for beginning their adult lives, and the fact this anticipation sometimes never followed through.

 

The cast of characters, a group of five girls only known by their bird nicknames, are completely fictional, but are absolutely drawn from the students I taught during this time.

 

In an author's note at the beginning of the book, I say that Crow, Cuckoo, Wren, Starling and Goldfinch are "an amalgamation of the confusion, anger and resentment that existed at the time and still does now."

 

I wanted them to be students who cared about their education and saw it as a means of achieving their dreams. I also wanted them to be relatable as teenage girls and follow them on their life journey into their turbulent adulthood.

 

Approaching them as both teenagers and adults was a very important part of the novel to me in order to demonstrate the significant impact lockdown had on their generation, and the consequences they are reaping for it in the years afterwards, all wrapped up in a twisty, dark academia thriller.

 

Q: The author Bruce Holsinger called the book a “brilliantly conceived story of rivalry, vengeance, and the terrible secrets that can lurk within even the closest of friendships...” What do you think of that description?

 

A: Firstly, I have to say, getting a Bruce Holsinger blurb was absolutely incredible! Bruce is such a nice guy and the fact he made the time out of his busy schedule to read this novel meant so much.

 

The description is a great one at getting to the heart of these characters. I wanted them to ultimately be realistic teenage girls, and anyone who has been a teenage girl or raised teenage girls (or taught them!) knows that friendships can be complicated.

 

They aren't perfect all of the time, and especially not when there is a dead body or two to contend with as there might be in this novel. There is jealousy, and pettiness, and love, and respect, and laughter, and tears, all wrapped up in relationships that feel the most important in the world.

 

Vengeance is a big theme in The Five of Us, for a variety of reasons, and the terrible secrets hang over not just the actions they commit in the first half of the novel as young people but directly impact their lives as adults in the second half. Is their behaviour justified? Readers will have to decide that for themselves.

 

Q: Did you know how the novel would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?

 

A: Without giving away any spoilers, the novel did change in its ending. For anyone who has read the book, they might be surprised by how the women are left, and I'd love to hear from readers their thoughts on it.

 

Initially, the ending was more what might have been expected, a more obvious consequence, shall we say. Instead I chose a different direction, and this links to the idea of hope within the book. Is their ending justified? I would be interested to hear what readers have to say about that!

 

I did also make changes along the way. One of the biggest changes was actually their names---originally, the girls went by their real names, and birds did not come into the equation.

 

But as they developed, something interesting happened. The idea of tying them down to a set name felt less right, and I wanted them to represent the wider generation as a whole. Birds were the obvious choice for how to go about that.

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?

 

A: If there is anyone that feels that same anger or resentment from what happened to them in lockdown, I hope this book speaks to them.

 

I hope anyone that enjoys dark academia appreciates the different take on that genre, situated within a comprehensive school and council flats instead of luxurious penthouse apartments and exclusive boarding schools.

 

It is a coming of age story, but it isn't written for young people today; it is for the generation that came up during lockdown and might be feeling a little lost in the tough world that remains.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: Thriller number four (which feels wild to say!) has been written and gone through developmental edits. It hasn't quite been announced yet but will be very soon, and there is a lot of excitement around it. I cannot wait to share more!

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: If you loved The Five of Us, do check out my other two thrillers, She Started It and I Did Warn Her, and you can follow me for all updates on me and the next book via my social media and website: @sianmgilbert or SianGilbert.com.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb 

Q&A with Sonny Garg

  

 

 

Sonny Garg is the author of the new memoir Desi 2.0: My Family's American Dream and the Cost of Never Being Enough. He lives in Chicago.

 

Q: Why did you decide to write this memoir?

 

A: I began writing because I was trying to understand how I could have achieved almost everything I had been taught to want and still feel that I was not enough.

 

I went to Harvard, served as a White House Fellow, reached the executive committee of a Fortune 125 company, and became deeply involved in the civic life of Chicago. From the outside, the American Dream had worked beautifully. Yet shortly after receiving one of the biggest promotions of my career, I found myself telling a friend, “My life sucks.”

 

Eventually, I understood that achievement had become more than something I pursued. It had become the way I tried to prove that I was worthy of approval, belonging, and love.

 

But no accomplishment could settle that question for very long. There was always another title to earn, another room to enter, and another person whose validation I wanted. That contradiction became the starting point for the book. I wanted to understand what I had been chasing, why I had been chasing it, and what it had cost me.

 

Over time, I realized this was not simply a story about ambition or immigrant expectations. It was a story about not having to earn the right to be loved, and that our worth is not something we have to prove.

 

Q: The author Sudhir Venkatesh said of the book, “With wit and courage, Garg offers a portrait—echoing Terkel, Algren, and Bellow—of the trials, contradictions, and quiet triumphs of finding one’s way on American soil.” What do you think of that assessment, and those comparisons?

 

A: I found it incredibly generous and, honestly, a little much. I would never compare myself to Studs Terkel, Nelson Algren, or Saul Bellow as a writer. But I understand what Sudhir was recognizing. Each of them used lives rooted in Chicago to explore larger questions about America: belonging, ambition, reinvention, struggle, and the complicated ways people try to make a life for themselves.

 

Chicago plays a similar role in my story. It was the place where I built the life I thought I wanted. It gave me opportunity, status, community, and a sense that I had arrived. It was also where I eventually had to confront the difference between being successful and believing I was worthy.

 

What I especially appreciate about Sudhir’s assessment is the phrase “trials, contradictions, and quiet triumphs.” The book is full of contradictions. It is possible to be grateful for what your parents gave you while recognizing the costs of what you inherited. It is possible to appear extraordinarily successful while privately feeling inadequate. It is possible to receive admiration from the world and still believe that love must be continually earned.

 

Q: How was the book’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?

 

A: “Desi” is a term commonly used by people of South Asian heritage to describe ourselves and our shared cultural identity. In the book, “Desi 1.0” represents the operating system many of us inherited: work hard, achieve more, make the family proud, and look to accomplishment and external validation as evidence of your worth.

 

That operating system contained many strengths. It carried ambition, resilience, sacrifice, and an extraordinary belief in what was possible in America.

 

But it could also blur the distinction between achievement and worth. Love, approval, and belonging could begin to feel conditional, something secured through good grades, prestigious schools, impressive careers, and continued success. Because there was always another rung to climb, it was almost impossible to feel that you had finally done enough or become enough.

 

“Desi 2.0” is not a rejection of that inheritance. It is an effort to update it. It means retaining the determination and aspiration while letting go of the belief that our worth depends on what we accomplish. It asks whether we can honor our parents’ sacrifices while also exercising the agency they worked so hard to give us.

 

For me, Desi 2.0 signifies a fundamental shift: from trying to earn love through achievement to understanding that we are worthy of love simply because we are, and from inheriting a definition of success to consciously choosing one.

 

Q: What impact did it have on you to write the book, and what do you hope readers take away from it?

 

A: Writing the book helped me understand how deeply I had confused achievement with worth. For much of my life, I believed that if I worked hard enough, accomplished enough, and made enough people proud, I would finally feel secure in who I was. But achievement could only provide temporary relief. It could never answer the deeper question of whether I was worthy of love.

 

Writing also gave me a deeper understanding of my family. It helped me see that many of the behaviors I had judged harshly, in my father and in myself, began as strategies for survival. My father’s drive helped carry him from poverty and limited opportunity in India to a new life in America.

 

I inherited that drive, but I also inherited the fear underneath it: the belief that without continued achievement, I might somehow become less worthy.

 

Seeing that connection gave me more compassion for him and for myself. It also helped me understand that examining an inheritance is not the same as rejecting it. We can decide which parts we want to carry forward, which we need to rewrite, and which we are ready to put down.

 

The book is a memoir, not a manual. I hope it prompts them to ask their own questions: What am I chasing, and why? Whose definition of success am I living by? What am I asking for achievement to prove? What is it costing me? If I truly embraced my own agency, what would I choose?

 

Most of all, I hope readers take away the lesson I spent much of my life resisting: You do not have to earn the right to be loved. You do not have to accomplish something extraordinary to become worthy. You are already enough.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I am continuing to explore the questions that emerged from the book through essays, conversations, and my work with students and leaders.

 

As a Distinguished Executive in Residence at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, I spend time with students in Chicago, London, and Hong Kong who are often wrestling with their own versions of these questions: What are they building toward? What are they optimizing for? How much of the life they are pursuing have they consciously chosen? And how much of their identity and self-worth have they placed in the hands of achievement?

 

I also lead the Center for Expanding Leadership & Opportunity, or CELO. Our work focuses on understanding how young people and emerging leaders develop not only the capacities and durable skills to succeed, but also the integrity and judgment to use those abilities for the good of society.

 

These may sound like different strands of work, but to me they are closely connected. Both are ultimately concerned with human development and agency: helping people recognize that their worth is not determined by a scorecard, become more intentional authors of their lives, and use their abilities in service of something larger than themselves.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I wrote the book as a fellow traveler, not as someone standing at the end of the road with all the answers. But I now understand something I wish I had known much earlier: Our worth is not the prize waiting for us at the end of a lifetime of achievement. We begin with it. We are already loved.

 

We are already enough.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb 

Q&A with Ryan Douglass

  

Photo by J. Monroe

 

 

Ryan Douglass is the author of the new young adult novel Night of Madness. His other books include The Taking of Jake Livingston. He lives in Atlanta. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write Night of Madness, and how did you create your character Mara?

 

A: I wanted to pay homage to the campy horror of the ‘80s while rooting the stakes in the issues young people are currently facing in a highly digitized culture.

 

I created Mara by pulling inspiration from my favorite deadpan characters and trying to explore what’s underneath that tough exterior. She’s someone who is quite vulnerable without necessarily thinking of herself that way or coming off that way.

 

She has a really strong instinct to protect people and to be fair, which I think is what stands out about her in a novel where everyone’s competing to win for themselves.

 

Q: The Kirkus Review of the novel called it a “thrilling fun house mirror of a tale that will keep readers on the edges of their seats.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I like that description. The asylum is like a fun house mirror in the sense that it distorts reality and causes the characters to question what they’re looking at.

 

Mara is supposed to understand Jack Stanley as a creator because she grew up with his movies. She should be able to navigate the experience, but the game doesn’t follow the movie it’s based on exactly, so he doesn’t really get to escape the terror and surprises.

 

I also really wanted the book to be fun and a bit over-the-top. The book has moments that are genuinely unsettling but it’s mostly about having a great time.

 

Q: Did you know how the novel would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?

 

A: I had no clue what the big reveal would be until I had reached the final act and felt like there should be something that connected Jack and Mara in a way that made their final battle feel personal.

 

I definitely changed things along the way from what I had planned with Temple Hill and they supported my vision. The actual outcome always tends to change once I start writing because so much new material comes up when the story starts telling you what it wants to be, rather than what you set out to make it.  

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?

 

A: I mostly want them to be entertained by the shenanigans that ensue. But there are bigger things happening underneath the horror, around the idea of turning people's trauma into entertainment, around chasing external validation or the idea of a “picture perfect” life.

 

I never think readers need to walk away with one specific message, but I think the strongest lesson Mara learns is about how fortunate she already was before she walked into the game, which she needed the game to help her realize.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I'm finishing up the sequel to Night of Madness, which I may like even more than the original. We get to continue following Mara but there’s a secondary protagonist involved.

 

It still revolves around the legacy of Jack Stanley, but rather than exploring the influencer and social media economy, it looks at dark web subcultures and the impact technofascism has on college-aged youth.

 

Mara is more self-assured this time around and we get to see her in a different light. I'm also working on an adult horror project, so I'm getting to bounce between two different kinds of scary right now, which is fun.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

A: I think the biggest thing is that I want Night of Madness to feel like an experience. I hope readers can give into the ride and allow themselves not to take it too seriously, because the book definitely doesn’t take itself too seriously.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb 

Q&A with Stephan Pastis and Will Henry

  

Stephan Pastis

 

 

Stephan Pastis and Will Henry are the author and illustrator of the new middle grade book The Adventures of He-Man and Porter: Skeletor Ate My Homework. It's based on Mattel's Master of the Universe series. 

 

Q: What inspired you to create The Adventures of He-Man and Porter: Skeletor Ate My Homework?

 

SP: I’m used to creating my own characters and worlds in my kids books, and I was sort of fascinated by the idea of being handed a set of characters and seeing what I could do with them. To me, that felt like a whole new challenge. And as it turned out, Mattel really allowed me to make them my own. 

 

Q: How much leeway were you given with the Masters of the Universe characters as you worked on the book?

 

SP: A lot! I think the first thing I did was give Skeletor a therapist. The only limitation I bumped up against was when I tried to kill off a character and they told me I couldn’t do that. Insert sad face emoji.

Will Henry, photo by Amelia Wilson

 

WH: More than expected. The editorial team had a lot of faith in Stephan and me. Although the design and approval process was lengthy there wasn’t much push back. I think they were looking for something playful and fresh but also true to the original material 

 

Q: How would you describe the relationship between Porter and He-Man?

 

SP: Well, in this case it’s more about the relationship between Porter and He-Man’s alter-ego, Prince Adam. Both Porter and Adam have fathers who don’t really understand them. And on that level, they bonded.

 

WH: It’s a strong bond, especially with their desire to be acknowledged by their fathers. I also see them as buddies on an adventure, mostly because He-Man may be the most powerful being in Eternia, but also sort of a big kid at heart 

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?

 

SP: I want kids to laugh! That’s always job number one for me. And if they can relate to some of Porter’s struggles, that would be a bonus.

 

WH: Humor comes first, but I also want them to get a feeling of adventure and belonging  

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

SP: The 25th Anniversary book for my comic strip, Pearls Before Swine, called Pearls Jubilee. And Book 3 of this He-Man series (Book 2 I finished a bit ago). Oh, and a book tour for this He-Man series to Salt Lake City, Portland, and Berkeley. So many things happening all at once! 

 

WH: Currently, I am finishing the illustrations on the second He-Man and Porter book, but I also just released my latest Wallace the Brave book- All Hands on Deck. Two books in one month is quite busy for me

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

SP: Just that I think kids will have a lot of fun with these books. Will’s drawings are amazing!

 

WH: My kids absolutely love this book. And they are a good litmus test because they are quick to tell me when they don’t like something.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb 

Sept. 28

 

 

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Sept. 28, 1856: Kate Douglas Wiggin born.

Q&A with Christy Mihaly

  

 

 

Christy Mihaly is the author of the new children's picture book America's Founding Myths...and What Really Happened!. Her other books include Music and Silence. She lives in Vermont. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write America’s Founding Myths...and What Really Happened!?

 

A: There are so many apocryphal tales and misunderstandings in the history we teach kids. I wanted to set the record straight and reveal the true stories, which are so much richer and more nuanced than the myths.

 

It’s so important. If we don’t understand our past, if we keep perpetuating the myths of our founding, we can’t understand our present – and we can’t work together for a better future. Let’s not sugarcoat our history. Let’s understand it so we can build a better future. I hope this book is a start.

 

Also, I love writing nonfiction for kids. And I had prior experience with the publisher, Barefoot Books, when I wrote Barefoot Books Water: A Deep Dive of Discovery (published in 2021).

 

So, when Kate DePalma of Barefoot Books contacted me about creating a big, illustrated book for the nation’s 250th anniversary, I was game. Once we came up with the idea of myths and true stories, I knew that’s where we wanted to go.

 

Q: How did you choose the myths to include in the book?

 

A: This was tough! I started with a much longer list, and as a team we boiled it down to fifteen main myths.

 

We looked for fun and kid-friendly aspects of the stories. And we decided we needed to start before Columbus. Our first myth is that there was this NEW WORLD over here, just empty and free for the taking. Here, we showed (or reminded) readers about the vast diversity of Indigenous civilizations and the millions of inhabitants of the continent now called North America.

 

We end the book’s myths with the adoption of the Constitution in 1787. The myth is that the founders created this perfect democracy that guaranteed everyone was equal. And we had a few true points to make about that.

 

For the rest, we looked for myths that would appeal to kids. I looked for eyewitness testimony and other primary source materials. Using direct quotations from 250 years ago helped bring the past alive for readers.

 

And we chose myths that were central to the founding and would allow us to showcase facts behind the red-white-and-blue myths of the Noble Founding Fathers.

 

We worked especially to highlight the contributions of three groups that have traditionally been written out of much of the nation’s history: Women, Black Americans, and Indigenous People.

 

Q: The Kirkus Review of the book says, “A timeline, speech bubbles, and lift-the-flap ‘True or False’ quizzes reinforce the book’s core message: History is layered, debatable, and dynamic.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I think that’s great! The book’s introductory spread asks, “Where does history come from?” And we point out that history is messy and our understanding of the past changes as new events take place and we look at the past from different perspectives.

 

In addition to providing facts to counter the myths we’ve heard, our book reminds kids to ask questions. On each spread, we pose a “challenging question,” intended to inspire the reader to think deeply.

 

For example, on the opening spread, “How do YOU think the story of America’s founding changes if we acknowledge that the land wasn’t ‘free for the taking’?” And, on the spread about the Boston Tea Party, “Do YOU think it is ever okay for protesters to break the law?”

 

Then in back matter, we provide media literacy resources, including specific questions a reader can ask to interrogate a source and its reliability: Is it fact or opinion? Who is saying it? What might the speaker’s motivation be? What are they omitting? Can you confirm with an independent source of information?

 

This is all intended to help kids see that history is stories we tell, and we need to ask where these stories come from.

 

Q: What do you think Marta Sevilla’s illustrations add to the book?

 

A: Marta’s work is central to the book. We wanted dynamic, fun illustrations that would lighten the book’s tone and engage young readers. Because our book is telling kids they’ve been lied to! (Like, “sorry, kids, George Washington and the cherry tree? Didn’t happen.”)

 

We didn’t want kids to go away feeling disillusioned, or to conclude that history is just a big disappointment. So, Marta’s comic-book vibe really appealed to us.

 

Also, we wanted flaps. The publisher approved these big (expensive) gatefolds on the left-hand side of every main spread, which are such fun when presenting the myths. You see the myth, then lift the flap to learn what really happened. This setup is so engaging for kids, and Marta’s cartoons and funny graphics help make it work.

 

Finally, the technique Marta uses of collaging historical images with modern photos and cartoons developed as the book progressed. It adds an additional dimension to the book’s content – another twist on: Can you believe what you see? What is true and what might not be?

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’ve been talking about America’s Founding Myths and working to get it into the hands of young readers.

 

I also have some new ideas inspired by my research for this book. I’m exploring the story of a lesser known early First Amendment advocate, as well as the evolution of various American ideas and technologies. But these thoughts are still percolating so I can’t tell you much about them yet.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Thanks for asking! I could use some help with America’s Founding Myths. So, I have a request.

 

I’ve been disappointed to see that, despite great editorial reactions (stars from Booklist and SLJ), some readers are leaving negative reviews complaining that the book is “anti-American.”

 

Yeesh. See all my answers above. America’s Founding Myths counteracts myths with evidence. Seeking the truth is an American value. Let’s not insist that all patriotic Americans must believe a single old (mythic) story and retell it in unison. Let’s seek to learn the true history together.

 

So – if readers feel so moved, I’d so appreciate if you would take the time (I know it’s a big ask!) to post your honest reviews alongside those one-stars. It’s more important than ever and will help new readers find our book. Many, many thanks. Stars to you!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Christy Mihaly. 

Q&A with Amy Fellner Dominy

  

 

 

 

Amy Fellner Dominy is the author of the new children's picture book A House with No Door: A Sukkot Story. Her other books include Monster Down Deep. She lives in Phoenix. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write A House with No Door?

 

A: I knew I wanted to write a story about a Jewish holiday, but which one? My happy place has always been outdoors, so it made sense that I was drawn to Sukkot. Also, it wasn't a holiday we celebrated at home when I was growing up. My synagogue had a sukkah and I helped decorate that, but I'd never built one.

 

So when I started researching how to build one, I was struck by how unique a sukkah is. It has so much historical significance, but also such a connection to nature.

 

Then I read that a sukkah has a minimum requirement of two full walls and part of a third wall. In other words, it doesn’t have to have four walls and a door. That’s what I was used to growing up in Phoenix, Arizona. Sukkahs were houses with no doors.

 

In a time when our society feels so closed off, I wanted to explore the idea the everyone is welcome in a house with no door.  

 

Q: What are some of your favorite Sukkot traditions?

 

A: I love the idea of inviting in others. I’ve always taken that literally to mean welcoming neighbors and friends. I’ve since discovered that for some it’s also a welcome to spiritual guests. I say the more the merrier.

 

Q: What do you think Rotem Teplow’s illustrations add to the book?

 

A: I think her lovely illustrations are the perfect complement to the text. They bring readers into the story (and the sukkah) and invite them to hang out a while. There is just so much to see and explore in her art. It’s exactly the right feeling to go with the story.

 

Q: You’ve written for different age groups--do you have a preference?

 

A: I’ve published for teens, tweens, and toddlers, and I’ve always felt so fortunate that I could write widely. I’m drawn to a character or a story idea, and it doesn’t always fit into an age group or category.

 

That said, I especially love middle grade because that’s a time of life when kids are figuring out who they are and who they want to be.

 

And I couldn’t give up on writing picture books. They’re ridiculously hard to write considering how few words are on the page, but so rewarding. Sharing a picture book with an audience of young kids and hearing them laugh or sigh…watching them lean forward so they don’t miss a word…it’s one of the very best parts of being an author.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’ve just finished a picture book about Shabbat that I hope will find a home. I’m also writing a new action-adventure middle grade about a Jewish character battling her fears and the challenges of nature.   

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: If you’re a librarian, parent or educator, I love to do visits. Reach out if you’re interested! Virtual visits are always an option. amy@amydominy.com

 

Also, I write a monthly newsletter about the journey of writing and life. I love welcoming new readers. Sign up at amydominy.com/newsletter.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Amy Fellner Dominy.