Selina Alko is the author and illustrator of the new children's picture book biography Joni: The Lyrical Life of Joni Mitchell. Her other books include The Case for Loving. She lives in Brooklyn.
Q: Why did you decide to write and illustrate a picture book
about Joni Mitchell?
A: When I wrote The Case for Loving: The Fight for
Interracial Marriage, I discovered how much I enjoyed the research aspect
of doing a nonfiction picture book.
Joni Mitchell was on my radar after reading Girls Like Us
and learning all about her fascinating Canadian childhood.
The fact that she overcome polio when she was just 10 years
old was the “aha” moment for me. This incident was the key to what could make
her life story compelling for young readers.
Also, I am Canadian, like Joni, and although I am not a
singer/songwriter I share a passion for painting, like Joni too. My connections
to her felt quite natural and gave me a few entry points to learn more about
her life.
Q: How did you research Joni Mitchell's life, and did you
learn anything especially surprising?
A: I read biographies (Reckless Daughter by David Yaffe
and Joni Mitchell; Her Life in Words and Art by Malka Marom), print pieces,
and, of course, I listened to her music obsessively. Her lyrics contain many
allusions to understanding aspects of her fascinating life.
For example, her song "Little Green" is about the daughter she
gave up for adoption when she was pregnant at 19. In the end, I decided not to
put this episode in the book as my editor and I felt it was too complicated
(and unnecessary) to explain to kids. I do allude to that time in her
life though when she "turns her feelings into songs" writing the
lyrics to "Little Green."
Q: Did you focus on the pictures first or the text first, or
did you work on them simultaneously?
A: I wrote the story first and then I filled a notebook with
very loose painterly sketches that were more “impressionistic.”
My sketchbook was very personal, with pages dedicated
to her iconic lyrics and heartfelt emotions–- basically, I painted and collaged
my own reactions to her music.
Once my manuscript
was at a good enough place (after many, many revisions!), I worked on a dummy.
Then, of course, the dummy went through many, many revisions as well. It was
basically a back-and-forth between words and art for several years there.
Q: Do you have some favorite Joni Mitchell songs?
A: There are a few classics which were formative to me
growing up-- songs that sparked my writing of this book: "Circle Game," "Big
Yellow Taxi," and "Both Sides Now." These are some of the songs I listened to at
the Jewish socialist summer camp I went to on an island in British Columbia,
Canada.
Joni's songs (and folk music, in general) helped shape my
interest in social justice and the types of books I am drawn to making for
children.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I am working on an alphabet book about immigration.
The beauty of diversity is something I feel very passionate about. It is
probably because my Jewish family came from Eastern Europe and Turkey to make a
life in Canada, where I grew up, and also because I immigrated to the
United States from Canada to pursue my dream of being an artist when I was a
young adult. Immigration runs in my bones.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I have another book coming out soon, One Golden Rule at School: A Counting Book, and, it is just that–– a counting book! The
classroom is a diverse and fun place where preschoolers count from one to ten,
and back down again, throughout the day.
I guess this is a big year for me with
two books out! Gee, I hope people are still buying books these days... In
any case, at least there's more time to read right now.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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