Q&A with Lori Alexander

 

 

Lori Alexander is the author of the new children's picture book biography Cactus Queen: Minerva Hoyt Establishes Joshua Tree National Park. Her other books include All in a Drop. She lives in Tucson, Arizona.

 

Q: Why did you decide to write a picture book biography of conservationist Minerva Hoyt (1866-1945)?

 

A: I grew up in San Diego, California, not too far from the Mojave desert. While I was doing research for a different biography, I happened upon a website with one of those titles like, “Five Women Who Changed the World (But You’ve Probably Never Heard of Them).”

 

I read the short blurb about Minerva Hoyt and the wonderful work she did to protect nearly 1 million acres of desert land and help establish Joshua Tree National Park. Her activism took place in the early 1900s after the death of her husband, Albert Hoyt.

 

While I know it was tradition at the time, I was a little saddened to see all of her efforts credited to Mrs. Albert Hoyt. I thought that Minerva’s story (and name!) should be celebrated by new readers in picture book format.

 

I’m so happy to see Cactus Queen: Minerva Hoyt Establishes Joshua Tree National Park on shelves this week!

Q: What do you think Jenn Ely’s illustrations add to the book?

 

A: I love Jenn’s work! Her illustration add so much heart to this biography.

 

While I did lots of research to get the facts of the story correct, Jenn did an amazing amount of her own research to accurately portray the clothing, automobiles, buildings, train depots—even the lamp posts—of the time when the story took place (1860s to 1940s).

 

In addition, Jenn’s artwork of the Mojave desert brims with life. As young readers will see, the desert is not a barren wasteland. Here’s a lovely spread of Minerva camping out with the Joshua trees. 

Q: The Booklist review of the book says, in part, “In this tribute to the power of gentle but persistent persuasion, Alexander chronicles the efforts of a Pasadena socialite to preserve the desert she had come to love…” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I would say that’s a fair assessment of Minerva’s influence. It took a long time for Minerva to convince others that the Mojave desert was a special place worth protecting.

 

She rallied friends, educators, politicians, and scientists. She carted bits of the desert to the East Coast, creating lifelike displays to get more people interested in her cause. In addition to the desert displays, she spearheaded a letter writing campaign and even pitched her conservation plan to the US president.

 

After more than 15 years, Minerva finally saw her dream come true: the federal protection of nearly 1 million acres of desert land.

 

Q: How did you research Minerva Hoyt’s life, and what did you learn that especially surprised you?

 

A: I read everything I could find about Minerva in books, archived newspaper articles, and on informational websites. I hiked through Joshua Tree National Park and met with helpful employees in the park’s education department.

 

I loved learning how Minerva took her fight all the way to the White House. She met with President Franklin D. Roosevelt and shared a photo album packed with images of the Mojave desert.

 

To my surprise, this very same album from the early 1930s is currently stored in a climate-controlled location at Joshua Tree National Park. On one of my research visits, the archivist allowed me a peek inside.

 

Here’s me holding the album, gloves to protect the pages, and mask because it was 2021.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m working on another biography—this one is chapter book length—about a spirited female scientist who made critical discoveries about genes and the way they function, all in a time when there were few women working in science.

 

It’s called Seeds of Discovery: How Barbara McClintock Used Corn and Curiosity to Solve a Genetics Mystery and Win a Nobel Prize. It will be fully illustrated by the very talented Rebecca Santo. In addition, I’m working on a few new picture book ideas and just sold a rhyming board book (more details soon!).

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: This is the perfect time of year to visit Joshua Tree National Park! Or if you’re in the mood for a different desert locale, come visit me (and many other children’s book authors) at the Tucson Festival of Books, March 9-10.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Lori Alexander.