Q&A with Richard Michelson

 

 

Richard Michelson is the author of the new children's picture book biography One of a Kind: The Life of Sydney Taylor. Michelson's many other books include the poetry collection Sleeping as Fast as I Can. He lives in Massachusetts.

 

Q: Why did you decide to write a children's picture book biography of author Sydney Taylor (1904-1978)?

 

A: As I say in the book’s afterword, Sydney Taylor's All-of-a-Kind Family both showed and helped shape American Jewish identity in the 20th century.

 

It was the first Jewish children’s book to become popular with non-Jewish readers and, as importantly,  Syd helped break down barriers so that all ethnic groups could eventually have a voice in children’s literature.

 

Q: How did you research her life, and what did you learn that especially surprised you?

 

A: In 2018 I was at the Association of Jewish Libraries annual conference. I had received my second Sydney Taylor Gold Medal (The Language of Angels: A Story about the Reinvention of Hebrew) and I had the opportunity to meet Syd’s daughter, Jo Taylor Marshall.

 

Over lunch, Jo started telling me stories about her mom, and I learned so many surprising facts.

 

Beside being an author, Syd was a member of the Young People’s Socialist League, joined the first iteration of the Martha Graham Dance Company, and acted off-Broadway with the Lenox Hill Players (Lee Strasberg produced an early F. Scott Fitzgerald comedy which Syd performed in).

 

I started writing my manuscript the very next day. And I got the opportunity to visit and interview Jo at her home on a couple of other occasions.

 

I also had read a prepublication copy of June Cummins and Alexandra Dunietz’ wonderful adult biography From Sarah to Sydney: The Woman Behind All-of-a-Kind Family.

 

I had known June before she passed away, and Alexandra was very helpful in agreeing to look at –and note any factual errors she found in my manuscript.

 

Q: What do you think Sarah Green's illustrations add to the book?

 

A: Sarah’s work is wonderful! She was able to illustrate the biographical details but also to capture Sydney’s spirit and imagination. The illustrations are colorful and inspired. She brought my words alive. Her images of Sydney dancing, and daydreaming about being an author are priceless.

 

Q: The Kirkus Review of the book says, in part, “Told in present tense, this is a lively, well-written tale about a renowned author who helped underrepresented kids see themselves in literature.” What do you think of that description, and what do you see as Taylor's legacy today?

 

A: Who am I to argue with Kirkus when they say something nice about me?!

 

Taylor’s legacy is all around us in the “Windows and Mirrors” movement, and the “We Need Diverse Books” movement.

 

In today’s political climate I think her work is more important than ever in getting kids to read books by minorities and immigrants; and with the rise in antisemitism, I think we need to also include Jewish books in the discussion.

 

Jews are roughly 2.4 percent of the U.S. adult population and 0.2 percent of the world population, yet we are often left out of the multicultural conversation.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: At the moment I am working on a book about the librarian Fanny Goldstein, who was the originator of Jewish Book Week, which grew into Jewish Book Month, and the Jewish Book Council (she also originated Catholic Book Week, and Negro Book Week).

 

I also have picture books on deck about Obama’s First White House seder, Maimonides' Guide to Charitable Giving, Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, and a Passover story.  Plus I am working on my next adult poetry collection.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Sure. Eat healthy. Get plenty of sleep. Exercise. Read books!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Richard Michelson.