Loryn Brantz is the author and illustrator of the new poetry collection Poems of Parenting. Her other books include the Feminist Baby board book series. She lives in New York City.
Q: Why did you create Poems of Parenting?
A: Poems of Parenting really sort of exploded out of me without much warning. My whole family had colds, and I had finally gotten my son to sleep after a long struggle. I went to bed and started looking at pictures of him, lovingly, as one does, and then I heard him crying.
That’s when I wrote the first poem, “Photos of you.” After that, I could just not stop writing! I wrote almost 50 more that first night.
Q: The author Brandon Stanton said of the book, “Poems of Parenting is tender, charming, sweet, and so real. The dual art and poetry is a one-two punch of genius. It captures parenthood as we know it in the most beautiful little bottle, and at times, is so profound it even transcends it.” What do you think of that description?
A: As a big fan of Brandon’s, I was very honored!! I think he was pointing out how, while the poetry is about the act of parenting, it is truly from the perspective of being a human, even beyond the role of parent. I also really appreciated that he found the art to be as impactful as the writing.
Q: Did you focus on the text first or the art first--or both simultaneously?
A: Often, the text or general concept comes to mind first, and as I work it out, the art becomes clearer. It’s pretty fluid, though.
Other times, art comes to mind first (particularly for children’s books, where I typically start with a character design), or I think I want to write one thing, but I start drawing, and it turns into another thing.
I love it when art and words can play off each other compositionally. That was why it was so important to me for the book to be all double-page spreads – I wanted plenty of room to work with where the words and art would land and take the reader’s eyes.
Q: What do you see as the role of humor in your work?
A: Humor plays a huge role in my work. While a lot of my work may be cheeky or at times downright silly, I actually take it deadly seriously. To bring laughter and joy to the human race, to me, is one of the most important things a person could do, and to get to do that through my art makes me feel very, very lucky.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I’m currently working on another poetry collection and a picture book – I’m really excited about both! If you follow my social media accounts, I’ll update more there when I can.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I can’t think of anything but thank you for reading my work!!
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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