Erin Frankel is the author of the new children's picture book biography Mary Oliver, Holding on to Wonder. Her other books include A Plate of Hope. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Q: What inspired you to write a picture book biography of the poet Mary Oliver (1935-2019)?
A: Years ago, a friend shared Mary Oliver’s poem "Wild Geese" with me. The first line stopped me in my tracks. I felt like I was holding my breath yet exhaling at the same time. To read on and feel what I had felt so many times before so beautifully put into words made me want to know and read more of Mary’s poetry.
When she passed away, I felt a sense of having somehow just missed her, and I thought of how the world would grieve without her presence. I was grateful to have her poems to turn to.
I thought of all that would be missed if readers never learned about Mary Oliver, and I imagined the possibilities if they did. I knew then that I wanted to write about her. A beautiful door had been opened. It turns out that I was just getting to know her.
I hope this book might be part of opening a door for someone else. Writing a picture book biography about Mary Oliver has been an honor. It is my way of saying: Thank you, Mary.
Q: What do you think Jasu Hu’s illustrations add to the book?
A: Everything. Jasu captured the spirit and essence of Mary Oliver in her illustrations. She has created tender, soulful spaces where the reader’s imagination can land and take off at the same time.
Before the book came out, Jasu shared her feelings about its creation: The happiness of working on this project felt like rowing through moonlit tides.
Her illustrations show just how deeply she traveled into Mary Oliver’s life and work. She walked through that open door that I was speaking of. Into the woods, to the edge of the ponds, to the dunes, to the beaches, and to the heart of the people and places Mary loved.
And she gives readers the possibility of doing the same through her stunning illustrations.
Q: The Kirkus Review of the book says that it “[l]ets young readers tiptoe through the wild, wonderful life of a celebrated poet.” What do you think of that description?
A: I love that description. Tiptoe says to me that the reader is doing something with great care and intention. What does it mean to walk tenderly into the life and world of another? How does it feel to honor a life in this way?
It also makes me think of Mary herself and how she walked through the wild, wonderful natural world that she so loved. It is my great joy to do so as well.
And the words celebrated poet speak to the child in me. Growing up, I often wondered about my favorite poets (some of them children’s book authors). I would have loved to have known more about their lives and what it meant to be a poet. To have written a book that may speak to that same curiosity in readers fills me with joy.
Q: What do you hope kids take away from the book?
A: I hope readers feel a sense of the curiosity, empathy, and wonder that embodied Mary Oliver’s life and lives on through her writing. I hope they take joy in imagining and knowing that Mary’s world of wonder awaits them beyond the pages of the book. May they start now.
I hope they find comfort in knowing that the natural world loves them deeply and unconditionally and are inspired to love it back as tenderly as Mary did. And for those who are excited to tell about it, I hope they find a way that speaks to them as much as poetry did to Mary.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I am working on new stories both real and imaginative. I’m drawn to stories filled with hope and wonder. In the spring, I have a book on musical theater composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim coming out. Speaking of wonder!
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: As readers explore Mary Oliver’s writing, I hope they are inspired to share their favorite poems with others and to perhaps try some of their own. You never know what a poem might mean to someone. And what greater gift than to give someone words that carry them through and fill them with hope and wonder.
Working on this book felt like a gift. It was a beautiful collaborative process, and I am so grateful to everyone who nurtured it and tiptoed with me along the way.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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