Christy Mihaly is the author of the new children's picture book Music and Silence: The Passion and Protest of Pablo Casals. Her other books include America's Founding Myths...and What REALLY Happened!. She lives in Vermont.
Q: What inspired you to write a picture book biography of cellist Pablo Casals (1876-1973)?
A: I knew that Casals was a great cellist. That’s because, as an adult, I started taking cello lessons, and every cellist knows about Pablo Casals.
Then, 15 years ago, I spent a year living in Spain. During that year, I learned a great deal about Spanish history. I also visited the Pau Casals museum in Catalonia, where I viewed a compelling video of Casals, as a very old man, speaking to the United Nations General Assembly. I was enchanted and wanted to know more.
As I studied his life, I was increasingly fascinated by his personal philosophy, his anti-fascist activism and heroism. It seemed wrong to me that he wasn’t better known, and I thought kids should know his story.
Q: How did you research his life, and what did you learn that especially surprised you?
A: I started writing the story years ago, when I was just starting out as a children’s writer. I kept researching as I wrote and revised. My research included conversations with people in Spain and with other musicians, visiting the Museu Pau Casals, and reading extensively (in English and a little Spanish). I dug into the history of the Spanish Civil War and that period of history.
Casals himself left two co-written works of autobiography/memoir, which were fascinating to read. I listened to many, many recordings of his music. And I spent many hours watching video footage, which we’re so fortunate to have, including documentaries, interviews, and recordings of master classes. And of course, those videos of his speeches and performances at the United Nations.
Much of this material, of course, didn’t fit into my little picture book biography. Eventually, I decided to conclude the book’s narrative some 23 years before Casals died. I included in the back matter a summary of his final years, along with context about the Spanish Civil War and a timeline of Casals’s life and world events.
In addition, Eerdmans Books for Young Readers has posted, on its YouTube channel, a playlist of recommended videos related to the book.
One fact that surprised me was that Pablo Casals, this brilliant, world-renowned musician, was plagued his entire life by stage fright. Kids who have stage fright might assume that such a great performer wouldn’t be afraid.
So, I mentioned young Pau’s pre-show panic in the scene of his big debut, and then in the back matter included a quotation from Casals describing his lifelong feeling that facing a public performance was an “ordeal” that gave him nightmares. Take heart, young readers!
Q: What do you think Mariona Cabassa’s illustrations add to the book?
A: Oh my gosh, Mariona’s illustrations are gorgeous! I love how she uses the images of birds throughout the book to symbolize music and hope, and how she captures the feeling of music visually. You can see that Mariona brought her heart to these pages.
As she says, as a person of Catalan heritage, she treasures the legacy of Casals, his resilience and his messages of hope and freedom. I am so thrilled with the beauty of Mariona’s illustrations. I think her art elevates this book and I know it brings pleasure to readers young and old.
Q: The Kirkus Review of the book called it “intense and heartfelt.” What do you think of that description?
A: It is heartfelt. And Casals’s story is intense. So, yes.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I’m working on unwinding from the heartfelt intensity! I’m trying to read and write some new poetry. I’m chasing a couple of elusive ideas that aren’t fully cooperating yet. So, we’ll see.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I have another nonfiction picture book that was just published May 26. (Sometimes publishing is like that.) It is America’s Founding Myths … And What REALLY Happened! https://www.barefootbooks.com/americas-founding-myths.
Published by Barefoot Books and illustrated by Marta Sevilla, it’s a middle grade infographic style book, quite different from Music and Silence. But both books encourage young readers to understand the past and to seek the truth. And I’m looking forward to sharing them both with readers this summer, and beyond.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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