Expression:
Can you tell us in a little about your
childhood? What was it that drew you to
writing and illustrating for children?
BM:
I was born in Clinton, New Jersey, and
spent my early childhood there. I moved
to North Dakota when I was nine. I always
loved to draw, and loved telling stories.
There wasn’t really a moment of
revelation when I thought I wanted to
become an artist or storyteller...these
were just things I did from early childhood.
Expression:
Was there a particular drawing/book/illustrator
that you remember being particularly affected
by when you were a child?
BM:
Actually, three influences stand out among
many...the Little Bear books by Else Holmelund
Minarik and Maurice Sendak, a version
of Aesops Fables illustrated by Milo Winter,
and the cartoon and comic book character
Top Cat.
Expression:
Can you recall the first picture you did
that you were really pleased with?
BM:
Yes -- it was a series of circles that
I drew in crayon, with two crayons in
different colors, one in each hand, as
I lay on the kitchen floor. I think the
drawing looked like a very long slinky.
I was probably two and a half or so.
Expression:
What is your favorite medium to work in?
Why?
BM:
Pen and ink and watercolor. I love the
precision and crispness of line that pen
and ink produces, and the transparent
luminosity of watercolor.
Expression:
Can you tell us a little about how you
developed your distinctive and intricate
drawing technique?
BM:
When I was in college, I discovered the
woodcuts of Albrecht Durer. I spent hours
in the library copying his woodcuts, which
was a great way to learn line drawing
techniques. I later discovered the works
of Grandville, Gustave Dore, and Daumier,
and copied them, too. I gravitate toward
18th and 19th century drawing and artists.
Expression:
What kinds of things prompt a new idea
for one of your own books?
BM:
Overheard conversations, things I read,
and memories of experiences and people
important to me as a child.
Expression:
Which of your books presented the biggest
challenge to create? Why?
BM:
The most difficult book was The Heartaches
of a French Cat, because it was the first
I’d both written and illustrated.
It was rejected by 15 publishers. I’d
send it out, get it back with a polite
and in many cases supportive rejection
letter, and put it away for months until
I worked up the nerve to send it out again.
It took eight years until I finally found
a publisher who said yes, and that was
David R. Godine. Heartaches went on to
win my first New York Times Ten Best Books
award.
Expression:
What do you most enjoy about writing and
illustrating books for children? What
aspect do you find the most difficult?
BM:
I love becoming involved in the world
of the book I’m doing ... I go right
in, like Alice down the rabbit hole. I
enjoy doing research, finding the right
pacing and voice in my writing, developing
characters, devising color schemes and
costumes. The difficult aspect is time.
My drawing style is very intricate and
time consuming. I’m a single mom,
and I want
to be there for my son, so it’s
been a tremendous balancing act .
Expression:
Which of your books are you proudest of?
Why?
BM:
The Heartaches of a French Cat, The Battle
of Luke and Longnose, The Fantastic Drawings
of Danielle, and Dahlia. They are all
autobiographical, and yet they seem to
touch on issues that mean something to
the children who read them. (Was I ever
a cat?! Hmm... ) Luke and Longnose was
based on my son’s play when he was
little... he posed for Luke, the young
hero, and I think of him whenever I look
at that book.
Expression:
How, if at all, have your relationships
with publishers influenced your work over
the years?
BM:
Quite a bit. Scholastic has encouraged
me to do books that are really appropriate
for young children -- simple, exuberant,
straightforward. With FSG, I’ve
found an inner elegance, and trust in
myself as a writer, thanks to Frances
Foster.
Expression:
Are you aware of any new publishing constraints
in an increasingly competitive market?
BM:
Covers are always an important issue for
Scholastic -- bold, appealing covers that
are a strong spokesman for the book. I
think it is more and more important to
be true to oneself in writing and illustrating...there
might be a temptation to play to an imagined
commercial market, but an original voice
always stands out and is needed.
Expression:
Are there any artists /book designers/
illustrators/ authors whose work you'd
like to single out for any reason?
BM:
Some favorites are Maurice Sendak, Peter
Sis, David Johnson, Helen Oxenbury, Charlotte
Voake, Louise Fili, Art Spiegelman, Francoise
Mouly, Edward Ardizzone, and Robert Louis
Stevenson.
Expression:
What do have up on the walls of your studio?
BM:
Birthday cards my son has drawn for me,
postcards of paintings I love like Bruegels’
"Hunters In The Snow," sketches
of characters I’m developing for
current book projects, pictures of dresses
and costumes from magazines, photos of
family and of my two cats, Kato and Pip.
Expression:
If you could write your own entry in the
Best Ever Guide to Children's Literature
and Illustration what would you like it
to say?
BM:
I’d like it to impress how deeply
I love what I do, and how important books
and art are to me.
Expression:
Have you ever had a particularly
good or bad review that has affected the
way you worked on your next project? Do
you have any advice for writers and illustrators
reading reviews of their work?
BM:
I once used a pencil line rather than
my usual pen and ink line in a book, and
met with a less than enthusiastic response.
I realized that the softer line didn’t
convey the usual energy and strength in
my drawings, and I was concerned that
the gestures and characterizations that
I’d wanted to carry the story had
been missed because of my experimental
technique. I chose to put my pencil technique
aside until I found the perfect story
vehicle for a gentler style. I have friends
who have gotten devastating reviews...
I think that one has to look at what’s
behind the review, and make your own judgment
about what to do with it.
