Episode #76: Where do you write? -With Molly Burnham
Welcome back to another great episode of Kids Ask Authors! Grace Lin and Molly Burnham answer the kid question: “Where do you write?” Thanks for joining us!
TRANSCRIPTS:
Grace Lin: Hello, I'm Grace Lin, children's book, author, and illustrator of many books, including the middle grade novel, When The Sea Turned To Silver, and the picture book, A Big Mooncake For Little Star. So today, I am here with Molly Burnham, the author of the Teddy Mars series. Hi, Molly.
Molly Burnham: Hi.
Grace Lin: Okay, are you ready for today's question?
Molly Burnham: I'm ready.
Grace Lin: Okay. Today's question is from a young boy named William. He asks ...
William: "Where do you write?"
Molly Burnham: Wow, that's a big question. I like to write everywhere. I have my computer and notebooks and I will move to different spaces whenever I possibly can. But I do find it interesting that sometimes I want to write in my kitchen and sometimes I want to write at a dining room table, and sometimes I want to write outside. I do have a room with a desk that I can close the door and I write there also.
Grace Lin: So do you find that what you're writing effects, if you're writing an outside scene, you want to write outside?
Molly Burnham: Yeah, sometimes I do, and sometimes I want to be in sunshine, or if a room has a lot of light coming in, it just makes me cheerful and wake up. Sometimes I want to sit down when I'm writing and sometimes I want to stretch out on a sofa when I'm writing. But I do have a very fancy desk that I really love because it has a crank, and so I can make it go up and down also. And I love to stand and write. So my desk, when I work in my office is oftentimes very high and I can stand.
Grace Lin: Hm. Well, I have a studio in my house. We took the third floor and made it into my studio, and that's where I like to do my writing. I like to sit on my little sofa and stretch my legs out and write on that sofa. And I like it to be completely quiet, because that way I can just focus on it. And I close the door to the third floor so it's like my little oasis, though it's not always my oasis. I have a seven year old daughter that often bangs up the stairs. So, that's usually where I like to write. But a lot of the times I find I have to, especially when I'm on deadline, I have to leave the house and write someplace else, like at a retreat or something like that. But I don't usually enjoy writing in a place where there's a lot of people or where there's a lot of noise.
Molly Burnham: I'm exactly the same. I can't write with any noise around me. And it is true that I have kids as well, and so sometimes I do put up with their noise, but generally I need it to be very, very quiet. I know some writers like to go to cafes and they like the noise of people around them. But I'm going to admit something, if I go to a cafe alone, I just start listening to conversations and I won't get any writing done, because people are so interesting.
Grace Lin: I think when I'm at a cafe, all I can think about is what I want to eat or how good the food is.
Molly Burnham: It's hard to eat and write at the same time. That's a real problem too.
Grace Lin: So that's why it's best for me to be in isolation.
Molly Burnham: Me too.
Grace Lin: All right. All right, so that is the answer to your question, William, at least for these two authors. For Molly and I, we both like to write in places that are quiet and with very, very few people, but every author is different. But thank you so much for your really great question.
Molly Burnham: Thanks.
Today’s BOOK REVIEW comes from Haylee! She is reviewing Grace Lin’s, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon.
Hi, I’m Haylee and the book I would like to talk about is Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, written and illustrated by Grace Lin. This book is about a young girl, named Minli who lives in a poor village. Her mother, Ma, is always miserable and she wishes for fortune. Her father, ba is always telling stories to lighten the mood. One day ba tells a story that catches Minli’s attention. The story is about the Old Man of the Moon, a very wise man. He knows everyone’s fate and where they are destined to end up in life, so Minli goes out to find the Old Man of the Moon, and along the way she faces many challenges and she also makes new friends. I enjoyed this book because of how determined Minli was to find fortune to make her village, friends, and family happy. I admire her selfless acts and I admire how she never gave up on her journey no matter how hard things got. She always puts others first even when she is in need. I also enjoyed this book because everything strung together perfectly. One thing is always connected to another in some way and once I finished the book I was amazed to see that outcome. I 100% recommend this book!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review Haylee!
More about today’s authors:
Molly B. Burnham has been a dog walker, ice-cream scooper, and elementary school teacher. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband, two daughters, and a dog named Pepito. Pigeons really do live next door to her. Sadly, Grumpy Pigeon Man does not. Molly earned an MFA in children's writing from Hamline University. She is the author of Teddy Mars Book #1: Almost a World Record Breaker, Teddy Mars Book #2: Almost a Winner, and Teddy Mars Book #3: Almost an Outlaw.
Grace Lin, a NY Times bestselling author/ illustrator, won the Newbery Honor for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and her picture book, A Big Mooncake for Little Star, was awarded the Caldecott Honor. Grace is an occasional commentator for New England Public Radio , a video essayist for PBS NewsHour (here & here), and the speaker of the popular TEDx talk, The Windows and Mirrors of Your Child’s Bookshelf. She is the co-host of the podcast Book Friends Forever, a kidlit podcast about friendship and publishing (geared for adults). Find her facebook, instagram , twitter ( @pacylin) or sign up for her author newsletter HERE.
Special thanks to the High Five Books & Art Always Bookstore, Ms. Carleton’s 2nd grade class at Jackson Street School for their help with our kid questions and reviews.
