Author to Know Veronica Tsinajinnie
Interview by Jessie Ruffenach
This month’s “Author to Know” is Veronica Tsinajinnie. She is the author of one of Salina Bookshelf's newest titles, Jóhonaa’éí: Bringer of Dawn. In a conversation with Jessie Ruffenach, editor at Salina Bookshelf, Veronica talks about her book, her thoughts on writing, and how her family plays a vital role in the success of her career.
This month’s “Author to Know” is Veronica Tsinajinnie. She is the author of one of Salina Bookshelf's newest titles, Jóhonaa’éí: Bringer of Dawn. In a conversation with Jessie Ruffenach, editor at Salina Bookshelf, Veronica talks about her book, her thoughts on writing, and how her family plays a vital role in the success of her career.
Jessie:Tell us about yourself. Where did you grow up, and what sort of activities did you enjoy?
Veronica:I grew up part-time in Ganado, Arizona, and part-time in Birdsprings, Arizona. My dad is from the Ganado area, so my four sisters, my little brother, and I went to school there. My time in Ganado was spent doing after school and weekend jobs with my best friend, Ann Jennings. My sisters, Annie, and I would also hike, horseback ride, and play in the wash on weekends.
In spite of our good times in Ganado, we were always impatient for the holidays and summertime, which is when we could go to my grandmother’s house in Birdsprings. We had the best summers there with our cousins and other extended family from my mother’s side. We would spend most of our time playing basketball with our cousins and occasionally attending ceremonies. Our favorite was the Squaw Dance (or the Enemy Way Ceremony). We would dance with uncles and grandfathers until we earned enough money for “Squaw Dance burgers.” They were the best!
Jessie:What childhood experiences shaped your desire to be a writer?
Veronica:I don’t know how to answer this question because I’m really not sure. I just remember that I was always writing. When I was younger, I would give stories to my mom that I had written about coyote. In the Navajo culture coyote is a trickster, so I would write stories that had titles like Coyote and His Girlfriend or Coyote and the Rabbit.
Jessie:Your new book, released just this June, is Jóhonaa’éí: Bringer of Dawn. Tell us a little about the book, and how the idea for the story came about.
Veronica:The book is about the spirit of the sun, Jóhonaa’éí, and his morning ritual to start the day. I wrote it for my nephew Taven Young. I often held him when he was a baby, and when I did, I thought of how times were changing so fast and how his childhood would be so much different from what my own had been. He would not enjoy the same things that I had been able to, like attending ceremonies and listening to the stories of my grandparents. So I felt that if I could give him just a little piece of my childhood, I would. I wrote him the story of Jóhonaa’éí, which I hope will give him a sense of a Navajo way that, in most areas, is lost.
Jessie:You’re quite young to have a book published. What does it feel like for you, being a first-time author?
Veronica:I’m very excited but would like to thank my family for being so supportive. They always encouraged me to do something with my writings. Jóhonaa’éí: Bringer of Dawn, along with many others, sat untouched for about five years before my family finally convinced me to submit it for publication.
Jessie: Besides writing, what other plans do you have?
Veronica: My ultimate goal is to begin illustrating the stories that I write. I have been practicing for the past few years but am not up to the standard of other illustrators, such as Ryan Singer, Beverly Blacksheep, and Kendrick Benally. I also hope to finish my studies at the University of New Mexico and return home to live near my family.
Jessie: Do you have any other manuscripts that you’re working on?
Veronica: I am currently blowing the dust off stories that I’ve had for years but had no time to finish because of work and school. I’m on vacation now and have more time to spare
Jessie: Any other thoughts you’d like to share?
Veronica: I’d just like to encourage any Native authors, young and old, to keep writing. While working in the public school system, on and off the Reservation, I have run into Native students who are reading stories that don’t relate to them. We as authors have a gift to take what we feel and put those feelings into words. We need to continue writing so that these students can hear our stories and know that they are not alone.
Literacy Without Boundaries
IRA 52nd Annual Convention from May 13-17, 2007
Salina Bookshelf attended the International Reading Association’s (IRA) 52nd Annual Convention from May 13-17. The event was held at the Metro Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario. “Literacy without Boundaries” was the theme of this year’s gathering, and many of the sessions and workshops featured ways of reaching readers who might be left behind by traditional teaching methods.
At the Salina Bookshelf booth, teachers had the opportunity to pick up a free poster of the 2007 Children’s Choices book The Navajo Year, Walk Through Many Seasons. The posters were signed by the author and illustrator, and featured a picture of a hogan with smoke rising lazily to the purple desert sky. These posters were in high demand, as the Children’s Book Council (CBC), the organization that co-supports the Children’s Choices with IRA, announced all the 2007 Children’s Choices books at the conference. All selected titles were showcased at the CBC booth.
To avoid the difficulty of obtaining work permits and other necessary permissions to conduct business in Canada, Salina Bookshelf did not sell books at the conference. Rather, they brought along sample copies of their books to display, and then gave everything away on the last day of the conference. Teachers were delighted to be able to bring a free book back to their school, and were especially pleased by the unique focus of Salina’s books. All of Salina Bookshelf’s books feature the Navajo people and traditions, are bilingual Navajo/English, and are fully illustrated by Navajo artists. The books provide insightful glimpses into a culture with which many people are unfamiliar. Teachers were delighted to learn how the books could be used in social studies lessons and as cultural learning resources.
A big Toronto news item during the time of the IRA conference was the surprising event that led to the closure of several downtown streets. On Wednesday, May 16, a 300-pound slab of marble fell from First Canadian Place, a downtown skyscraper. The slab fell approximately 60 stories before landing on a third-story roof, where its fall was broken. Luckily, no one was injured. However, the accident led to many downtown street closures, causing serious traffic problems for the duration of the conference. First Canadian Place was constructed in 1975 and is Canada’s tallest office building.
In spite of the traffic difficulties, most conference attendees were able to get out and about to see the city and surrounding area. Popular outings were to the CN Tower, the tallest free-standing structure in the world; tours of Toronto; and bus trips to Niagara Falls.
The IRA conference was a great experience and a wonderful opportunity to meet with educators from all across Canada, the United States, and internationally.
Salina Bookshelf, Inc. Press Release
May 02 – 3, 2008
June 1 Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Eric Lockard
877-527-0070 ext. 425
928-380-9259 cell
elockard@salinabookshelf, Inc.
New York, NY (June 1, 2007)
Salina Bookshelf Inc., a leader in children's multicultural publishing, today announced that National Book Network will begin distributing Salina Bookshelf's award winning books to the trade market. National Book Network is the largest distributor of Independent publishers in the United States. Salina Bookshelf's primary focus has been to publish authentic Native American stories for children.
The new distribution agreement brings greater visibility to Native American literature for all children. Little Woman Warrior Who Came Home by Navajo language professor Dr. Evangeline Parsons Yazzie tells the story of the Navajo Long Walk. Written in both English and Navajo and vividly illustrated by Navajo artist Irving Toddy, this book both educates children about and immerses them in a little-known event in American history. Little Woman Warrior has received five national awards and honors, including being named an International Reading Association’s Children’s Choices Book for 2006 and winning the Storytelling World Award for 2007. The National Council for Social Studies also named Little Woman Warrior a Notable Book for 2006.
Salina Bookshelf’s most recent title, Jóhonaa’éí: Bringer of Dawn, was released on June 1. This book follows Jóhonaa'éí, the sun, as his light and gentle warmth wake the inhabitants of the desert. The author Veronica Tsinajinnie is an educator currently working in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the illustrator Ryan Singer is a professional artist well known in the Native American fine art community.
- About Salina Bookshelf, Inc.
Salina Bookshelf is an award-winning publisher of multicultural books, with a strong focus on the stories of the Navajo people. Our textbooks, children's picture books, and electronic media in Navajo and English are excellent resources for the home, library, and classroom. At Salina Bookshelf, we recognize the importance of portraying traditional language and culture and of making this knowledge accessible to a broad spectrum of curious minds.
www.salinabookshelf.com
- National Book Network
National Book Network (NBN) is the largest independent distributor in North America. We provide sales, marketing, order fulfillment, and credit and collections services to independent publishers of commercial fiction and non-fiction books and audio.
www.nbnbooks.com
Contacts:
Salina Bookshelf, Inc.
Eric Lockard
elockard@salinabookshelf.com
(877) 527-0070 ext. 425
National Book Network
Marianne Bohr
MBohr@nbnbooks.com
(301) 459-3366
Book Expo America 07'
June 2007 | Salina Bookshelf, Inc.
From June 1-3, Salina Bookshelf attended Book Expo America (BEA) at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. Book Expo is the premier place to meet people in the book industry to buy, sell, and trade books. Everything from the latest bestseller to the next foreign novel can be found at the show. This was Salina Bookshelf’s third year attending BEA and second year exhibiting.
During the course of the show, Salina Bookshelf met with many independent bookstores from all over the country as well as many national chain bookstores. A new bookstore owner from St. Louis was interested in Salina’s unique Native American titles and was eager to carry the books on her shelves. Other interested gift shops and bookstores included the United Nations Gift shop in New York and the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Salina also met with many bookstore owners from New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, and Arizona.
Over 40,000 publisher’s, book buyers, and industry-insiders attended the show. BEA hosted author signings, and approximately 400 authors autographed copies of their books for the show attendees. The autographed copies were given away for a $10 donation to a book charity. Other events included breakfasts with authors and luncheons with industry leaders.
Librarians and educators nationwide also attended the show. Large school districts were represented as well as individual teachers looking for award-winning children’s books. Many librarians and teachers were impressed by the Salina Bookshelf titles because of their strong multicultural themes. Of particular interest to some were the audio CDs that narrate the books in Navajo and English, which enable readers to both see and hear the Navajo language. Many commented on the importance of the CDs as a way to not only to preserve the language but also as a way to teach bilingual education and multiculturalism in the classroom and the community.
To attract traffic to their booth, Salina Bookshelf held a drawing for a handmade Pendleton backpack. This backpack was made by Betty Slim, a Navajo artesian from Flagstaff, Arizona, and was filled with a selection of Salina Bookshelf’s award-winning multicultural books. The lucky winner was a librarian from Queens Library in Jamaica, NY.
Salina Bookshelf hopes to make many new acquaintances and reconnect with associates at Book Expo America 2008. We’ll see you in Los Angeles!
Jóhonaa’éí: Bringer of Dawn Featured Book
June 2007 | Salina Bookshelf, Inc.
Check out our newest title, released on June 1!
As Jóhonaa'éí, the sun, slowly rises, his gentle light and warmth wake the inhabitants of the desert. Jóhonaa’éí reaches down into the home of the field mice and lightly tickles the nose of mother mouse; then Jóhonaa’éí visits the burrow of mother and father rabbit to rouse the family of slumbering bunnies. Finally, Jóhonaa’éí knocks on the door of the hogan to wake the Navajo family within. Will there be a welcoming response?
Simply and charmingly told, Jóhonaa’éí: Bringer of Dawn promises to delight readers again and again.
ISBN 978-1-893354-54-8 Hardcover, Navajo/English
Retail Price: $17.95 each
SALE: order by July 30 and receive a 20% discount
Sale Price: $14.36
When ordering online, enter discount code SUN to receive your discount
