Author to Know Deborah W. Trotter
Interview by Jessie Ruffenach
Deborah W. Trotter is this month’s "Author to Know." She is the author of one of Salina Bookshelf's newest titles, A Summer’s Trade, scheduled to be released in April. In a conversation with Jessie Ruffenach, editor at Salina Bookshelf, Deborah talks about her experiences growing up and shares her thoughts on writing.
Jessie: Tell us about yourself. Where did you grow up, and what sort of activities did you enjoy?
Deborah: I spent the first 18 years of my life in Red Bluff, a small farming and ranching community in northern California. The population was well under 10,000 people, and I liked living in a small town. Simple things gave great pleasure. I remember jumping over puddles (and into a few) on the way home from school after it rained, and raking big piles of leaves in our front yard every autumn to play in when I was younger. My sister and I skied in the winter in Lassen National Park to the east, and our whole family hiked its beautiful trails almost every weekend in the summer. I will always associate my childhood with trains, as we lived not far from the main north-south railroad track for the west coast. It was a thrill whenever a freight train came through town with snow piled on top of all its boxcars. I always wondered where that snow came from and how far south the train could go before it all melted.
Jessie: What childhood experiences shaped your desire to be a writer?
Deborah: In the opposite direction from the railroad tracks was the Tehama County Library, about five blocks from our house. I spent lots of summer evenings there, riding my bike from home, running up the steps into the old musty-smelling building to browse among the stacks, and returning home with a basket full of books to be savored over the next week. Because I lived in a small town where there wasn't a lot going on, many of my experiences came out of reading books, and to this day I consider books to be like friends. My mother and father both read aloud to me and my siblings, and my father continued to do so until I left home for college. There was no TV in our house to be a distraction from the enjoyment of books.
Jessie: Your newest book is A Summer’s Trade, published by Salina Bookshelf and scheduled to be released in April. Tell us how the idea for the book came about.
Deborah: I read an article about turquoise in the Smithsonian Magazine, and was intrigued by the discussion of the pawn counter at a trading post in Gallup and all of the turquoise jewelry that was locked away in the vault. The article also talked about the Navajo belief in turquoise as a talisman to wear for luck and protection against contagious diseases. My imagination took over from there.
Jessie: You have lived in the San Francisco Bay area your entire adult life, yet A Summer’s Trade is set in Gallup, New Mexico, and the Navajo Reservation. Why is that?
Deborah: I visited Arizona and New Mexico numerous times as a child with my family and have spent additional time there as an adult with my husband and children. I feel drawn to the Southwest's beauty, natural history, and culture. I felt that with a little bit of additional research I could set a story there, and having done so, I feel even more connected to the area.
Jessie: You recently published another book with Clarion Books. Tell us about that story.
Deborah: That picture book is called How Do You Know? It’s the story of Polly, a little girl who wakes up one morning to find that the world outside has disappeared in fog. She is worried about whether all the familiar things in her life (her swing, the duck pond, the barn with the horses inside) are still there when she can't see them anymore. A walk around their farm in the fog with her mother reassures her. Eventually the sun comes out, and she can see everything again. By bedtime, Polly has fully realized that, as her mother says over and over in the story, you know some things because you just do.
Jessie: What do you hope readers will take away from your books?
Deborah: The pleasure of having experienced a good story with beautiful illustrations that is worth coming back to read again and again.
Jessie: Besides writing, what other careers have you pursued?
Deborah: After graduating from college, I served for three years as the Assistant Registrar at Stanford Law School where I met my husband. Then I went to law school myself, receiving my degree from the University of Santa Clara Law School, and practicing in San Francisco until after the birth of the first of our four children. Motherhood became my full-time job, and sometime after the birth of our fourth child, I found a little time to begin writing.
Jessie: Do you have any other manuscripts that you're currently working on? What plans do you have for the future?
Deborah: I am always working on story ideas in my head, and I am currently making final revisions on another picture book manuscript set in a city among the autumn leaves. I hope to continue writing and having my picture books published and enjoyed by many. I also hope to make another visit to the Southwest before too long.
Jessie: Any other thoughts you'd like to share?
Deborah: Time spent reading to children is always time well spent.
An Afternoon with Salina Bookshelf
Authors & Illustrators
March 2007 | Salina Bookshelf, Inc.
Salina Bookshelf is pleased to announce its first annual Afternoon with Salina Bookshelf Authors and Illustrators, which is free and open to the public. This exciting event will be held in the Cline Library Auditorium on the Northern Arizona University Campus, on Saturday, March 31st. Salina authors, illustrators, and staff will be presenting on a number of topics. Children and families will enjoy the story time and workshop, and students and adults will appreciate the panel discussion on what it means to write and illustrate for children.
The idea for the afternoon event came from Salina's desire to become more prominent in the greater Flagstaff community. This community event will hopefully raise awareness of Salina's wonderful books and mission to advance knowledge and understanding of Navajo culture, language, and people. We hope that this event, which is sponsored by the NAU College of Arts and Letters, will capture the imaginations of children, their families, students interested in writing or illustrating for children, and others who are interested in Navajo literature.
Presenters will include writers Nancy Bo Flood, Martha Blue, Evangeline Parsons Yazzie, Seraphine Yazzie, and Marty Crump; illustrators Irving Toddy and Ryan Huna Smith; and Salina Bookshelf staff and friends Eric Lockard, president, Jessie Ruffenach, editor, Bahe Whitethorne Jr., art director, and Peter Thomas, translator. The event schedule is as follows:
| 2:30-3:30 p.m. |
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Children's Story Time and Workshop I |
| 3:30-4:00 p.m. |
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Meet the authors; book signings |
| 4:00-5:00 p.m. |
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Children's Story Time and Workshop II, for those families that couldn't make the earlier time; |
| 5:00-6:00 p.m. |
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Meet the authors, book signings, set up for panel discussion |
| 6:00-7:15 p.m. |
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Panel Discussion, with a Q&A session from the audience |
| 7:15-8:00 p.m. |
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Meet the authors, book signings |
During Story Time, authors and illustrators will read from their children's books and answer questions. They will then briefly present on how to write and illustrate for children (geared toward a child audience) and conduct a workshop in which children will create their own unique picture books. The evening panel discussion will be aimed mainly towards an audience of adults and high school/college students who are interested in learning about the publishing industry, what it means to write and illustrate for children, and about Salina Bookshelf’s unique mission.
Free refreshments will be provided, and there will be plenty of fun activities going on to keep everyone in the family entertained!
The NAU Cline Library is located at the intersection of Knoles Drive and McCreary Road, almost directly across from the University Union. We hope that you will be able to join us for this exciting event. If you have any questions or would like to request more information, please feel free to contact Karen by phone or by email: (928) 527-0070, ext. 425; elockard@salinabookshelf.com.
We look forward to meeting with you and sharing our passion for our books!
ALA Mid-Winter Meeting
March 2007
Salina Bookshelf exhibited at the American Library Association mid-winter conference in Seattle, Washington. Excitement was in the air as the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) debated the selection of the coveted Newberry Award and Caldecott Award.
The four-day conference gave participants plenty of time to look at the latest offerings from publishers of all different sizes. Several people enjoyed Salina Bookshelf's newest publications, Wisdom Weaver and Little Black, A Pony. Little Black was written by Walter Farley and originally published in 1961, and many librarians were impressed and very surprised to see a new bilingual edition of a book they had grown up reading.
Salina Bookshelf co-sponsored the American Indian Library Association's Social and Storytelling hour with Choctaw author Tim Tingle. Tingle eloquently retold his suspenseful story of how African slaves crossed the river Bok Chitto to freedom. His book Crossing Bok Chitto: A Choctaw Tale of Friendship and Freedom is an ALA Notable Children's Book for 2007.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced their continued support to public libraries throughout the United States. In a press release, the Foundation called for increased funding to libraries serving communities in need. The funds will enable libraries to continue offering public Internet access to all patrons. Fourteen million Americans rely on libraries as their primary source for Internet access. The Gates Foundation has given $325 million in support to libraries, according to their press release.
Join Salina Bookshelf at the ALA conference in Washington, DC, from June 23-26. Dr. Loriene Roy will be the first Native American President of the American Library Association. An honor dance is scheduled at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian and all are welcomed to attend.
Lacapa Spirit Prize
March 2007 | Salina Bookshelf, Inc.
Two books by Salina Bookshelf, Little Woman Warrior Who Came Home and Frog Brings Rain, received Lacapa Honor Prizes. Read on to learn more about the Lacapa Spirit Prize and the honored books.
Winners Named: Lacapa Spirit Prize for Southwest Children's Literature March 1, 2007
The Lacapa Spirit Prize is proud to announce its inaugural winner as well as two honor awards for 2007. Named for Michael Lacapa, children's book illustrator and writer who died in 2005, the award honors the legacy of his artistic vision and talent for storytelling. This prize acknowledges great books for children that best embody the spirit of the peoples, culture and natural landscape of the Southwest. Books published in the two years prior to the award are eligible for consideration.
The 2007 Lacapa Spirit Prize was awarded to "Little Crow to the Rescue: El Cuervito Al Rescate" by Victor Villaseñor, illustrated by Felipe Ugalde Alcántara, published by Piñata Books / Arte Público Press.
Villaseñor's bilingual fable, "Little Crow to the Rescue," delightfully explores the interdependence of humans and animals. Crows learn to fear humans, sons learn from their fathers, fathers learn from their sons-all have knowledge that must be shared. One prize judge noted, "Villaseñor and illustrator Filipe Ugalde Alcántara have teamed up to create a book that will entertain and inspire young readers …Told with humor and respect for tradition, Victor Villaseñor hopes this story will inspire young people to share their wisdom with their elders. Illustrator Filipe Ugalde Alcántara uses brilliant color and bold images to visually tell this story. His paintings portray the curvature of the earth and suggest the circular nature of story that begins and ends by asking and answering the question of why humans cannot catch crows. Both story and illustration spring from Villaseñor and Alcántara’s Mexican heritages and have greatly enriched the body of Southwest children’s literature."
The 2007 Lacapa Honor Prize for Narrative was given to Evangeline Parson Yazzie for "Dzání Yázhí Naazbaa': Little Woman Warrior Who Came Home: A Story of the Navajo Long Walk," published by Salina Bookshelf, and the 2007 Lacapa Honor Prize for Illustration went to Kendrick Bennaly’s illustrations for "Frog Brings Rain," also from Salina Bookshelf.
Michael Lacapa (Apache, Tewa and Hopi) worked with the Apache tribe in developing multicultural educational curricula for Native school-age children and often used storytelling as a teaching tool. He was an exceptional storyteller and the talented illustrator of such books as "The Magic Hummingbird," "Spider Spins a Story," and "The Good Rainbow Road." He is the author/illustrator of "The Flute Player," "Antelope Woman" and "Less Than Half, More Than Whole," the latter co-authored with his wife Kathy.
The Lacapa Spirit Prizes will be awarded to recipients during the 10th Annual Northern Arizona Book Festival in Flagstaff, April 20-22, 2007. This prize is made possible through the generous support of the Northern Arizona Book Festival and Rising Moon/Luna Rising, imprints of Northland Publishing, Michael Lacapa's first publisher. More information on submission requirements for next year's award and the Northern Arizona Book Festival schedule may be found at www.nazbookfestival.com
15th Annual Conference on Literature and literacy for Children
March 2007 | Salina Bookshelf, Inc.
Kendrick Benally, illustrator of Zinnia: How the Corn was Saved and Frog Brings Rain, presented at the Literature and Light: The Power to Connect conference in Tucson, Arizona, on March 3, 2007.
During his presentation, Kendrick spoke of his style, the meaning of his artwork, and how he was discovered by Salina Bookshelf at the Heard Museum. As a waiter at the Grand Canyon National Park in Grand Canyon, Arizona, Kendrick drew inspiration from the canyon for the illustrations in his first book Zinnia. He commented on how many scenes throughout the book included Hopi Point because of the view of the Colorado River. Kendrick also gained inspiration from some of his customers at the restaurant where he worked. He said one lady came in with very beautiful and colorful jewelry. Filled with ideas, Kendrick painted the Gila monster in Zinnia with bright, eye-catching colors.
Seraphine Yazzie, author of The Three Little Sheep, also presented at the conference. During her presentation, she discussed how her book has influenced readers and how it has contributed to the perseveration of the Navajo culture. Seraphine mentioned that while she was attending a conference of Native leaders at Northern Arizona University, she was asked, "What have you done to preserve your culture?" She could not give an answer, and that night she went home and cried. Appalled by herself, Seraphine thought of what she could do for her culture, and was eventually inspired to write The Three Little Sheep. Seraphine ended her presentation with a reading from her new manuscript, Grandmother’s Skirt. She said much of the Navajo culture has been lost because grandmothers do not wear skirts for all the different events in their lives. She hopes to preserve this piece of culture for future generations of Navajo women.
The conference included people from around the world, and featured speakers such as Linda Sue Park and Chris Soentpiet. Teachers who attended the conference received plenty of information about bilingual literature and its importance in the classroom. Salina Bookshelf was honored to be part of such a dynamic and forward-looking conference.
Sun Gallery Art Exhibit
March 2007 | Salina Bookshelf, Inc.
Artwork from several of Salina Bookshelf’s titles is on display at the Sun Gallery in Hayward, CA. The Sun Gallery is a nonprofit organization promoting Fine Arts education in the Hayward area. Salina Bookshelf has displayed its art at the Sun Gallery on many occasions in past years.
This year, the exhibit features the illustrations from four of Salina Bookshelf titles: The Three Little Sheep, illustrated by Ryan Huna Smith; Frog Brings Rain, illustrated by Kendrick Benally; Proud to Be a Blacksheep, illustrated by Keith Smith; and A Summer’s Trade, illustrated by Irving Toddy. If you have the opportunity to visit the Bay Area in the coming month, be sure to stop by the Sun Gallery to view this and other spectacular art.