Author to Know
Salina Newsletter
Dec 2006

Seraphine is this month's "Author to Know." In an interview with Salina Bookshelf's editor Jessie Ruffenach, Seraphine shares her experiences as a first-time author talks about her book The Three Little Sheep.

Jessie: Tell us about yourself. Where are you from, and what activities do you enjoy?

Seraphine: My name is Seraphine Gwyn Yazzie. I grew up in Page, Arizona, with my father, mother, and brother. My parents lived an outdoor life until they separated and my mother moved away. I struggled with the divorce of my parents, but my brother Ezekiel and I were very close. We were always swimming, fishing, and hiking Lake Powell. Of course, we both attend Page High School and graduated. I enjoy the outdoor spirit of life.

Jessie: Growing up, was storytelling a large part of your life? Did family members share and repeat stories? If so, tell us how that might have shaped your desire to be a writer

Seraphine: While I was growing up, my grandmother had a great influence on my life. She was known for her Christian values and always told me Bible stories. But sometimes, she would tell me stories about her life in Pinon, Arizona, and about growing up in the boarding school at Sherman. I enjoyed every story she told me, whether it was Christian or cultural. I remember sleeping by her and asking her to tell me bedtime stories. Then after each story, I would ask her, “Where are the Indians in all the stories, Grandma?” She would reply, “You are the Indian and you have to make your own story someday.” I was never sure what she meant until now.

Jessie: The Three Little Sheep is your first book, and is a hilarious retelling of the classic fairytale “The Three Little Pigs.” How did you go about taking the original story and giving it all the Navajo twists?

Seraphine: The Three Little Sheep is considered a fractured fairy tale. As a student at Northern Arizona University, I took a storytelling course in the summer as an elective, thinking it was going to be easy. My instructor would make us read different versions of stories and dramatize them. Later, we had to write our own stories and present them for a grade. Stage fright was not an option because it could bring our grades down.

I enjoyed the storytelling class because I could free write and express my Native American culture without criticism. Besides that, my colleagues enjoyed my stories. I decided I would write my own fractured fairy tale because such stories were so popular – such as Jon Scieszka's The True Story of the Three Little Pigs.

Storytelling is an art form and it is either inherited or learned through practice. Some key elements are a good imagination, writing skills, and oral presentation skills.

Jessie: How does it feel to be a first-time author, and what sort of response are you getting from your book?

Seraphine: As a first-time author, I feel honored and excited to have written a humorous book for children. Because the story has a Navajo theme, it is especially meaningful for the Native American children who wonder, “Where are the Indians in the story besides Pocahontas and Sacagawea?" I feel as if I finally contributed something to my culture, especially because my book is fully translated in Navajo. I have earned a golden star to promote reading!

Nine times out of ten, I get positive feedback from my book. It's a great pleasure to see children drawing cartoon characters from The Three Little Sheep and making other stories from my book.

Jessie: You are a teacher in addition to being a writer, and that no doubt makes you quite familiar with the subjects young children find interesting. Do you sometimes find yourself getting story ideas from your students?

Seraphine: Children are no doubt interesting to observe. During free time, each student can tell me about what happened during the weekend, what’s going on in the community, who loves who, and strange or scary stories. It’s kind of humorous, but my goal is to have the children write down their own stories. Getting them to do so, however, is like pulling teeth. Whenever I suggest the children write down their stories, they say, "Nah! I always remember it!"

As a teacher, I see a very important need for English as a Second Language (ESL) students to express their personal stories, cultural stories, and dreams through writing. We live in an information-filled world with words all around us, and if students do not excel at reading and writing, they will find themselves encountering unnecessary hardships. Most of the time, Native American children are given non-Native topics to write about; therefore, they struggle with writing because it doesn’t seem fun or personal.

Jessie: Do you consider yourself breaking from the oral tradition by writing down your stories?

Seraphine: As a member of Western society, I've learned that ideas must be put in writing. As a teacher, I learned to document or write everything, because if I only verbally spoke it, “It is considered hearsay; therefore, not reliable information.”

My culture is mostly verbal. Stories are told at certain times of the season and each story has a moral to it. Nevertheless, I do not consider myself breaking from the oral tradition by writing down my stories. Rather, I consider myself promoting a Native point of view.

Jessie: Besides teaching and writing, have you pursued any other career paths? What can we expect from you in the future? Please tell us about any books or other projects you have planned.

Seraphine: I'm young and I have many plans, but most of them are still in the works. My primary goal is to acquire a loving spirit like my grandmother's. Also, I wish to be an inspiration to others who are trying to become writers, especially indigenous people. I would also like to help promote bilingual programs and encourage young people to learn their culture and language. Both will soon vanish if we don't use them.

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