Award-winning author Kathi Appelt has written books that are loved by children of all ages — including adults who are adventurous enough to venture into the kidlit sections of bookstores. Kathi has written about dogs, foxes, bats and babies, swamps, oceans, bayous and deserts. And her books have earned her numerous national and state awards, including her well-known debut novel THE UNDERNEATH, which was a National Book Award Finalist, a Heart of Harwick Children’s Book Award finalist, a Newbery Honor Book, and received the Pen USA Award. We know her through her stories, but what’s she like in the real world? She let us know…
Booking Biz: What does your average day look like?
Kathi: I don’t really run on a set schedule, but I love mornings when I get up and read the paper and have my first cup of coffee. In fact, if there is one thing that doesn’t change, it’s the average number of cups of coffee that I typically drink in a day, which is somewhere between four and five.
Years ago, I made a commitment to write for five minutes a day, no matter what. I’ve kept that commitment, and some days that’s basically all I write. Other days, I write for several hours. The truth is, it’s not the amount of time that matters so much as just sitting down to do it. I can get a lot done in a short time. And then other times, it takes me forever to puzzle out a scene or a rhyme or a mystery. Sometimes I have to stop to look something up. Other times, I need to take a long walk to clear my head. And then there are nap times. Those are important too. (This is something I’ve learned from my cats—they are professional nappers).
Booking Biz: When you’re not writing, what do you like to do best?
Kathi: Read. Yoga. Movies. Travel.
Booking Biz: Where do you get the inspiration for your books?
Kathi: All of my stories come from something that I’ve either experienced or observed in my own life. This doesn’t mean that I’ve lived in a swamp (THE UNDERNEATH) or known any real mermaids (KEEPER) or collected rocks (MAYBE A FOX). But I’ve had pets, I’ve spent loads of time along the Texas coast, and I’ve lost someone close to me. Each of those aspects of my life played roles in those respective books.
In my newest novel, ANGEL THIEVES, which will be out in spring 2019, I’ve set it on the Buffalo Bayou in Houston. Houston is my hometown, and even though I haven’t lived there in many years, I love the old bayou, which twists and turns through the very center of the city. There are still wild places along its banks, and I always thought it would be a good setting for a book. In fact, the history of Houston can be traced via that waterway. There is a famous old cemetery, the Washington Cemetery, where a handful of my ancestors are buried. Years ago, I went to a funeral there with my grandmother, and on our way out, I noticed that all of the angel statues were headless. It led to my own research into the black market of graveyard statuary, specifically angels. I kept thinking, what if I wrote about a boy who was engaged in that industry? What would that look like? And what if that boy fell for a girl who was deeply religious? Here he would be, with this big secret.
In my research about the bayou, I came across a true story about an enslaved woman who was, upon her master’s death, set free. The thing was, he didn’t set their children free. It made me ask, how could anyone be free if her children weren’t? I embarked upon this story well before the separations along the border took place, and in some ways it feels eery, but I’m struck by the recurrence of this. As a mother I can’t imagine the pain of being forcefully separated from my kids. It makes my heart hurt.
So, these twin stories—the theft of angels—one current, one historic—are what form the story. And both of them are wrapped around a famous statue, and also an ocelot, because why not an ocelot?
This book is for young adults, which is a group I haven’t written for in a while, and I found quite a bit of freedom in writing for older kids. I hope they like it.
Booking Biz: Did you always want to write books for children, or was there another career you wished for as a child?
Kathi: Actually, truth be told, my first dream was to be a cowgirl. That dream was followed by a yearning to be a songwriter, somewhat like Joni Mitchell. If I had been particularly adept at either horsemanship or music, maybe my path would have looked different. Sigh.
Booking Biz: If you ruled the world, what would it look like?
Kathi: If I ruled the world, I’d make sure that universal health care was an inherent right and that everyone had access to it. Everyone. No exceptions. I’d make it part of the infrastructure of the world. I’d also get us busy moving toward renewable resources.
I’d love to see more women in leadership roles. It’s our turn.
And finally, I’d make the arts the essential topics in school. Reading, math and science could be electives. How cool would that be?
Booking Biz: This is a world we’d love to live in!
Learn more about Kathi Appelt on her speaker page.