Ever since her mother took her to the tiny red brick library in their village, Christina Dorr has been fascinated with reading, books, and providing them to others. Writing became an important part of her life in high school, and then she was first published in college. Now many years later, she writes and presents on children’s and teen literature to librarians and teachers, and has three books to her credit, with a fourth due out summer of 2021.
We wanted to know where her inspiration, passion and creativity came from. Here’s what she told us…
Booking Biz: What does your average day look like?
Christina: Days start early, even on the weekend. They begin with whatever the next project is due. Right now I have a hard January 15th deadline for my next book, tentatively titled From Poverty to Possibility: Understanding Children/Teens from Generational Poverty and Connecting Them with Literature through the American Library Association. From there, I work on other projects: teaching for Kent State University, speaking for the Bureau for Research and Education, and more. Morning is definitely my best work time; then the rest of the day is duties around home that doesn’t tax my brain.
Booking Biz: When you’re not writing, what do you like to do best?
Christina: Reading and playing drums (I’m in 2 bands) are my most favorite hobbies, but I also love to care for the log house, and the many plants surrounding, that my husband and I share. Of course, spending time with my husband, and our 2 adult daughters and their guys are at the top of my list.
Booking Biz: Where do you get the inspiration for your books?
Christina: From the thousands of students, preschool to grad school, that I’ve taught and provided library services to over the last 30+ years. And from the other professionals I’ve worked with: librarians, classroom teachers, authors, illustrators, and more. It’s all about meeting each of their needs and connecting on a personal level.
Booking Biz: Did you always want to write books, or was there another career you wished for as a child?
Christina: As a child I played teacher or librarian, and when I grew up I put the two together and became a school librarian. What a perfect fit! I was also privileged enough to have teachers that encouraged my writing, was first published in my early 20s, and have seen my opportunities to write and publish grow ever since.
Booking Biz: If you ruled the world, what would it look like?
Christina: I’d put all I have into creating a world where every individual was afforded basic human rights and respect, and was provided with everything that individual needed – both equality and equity. From there, I’d give each person an opportunity to share their story, in whatever format they chose. The world needs to hear everyone’s story.
Booking Biz: Equality, equity, and more stories… what a wonderful world that would be!
Click to learn more about Christina Dorr and her presentations.