Welcome Back, Booklovers! Today I'm back with another author interview. This time it's with Lissette Norman, picture book author and poet who is here to talk about platanos, finding herself as a writer, and more.
What was the first book you read where you felt you truly saw yourself reflected in the pages?
I read Down These Mean Streets by Piri Thomas around the age of 12—it was my older brother’s copy. For however raw this book is, I was most taken by that fact that a young Afro-Puerto Rican from Spanish Harlem and his family were at the center of the story. Seeing characters who looked, sounded and lived in a neighborhood like mine blew me away. I couldn’t put the book down. Before then, I didn’t think people like me were important enough to be in a book. And learning that our lived experiences and stories had value was transformational. I wasn’t an early reader and this discovery led me to seek out others stories with Latinx and Black characters. I would soon fall in love with books and reading. This is precisely why it’s important for me to keep writing our stories. I feel a sense of responsibility and want Latinx, especially Afro-Latinx, children to see themselves reflected in the pages of my books. I’m excited by the idea that they’ll experience that same awesome discovery at a much younger age than I did. If I do nothing else in life, it’s meaningful to me that my books, these small contributions, help increase Latinx representation in children’s literature.
What made you want to become an author?
It took me a long time to arrive at the belief that I could be an author. I had been writing since my early teens, specifically journaling. I was raised with imposed machista values like “girls should be seen and not heard.” And I was drowning in silence. Writing my thoughts, feelings and dreams in a journal seemed like my only outlet. Then one of my older brothers came home with a college newspaper filled with poetry. I was shocked to learn that a poet could write whatever they thought or felt in poems, and publish them in a newspaper. It changed the trajectory of my life. Instead of joining the military like our two eldest brothers, I decided to go to college. I wanted to know what it was like to experience the same freedom as the poets in that college newspaper.
While I went on to write poetry in college, I declared psychology as my major and continued treating writing as a hobby. But my professors saw something in me and encouraged me to take writing more seriously. My first semester, an English professor gave me Alice Walker’s IN SEARCH OF OUR MOTHER’S GARDEN and blank journal with a note written inside: “Write, write, write. Fill all the pages and read many books.” She provided a list of writers to read. Two other professors (Puerto Rican and Jamaican) would be even more encouraging. They introduced me to incredible writers: Audre Lorde, Toni Morrison, Gloria Anzaldua, bell hooks, Sandra Cisneros, Sonia Sanchez, June Jordan, Lucille Clifton, Ntozake Shange and so many others greats. Their books were life-changing. They helped me find my voice. To speak up. To figure out what I had to say as a writer, which Langston Hughes believed, “is a prerequisite for writing.” Being Afro-Dominican, I had wrestled with identity since I was a kid. And here is where I explored and came to understand who I really was.
I still took my ability to write for granted until a professor called me out. She wrote a long note on one of my writing assignments telling me I had real talent, but relied on it to get by in her class. I don’t recall her exact words, but the sentiment was that I was wasting my talent and that she expected better when it came to my writing projects. I admit, it shook me. But the truth was, I didn’t believe in my talent nor that I could be a “real writer.” Her note was the kick in the butt I needed. It strangely made me somewhat of a believer. From then on, I seriously considered the possibility of being an author. I already knew I didn’t want to pursue psychology. I wrote lots of poetry and my passion for it grew. Not long after, I changed my major to English. By the time I graduated, my poetry was published in two anthologies. I would continue writing adult poetry, and publishing my work in literary magazines and anthologies for years before changing course and becoming a children’s book author.
Your first book My Feet Are Laughing came out in 2006. How different was your experience debuting vs now?
I did my best with what I knew when it came to promoting my first book back in 2006. I had a great launch, I engaged with readers online and met many of them at book events and festivals. But none of the fun book promoting activities like cover reveals, book unboxings, book birthday announcements existed back then. It’s way easier to connect with readers, writers, booksellers, book reviewers and librarians now. Something as simple as a hashtag can help my target audience find me and my books, and vice versa. There are more options for promoting books with all the new social media and virtual platforms. I’m certainly enjoying the process more now, and love being a part of a writing community where we support and cheer each other on.
What was the inspiration for Plátanos Go with Everything?
The title of the book came to me first. As I cut and peeled plátanos one day, I considered what to eat them with. I had a few options to pick from and thought, wow, plátanos really can go with everything. For the longest time, I wanted to write about plantains, about the many ways to cook them, and their cultural significance. But I wasn’t sure how until the book title came to me. I sat down that evening and started writing the first draft of the book. This also happened around the start of the pandemic. It was a scary time for all of us. I wasn’t sure when I’d be able to see my family. I was terrified of getting COVID, and worried about my family and friends. Writing about Dominican joy was a sense of escapism for me. My mom, my family, childhood memories and stuff that happened when my family got together were a huge part of the book. Most of all, I wanted Dominican children to see the way we live, love, eat, dream and celebrate reflected in a book. I wanted to write something that all Dominicans would be proud of.
How involved were you working with the illustrator to make sure the people and objects reflected your culture?
I was very involved with the illustration process. The publisher requested reference photos for the characters, the home and other settings in the book to send to Illustrator Sara Palacios. I sent a huge folder of pictures that included things like artwork by Dominican artists, the particular coffee we drink and style of coffee pot we use, carnival masks from the town that my mother’s from (each town has their own style of mask). During the pencil sketches phase, there was a lot of back and forth. Sara was so accommodating and open to getting it just right. And I couldn’t be happier with her gorgeous illustrations. Sara’s immensely talented and I was fortunate to have created this book with her.
Besides platanos is there anything that instantly makes you think of the Dominican Republic?
Fast-paced merengue. Bachata songs by brokenhearted singers. The sound of rain on a tin roof. The smell of roasted nuts. Sweetened beans (dessert). Sancocho (a thick stew that takes all day to cook). Those are just a few.
What is your process like when planning a new picture book?
Whenever a nice line or a book title or a half-baked premise for a book comes to me, I immediately write it down or it’s gone forever—I never remember it. If I keep going back to a particular idea, I gather all the notes in a document on my computer and keep turning it over until I catch a spark. I’ve abandoned many book ideas, but I always save them in case I figure out a way forward later. When I have a good sense of a story (at least the beginning and ending), and I’ve gathered enough lines, stanzas or paragraphs, and I’m also excited about it, I start working on the draft. If I’m not enthusiastic and eager to write it, it’s usually a sign that it’s not ready. When it is, I write a quick outline of the book, then flesh out the first draft. I’ll sit with it for a while and try to get it as polished as possible before sending it to my agent. I won’t send it to her until I’m able to imagine her excitement when reading it—if I don’t feel it, I can’t imagine her feeling it either. She always gives me great feedback and notes. And I get back to work on the next draft.
What are some ways you find joy outside of writing?
Spending time with family and friends, being out in nature, camping and road tripping to name a few.
Are there any upcoming projects you would like to talk about?
I co-authored a book with Jennifer Jones titled ON THE LINE: My Story of Becoming the First African American Rockette. It’s an inspiring true story about manifesting your dreams. And it releases on 10/31/23.
My next solo picture book is a tribute to librarians titled ABUELA’S LIBRARY. The illustrations are nearly done and they’re so beautiful. I can’t wait for it to be out in the world. There’s no release date yet.
I also have a few more solo and co-authored book projects in different stages of the publishing process that I can’t speak of yet.
So I’m super busy, which is a blessing—no complaints here. I’m doing what I love and working with some amazing and dynamic people!
Follow Lisette on Twitter @lissettejnorman and Instagram @platanosgowitheverything
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