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Author Interview

Where did you get the idea for Sketches from a Spy Tree?

At first, it was just a collection of poems about different neighborhoods I've lived in since I was a kid.   Then, my editors, Dinah Stevenson & Marcia Leonard asked me who this girl was, what her story was and why she had such an odd take on everything. Instantly, I knew the answer! Anne Marie's story came whole to me- I knew she was a twin, her dad had left the family, and that she was more than just a little ticked about her mom's new romance.

You are a twin. Is this book about you?

Yes, I am a twin but no this isn't my life at all. All the stuff about being a twin is true though- Trish and I really did lose the same teeth on the same days, we scored identically on our IQ tests (and answered the same way on the questions we missed). She is my best friend, and always will be. Miss Emory is based off my Grandma Vaughn too (she even wore her hair like that)- but she had scores of poodles, not cats, but I took artistic license with that. A quilt of poodles folded around her legs just isn't the same image, is it? But, the other stuff is all fiction.

Who is your favorite character?

Well, if I had to pick I guess I'd say The Kramer's. They are the neighbors I always wished I had. Oh, for a tray of chocolate chip cookies and rot-your-teeth Kool-Aid! But, I love them all (except her dad, what a jerk!) and wish I lived on the same block. Don't you?

Why did you write Spy Tree in poetry instead of a novel?

It came out that way. I didn't plan it. I've loved poetry and have written it consistently since I was ten years old (and I've got the really embarrassing journals to prove it!) I love free verse. I'm fascinated with the idea of trying to tell a story in the least amount of words possible without sparing imagery.

Do you have any advice for young writers?

Write for yourself. Sure, you'll have to write for your teachers  but make sure you take the time to write what you'd like to find on the library shelves. Keep a journal, write email, get a pen pal, make a scrapbook, write the lyrics for a garage band! Just write. A lot. Don't worry about publication either. That's a whole other mess to figure out and what's important for now is that you fall in love with writing itself. And most importantly:  Read, read and re-read. Every writer I know is a voracious book fiend.