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Poetry Friday, Week 16: Interview with Helen Frost

4/21/2022

 
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Margaret at Reflections on the Teche is hosting us today. She has added a beautiful and poignant line to the 2022 Progressive Poem today.  

Today I am thrilled to have an interview with Helen Frost on her new book, Wait-And See with the phenomenal photographer Rick Lieder.

​I was fortunate to work with Helen at a Highlights Foundation "Novel in Verse" retreat in 2013. She's a most excellent teacher and mentor.

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JRM: This is the sixth book in which you have collaborated with Rick Lieder.  Could you tell my blog readers a bit about the process: How did this collaboration begin? Do you work together from the start?  Which comes first, the photos or the poetry?
HF: It began in 2006, when Rick Lieder’s wife, Kathe Koja, and I were doing a book event together, and Kathe said she thought I’d love her husband’s insect photography. She was right—the beautiful photographs made me look more closely at the world right outside my back door, and I started seeing more insects, and paying more attention to them. I wrote a poem about seeing and caring for the insect world, and Rick and I put the poem and images together in a book we started sending around to editors. It was a few years before Sarah Ketchersid, at Candlewick, loved the book as much as we did, and, in 2012, it was published to great reviews and soon found many enthusiastic readers. In the ten years since then, we have collaborated, together with Sarah and others at Candlewick, to produce five more books, with another under contract for 2024. 

Neither poetry or photos comes first—we usually start talking about a new book when one of us has an idea, and then there is about a year of back-and-forth as we refine the idea until it is ready to send as a proposal to Sarah. The proposal is usually a poem and accompanied by about 50 possible images. After it is accepted, lots more work goes into creating the finished book. I keep working on the text, and Rick continues to take and select more images as the book comes into being.

JRM: How many drafts were there for Wait and See? What type of research did you do for the book? And did you write the back-matter as well?  
HF: It’s impossible to say how many drafts there are, because I save my work hour by hour as I go. But I think I could estimate that there are between 20 and 50 versions. I sometimes change a line in the poem to “match” an image I love, and Rick sometimes finds a better image for a line we don’t want to let go.
 Yes, I do a lot of research as I write the poems, and continue to learn more as I write the backmatter. I begin with books and online research, and correspond with experts as needed. 

JRM: What was the most surprising thing you learned about the praying mantis?
HF: I was surprised to learn how many nymphs emerge from one ootheca (egg case). There can be as many as 400—which makes you think about all the dangers they face, and how amazing it is when one survives to adulthood, and you see it looking at you!

JRM: Not only does the book teach about praying mantis, How did you arrive at the title, Wait and See?  It says so much more than the arrival of praying mantises and I can see how teachers would use this in the classroom.
HF: Yes, Wait—and See (the dash in the title suggests the waiting) does emphasize an important aspect of the book. Praying mantises are hard to find, and the book can help children learn where and how to look for them, but even more, it shows how important patience is in many ways. I’d love to think that teachers might read this book to children and then go outside and encourage the children to quietly look around and come back in to share what they’ve seen. It would be unlikely to be a praying mantis (though wouldn’t that be great?) but they’ll definitely see something. And maybe the book will help them learn the art and value of being still and attentive in many situations. 
If you look at each of our books, there is a “big idea” like this behind each of them. They are often given as gifts (to children and adults) for special life events: birth of a first child or a new sibling (Hello, I’m Here! and Wake Up), engagement or marriage (Among a Thousand Fireflies), milestones such as first day of school or graduation (Step Gently Out and Sweep Up the Sun). And I know that Sweep Up the Sun has brought comfort to people grieving the loss of a loved one.

JRM: You have written several novels in verse.  I noticed that you call them “novels in poems”.  How did you arrive with this term (which I rather like)?
HF: I love poetry, and I love using different elements of poetry in my picture books and novels; the term “novels-in-poems” (though I’m not adamant about it) is a way of calling attention to that. 

JRM: What are your current projects?
HF: Rick and I are collaborating on a new book, probably to come out in 2024, tentatively titled The Mighty Pollinators, about pollen and pollinators. The “big idea” behind this book is that small things like pollen and pollinators are essential. As we were discussing this, Rick pointed out, “Our readers are small, too, and they are important.”

JRM: Thank you, Helen, for giving me and other readers insight on this fabulous insect.  I am looking forward to your next project as pollinators are one of my favorite studies.

Giveaway Time

Anne Irza-Leggat, Educational Marketing Manager at Candlewick, has generously offered a copy of last week's book, Out of This World by Sally Walker and this week's book Wait-and See by Helen Frost. 
Leave a comment by April 27 on either blog post to be eligible to win.  Winners will be announced next week.

Speaking of Winners...

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Mary Lee Hahn, you have won the 3d drawing and optical illusions: how to draw optical illusions and 3d art step by step Guide for Kids, Teens and Students. New edition 
and a set of Staedtler Mars Lumograph Art Drawing Pencils, 12 Pack Graphite Pencils in Metal Case .

Congratulations.  Tabatha will be sending that out soon.

PATRICIA J FRANZ link
4/22/2022 07:13:03 am

I am do delighted to have landed on your post and to learn about Helen Frost's books! Wait-and See resonates especially, as it was a regular refrain growing up that my mom used (and that I use today) -- Cannot wait to get this book! Thank you!

Laura Purdie Salas link
4/22/2022 08:01:07 am

Helen and Rick have made so many stunning picture books together--thanks for shining a light on them today, Jone!

janice scully link
4/22/2022 10:59:25 am

I so admire Helen Frost and enjoyed your interview very much, Jone. So much goes into collaborating on a picture book! And what a productive collaboration they have had.

Anastasia Suen link
4/22/2022 02:37:06 pm

Another great interview, Jone! I *love* that term "novels-in-poems".

Linda Baie link
4/22/2022 04:12:57 pm

I have a 'now' ten-year-old granddaughter who looks for and finds praying mantises, will adore this book. Thank you Jone & Helen!

Linda Mitchell
4/23/2022 03:22:12 am

Jone! You have an interview of one of my heroes! I adore Helen Frost, the diversity of her work and the tenderness with which she crafts everything. Thank you for this beautiful time of reading her thoughts on her newest book and novels in poems. What a refreshing Poetry Friday visit.

Linda link
4/23/2022 10:27:29 am

I love Helen's books! Thank you for this interview!

Michelle Heidenrich Barnes link
4/24/2022 04:04:19 pm

What a delight to read your conversation with Helen today! I always enjoy learning from her perspective and hearing about her writing process. Although I'm commenting on Sunday, I've had this tab open on my computer since yesterday, and last night I dreamed about a praying mantis! That's some clever trick, Helen and Rick!

Carol Varsalona link
4/24/2022 06:10:49 pm

Jone, I really enjoyed your interview and Helen's perspective. Her books sound fascinating and I love her collaboration with Rick L. The photograph you shared for Wait and See is clear and alluring. Thanks for opening my eyes to a now combo team. I like the thought behind the word ovels-in-poems.

Michelle Kogan link
4/24/2022 08:44:10 pm

Fascinating interview and book, I had to go look at it and loved the images too! Thanks Jone for sharing Helen and some of the behind the scenes story of her book!

Ramona link
4/25/2022 10:30:05 am

I came here to catch up on the progressive poem and was delighted to read this interview with Helen Frost. I've loved her poetry for a long time and have shared her poem, Where Grass is Pressed, with so many people.


Comments are closed.

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    All photos and poems in these blog posts are copyrighted to Jone Rush MacCulloch 2006- Present. Please do not copy, reprint or reproduce without written permission from me.

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