Patricia Hruby Powell danced throughout the Americas and Europe with her dance company, One Plus One, before becoming a writer of children’s books. She is the author of Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker, an extraordinary portrait of the passionate performer and civil rights advocate Josephine Baker written in exuberant verse. She lives in Champaign, Illinois. You can visit her online at talesforallages.com.
I work as a substitute librarian at The Urbana Free Library’s Children’s Department. Back in the summer of 2005, we had a slew of pre-teen African American girls who came daily and behaved badly. They seemed to need focus—a mentor or a model—I decided Josephine was perfect. Josephine Baker was fearless, lively, spirited, creative, did anything she set her mind to. As I researched, I discovered that she was a civil rights pioneer, adopted 12 children of different religions and ethnicities, worked for the French Resistance. And she’s a dancer. So am I.
Best moment …
“Writing” Josephine’s heel-chopping Charleston—sort of a choreography of words:
“Knees squeeze, now fly/ heels flap and chop/ arms scissor and splay/ eyes swivel and pop”
At the dining room table. I have an office upstairs, but I usually just use it as a filing area. It’s so chaotic up there, I needed a clear space to work.
Necessary writing/creativity tool …
Moving, I guess. I’m better able to think when I’m in motion. Not necessarily dancing. Dancing is it’s own thing. But walking, skating, swimming, running (very short distances). Okay, it’s the walking in between the running that’s the working tool. Then back to my laptop.
Favorite bookshop …
We used to have Pages For All Ages in Champaign-Urbana. Alas, it closed. Jane Addams Bookstore is an interesting second hand bookstore that helps sell books of local authors.
Currently reading …
Postcards from Nam by the Vietnamese writer, Uyen Nicole Duong, a novel about a 15 year old girl who fled Vietnam in 1975 when Saigon fell. I read adult, young adult, middle grade books. And picture books. Fiction. Nonfiction.
All-time favorite children’s book you didn’t write …
Deceased? Emily Dickinson. Living? How can I pick only one? YA: John Green, Meg Rosoff. Adult? Toni Morrison, oh my gosh, there are so many, Jesmyn Ward, Dave Eggers, Jeanette Winterson. M.T. Anderson is remarkable. But I idolize Emily Dickinson.
What a great question. A hard one. I don’t know if I read a lot of books about people I’d want to vacation with. I think, the main character in NoViolet Bulawayo’s book We Need New Names—is essentially herself, the author. The character is named Darling. She escapes a rough life in Zimbabwe as a child and lives her teen years in America. Seeing America through her eyes is extraordinary.
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Latest published book …
All-time favorite children’s book you didn’t write …