Ms. Fridholm’s intermediate grade students read the NYSRA Charlotte Award nominated book, Steel Drumming at the Apollo (Lee & Low, 2007). After reading they had many, many questions, and the author Trish Marx provided us with these thoughtful answers! Liz
Questions about the making of the book
What inspired you to make this book? Why did you choose to write this book? Why did you want to write about these boys?
Ellen Senisi and I were working on three books about China, (Elephants and Golden Thrones, Inside China’s Forbidden City; Kindergarten Day, China and USA, and Friends!).
Elephants and Golden Thrones. Written by Trish Marx. Photographer Ellen B. Senisi. Abram Books for Young Readers, 2008.
We had to plan the trip to China around the Apollo performances, because her son is in the band. She invited me along, for one of their early performances, and once we heard the boys play and the crowd roar, and felt the energy, we knew we had a really good book idea. Having taken piano lessons as a child, and squeaking my clarinet through high school band, the boys were my inspiration! I wanted to know how someone could play by ear! I wanted to document people playing beautiful melodies on the piano that they were making up as they played. I wanted to figure out just how these guys made it through a rigorous high school, held jobs, had girlfriends, and still were so prolific at their music.
How many days did it take you to write this book?
Days and weeks and months…I have four or five big notebooks filled with stories, had tapes of interviews that needed transcribing, spent a year going to the Apollo and to performances in Schenectady. When it was time to write, I stayed for a few days at a little cottage on the Hudson River and looked at the water for inspiration while I wrote the bios for each boy. That gave me the voice and structure for the book. The rest took another few months sandwiched in between my work as an editor, and my family.
Who do you know best (re: the boys in the book)?
I love every one of the boys, but I know Dha’sean the best. Dha’sean is the dancer, and we go to schools and book events together. I call it our Road Show. I talk about my writing life and books and then Dha’sean talks about how tap dancing started, how ballet helps him do those amazing flips, and his dancing life. Then he taps and flips across the stage and captivates everyone. We close by Dha’sean softly playing improvised tunes on the piano while the students come on the stage and read poetry they wrote. Then, I sign books and Dha’sean signs autographs!
Questions for the author
Is it hard to make the pictures match the words?
This is a very interesting question. In picture books, they say the pictures should complement the words, That is, picture books should not show an exact picture of something the author wrote about, but should explain, or add to, or finish an author’s words. Non-fiction photoessays are different. I know the photos Ellen has taken, and I try to write to the general sequence of events as they happened, but if I would write to each picture individually, I would be writing to someone else’s vision of the book. So I do my writing in a creative mood, not worrying about each picture, but knowing that if I tell the best story I can, and Ellen takes the best pictures she can, we will be able to turn it into a dynamic book. During revisions, after I have the story down, we (including the editor) play with the pictures and words. Sometimes the photographer has to change a picture; other times I have to rewrite a section to go with a picture. But it all works out.
Are you a good typer?
not really (!!)
How long have you been writing books?
20 happy years
Questions about you
What’s your favorite instrument?
I love them all, but piano always stops me in my tracks.
Can you play any music?
Fur Elise, on the piano.
Where do you play? Live?
New York City. If you take a look at my website, www.trishmarx.com, you will see where in the world my books have taken me. One country, Bangladesh, is not on the interactive map. It was a fascinating place and I hope to get back.
What’s your favorite move in dancing?
When your partner throws you back and your head almost touches the ground. But he better hold on to you.
What else do you like to do?
Read, cook, ski, bike ride, visit family, yoga, sit in a rocking chair on a front porch and watch the world go by
What would you like to listen too?
The Hamilton Hill Steel Drum Band
Did Spencer share his poetry with you?
Yes, Spencer shared some of his poetry with me. He is a very good and dedicated writer and I felt honored to read some of this work.
Thank you for your excellent questions!
=0 A
Keep reading!!
Trish Marx
