The Tortoise and the Jackrabbit
Author Interview with Susan Lowell:
How did you get interested in writing children's books?
I became intereseted in writing children's books entirely by accident--while
telling a story to amuse my two-year-old daughter in the car at a red
light one day. It occured to me that I had never seen a Southwest variant
of the old tale of the "Three Little Pigs." My eight-year-old
daughter put in some suggestions, and by the time the light turned green,
the idea was complete. (Did I say I live in Tucson, Arizona?)
How long have you been writing children's books?
The actual timespan during which I've been writing for children is from
1989-1999. Before then, I wrote for adults: journalism, scholarly articles,
book reviews, and fiction. I am finishing up several children's projects
at the moment, including two picture books: A Wild Western Cinderella
and Dusty Locks and the Three Bears.
Are you still teaching?
I hold a master's degree in creative writing from Stanford, and a master's
degree and Ph.D from Princeton in English literature. Previously I taught
those subjects at the Universities of Arizona and Texas at Dallas. Since
becoming a full-time writer, I've occasionally taught a class, but it's
hard to find the time to do both well and to have a family. Maybe sometime
in the future I'll teach again.
Why did you choose to use this illustrator?
I had nothing to do with choosing Jim Harris to illustrate my first
two books. Authors of picture books, unless they are author-illustrators,
rarely have any choice of illustrator, or much control over the pictures.
Publishers almost invariably choose the illustrator and sometimes prevent
any contact between author and artist.