Q&As
by Gigi Little, April 17, 2023 9:18 AM
Cathy Camper, recipient of the 2022 Evelyn Sibley Lampman Award, is best known for her Lowriders books, a kids' graphic novel series that explores ambition, ingenuity, diversity, and good old friendship through the action-packed and Spanish-language-studded adventures of three friends who love lowrider cars. Recently, Cathy's also been getting into picture books as well. Ten Ways to Hear Snow is a beautifully quiet story about a grandmother, a granddaughter, and the unassuming perfection of kindness. And her latest, Arab Arab All Year Long! is a joyful celebration of Arab culture and traditions. With Arab American Heritage Month providing the perfect excuse, I was excited to chat with Cathy about books, Arab culture, seed art, and the particular specialness of writing for kids.
Your newest book, Arab Arab All Year Long!, gives us a year through an Arab American lens. How did you decide which specific aspects of this rich cultural landscape to celebrate in the book?
I tried to pick scenes that were both personal to me or ones that Arab friends shared with me, and ones that showed Arab culture both as modern and very ancient.
What was your original aim when you set out to write Arab Arab All Year Long?
I felt frustrated that so many books I'd see about Arabs often portrayed us as ancient, conservative, sexist, and ultra-religious. Or picture books that only show us living in the desert with camels. Where are the books that show our great sense of humor, that feature playful Arab dads, that respect us also as secular and educated people, with strong, outspoken women, and most importantly, recognize us as Americans whose Arab culture has existed in the Americas for decades, even centuries? While it's crucial to have books for kids that honor recent immigrants, that share Muslim experiences, and that talk about our SWANA homelands, I wanted to write something that reflects that and more — the things Arabs do and share regardless of our religions or countries of origin.
What does your writing space and process look like?
I pretty much write anywhere and I'm always jotting down ideas on scraps of paper. In the winter, I work in the living room on my laptop, because my desk gets very chilly that time of year. In the summer, I work at my desk, where I can also look outside and see trees and crows. All year long, there's often a cat on my lap, keeping my wrists warm.
The relationship between Lina and her grandmother in Ten Ways to Hear Snow is so tender. Were you thinking of a special grandmother relationship when you conceived of this book?
My grandmother died decades ago, so the grandma in the book wasn't directly based on her. She is a made-up character, but I did ask that the illustrator make her look like my aunt Margaret, who was a liberal nun and college English teacher, and had a great sense of humor. I was able to read the script of the book to her months before she died, and I think she would be so pleased that she's now a part of story that kids can read!
What is the origin story of your Lowriders series of books?
When I first moved to Portland, I got a job as an outreach librarian, and we'd take books to free lunch sites to give to kids. The nonfiction lowrider books got snatched up first. I started thinking, what if there was a picture book or graphic novel about those cars instead? I was also fueled by anger, that at that time, there were so few diverse books. Most of the books we had were about white kids in the suburbs, so I wanted to write something the kids I was visiting could better relate to.
Most of the books we had were about white kids in the suburbs, so I wanted to write something the kids I was visiting could better relate to.
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What was your favorite book as a child?
I was very tall in elementary school, and I heard that Sherlock Holmes was a tall, smart detective. So, in 4th grade I started trying to read Sherlock Holmes stories, even though they were kind of over my head. I got teased a lot, because the only compilation in the school library was called The Boys' Book of Sherlock Holmes. But I stuck with it, and still love his adventures to this day. I also loved Harriet the Spy because it was (and still is) one of the few books that shows how fiercely kids can observe and critique adult behavior.
When did you know you were a writer?
When you're a beginning writer, you worry a lot about if you are truly a writer. But it's straightforward — if you're a writer, you can't not write. For writers, a writing idea is like a puzzle you're driven to solve. As an adult, at some point I realized I kept coming up with ideas to write — reviews, magazine articles, books, zines. In spite of hundreds of rejections, no sales, few readers — I get an idea, start jotting down notes and get sucked in. So it's simple, really — if you're a writer, writing is what you do.
Of course, there are also landmark events in a writing career that make one feel verified —the publication of your first piece or book, getting an agent, seeing your books for sale or in a library — but nothing says you've arrived like HAVING YOUR NAME ON THE POWELL'S MARQUEE!
Why do you think you chose kids as your audience? What makes writing for kids so special?
I'm not sure authors get to choose where our voice falls. It probably has to do with our individual psychologies. I sometimes think it's like we never grew up completely, so we still can view things the way someone younger would. While anyone can publish a book for kids, to really connect, it's got to be not just nostalgic or educational — the voice must resonate authentically and respect the young reader. Successful writers for kids can view the world through the eyes of the child reading their work. Note that the voice used in a picture book is different from that of a chapter book, which is different from a YA novel. Some writers connect at a lot of age levels (including writing for adults); others are more specialized. Ironically, many great kids' book writers never had children, and some don't even particularly like kids, so it's something to do with the writer's mind and skills.
Writing for kids is special because kids' books shape young humans for the adults they will become. Our book might inspire them, might be the “gateway” book that throws open the door to reading and to literacy, might be the one place they can escape to, when other things in their lives aren't great. Also, kids embody our characters in their imaginations in ways most adults don't — and that's humbling and awe-inspiring.
Kids embody our characters in their imaginations in ways most adults don't — and that's humbling and awe-inspiring.
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What's the best advice you've ever received?
For writing? Move in the direction you want to go! To succeed as a writer, take writing classes, read at open mics, connect with other writers, read the journals you want to publish in, or study the community you want to be a part of. Writers need talent, but they also need to learn the business of writing. And they need perseverance. You must have a fiery drive to get your voice out there that won't let you quit.
If there's one thing you want readers to take away from your books, what would that be?
My hope is that my books work for readers on multiple levels. There's the plot and characters, there's facts and information, there's the rhythm of the words, the moods the book creates. But something else I try for is the subconscious message of writing — something not even in the words. It's that thing that makes you tear up when you come to the end, but can't say in words why. It's that feeling of something deeper, a movement under the surface, a pang when you read something that resonates just right. While I work upfront and consciously on writing the “tree” of a book, I also try to create the story's subconscious foundation of roots.
Arab American Heritage Month isn't as well-known as some other month-long observances. Would you like to speak about what this observance means to you and what you hope folks get out of or learn from it?
The Arab American Institute is working to have Arab American Heritage Month recognized in all 50 states, and they just announced that Joe Biden recognized it officially. It's important because there's often prejudice against Arabs, and much false or misleading information about them in the US. So having a time when culture is shared is a way of changing this, as it highlights the breadth of Arab culture as part of the culture of the Americas. Some common misconceptions are that all Arabs are Muslims, and that we're all religious conservatives, or recently arrived immigrants. Also, since the census doesn't currently have a category for Middle East/SWANA/MENA people, there aren't accurate national statistics about our people here.
Having a time when culture is shared is a way of changing this, as it highlights the breadth of Arab culture as part of the culture of the Americas.
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Would you recommend some of your favorite books that speak to the Arab American experience?
A fantastic, just-published picture book by I love is Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine by Hannah Moushabeck. I also like the book Lost and Found Cat by Doug Kuntz, about a Syrian immigrant family's search for their lost cat, and Salma the Syrian Chef by Danny Ramadan. For YA, I recommend the graphic novels of Malaka Gharib, and for contemporary adult readers, novels by Zeyn Joukhadar, Randa Jarrar, and Rabih Alameddine. For all ages, anything by Naomi Shihab Nye!
As well as writing books, you also create fantastic, detailed art out of seeds. How did you get into seed art, and what effect does being a multidisciplinary creative have on your writing?
When I lived in Minnesota, I decided to enter the seed art contest in the Minnesota State Fair, decades ago. Thousands of people see seed art at the fair and the contest is unjuried, though you do have to follow many rules, like use only Minnesota crop seeds, and submit a list of all the seed you use. Back then, the art exhibited was mainstream and kitschy: portraits of Elvis, Nixon, the Minnesota gopher, loons on a lake. I decided to do portraits of BIPOC folks I admired — to elevate their presence and to make viewers think, who is this person? Why am I seeing them here? So, I did Haile Selassie, Chico Mendez, Malcolm X, Bessie Coleman, Frida Kahlo, and many more. I did Arab icons Fairuz and Oum Kalthoum too. I started getting a lot of attention, along with other alternative seed artists who incorporated commentary or political statements into their art. My seed art has led to great adventures – I did a portrait of James Brown for Amy Sedaris' book Simple Times; I worked as an assistant to artist Andy Goldsworthy; and my seed art is owned by designer Todd Oldham and El Vez, the Mexican Elvis, amongst others.
I like to think we revolutionized the seed art exhibit, which is now a huge draw at the Minnesota State Fair, and features lots of alternative art. I still enter a piece every year — folks can see my art on my website.
What effect has being a librarian had on your writing?
Being a librarian taught me tools and skills to do research. It connected me with what people want to read, and how people access books. My coworkers were also amazing communities of book lovers. Similar to working in a bookstore, working in a library teaches you the full cycle of how books are discovered, purchased, and processed.
What's been bringing you joy recently?
I'm excited to explore my garden to see what survived the winter, now that spring is here, and to watch for birds returning and nesting. And then a month ago, I had my first real ride in a lowrider car, and I was squealing with joy — it was like living my books!
What are you working on now?
I just finished a coming-of-age novel called Circle A, set in the late 80s, about Marnie and Owen, two younger kids who meet some older punk kids squatting a house, and get drawn into the world of punk rock, billboard alteration, guerilla gardening, and DIY culture. Though it's set in the past, it deals with contemporary issues like racism, sexual identity, social responsibility, and co-option of images and individuals by media and advertising. It's aimed at both adults who secretly read YA and kids who illicitly read adult books, but I'm looking for an agent to rep it as an adult book, to avoid issues of censorship rampant right now in books for youth. I have a couple of picture books in the works right now as well.
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Cathy Camper is the author of the award-winning Lowriders in Space graphic novel series, Arab Arab All Year Round, Ten Ways to Hear Snow, and Bugs Before Time. She also writes zines, including Sugar Needle, and is a founding member of the Portland Women of Color zine collective. Her iconic seed art helped revitalize crop art exhibits at the Minnesota State Fair and her work has been featured in Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People, by Amy Sedaris. Cathy is a life-long librarian and instigator who lives in Portland, Oregon.
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