Voices You Should Hear: Leda Schubert

In all fairness, I should say up front that not only is Leda Schubert one of my most favorite people on the planet, but she also was my mentor for my second novel, Forgiven, when she was my last advisor (creative thesis semester) at Vermont College of Fine Arts. So any gushing you may sense from me is warranted. Even more so because Leda is supremely smart, funny, and talented, and hey - she loves dogs. I was thrilled that she agreed to answer questions for me so that I can bring you her answers.

Let's start with your latest picture book, The Princessof Borscht (Bonnie Christensen, Illus.; Roaring Brook, 2011).Congratulations on all the terrific reviews (and they are terrific!!) I love the idea of food ascure-all (especially borscht) and as a centerpiece for the characterinteractions. Are you a cook? Do you think food holds "magic" properties?Please tell readers something about how this book came together for you.
Thanks, Janet! To answer this question, I have toorder my few remaining brain cells back almost ten years and visit some ancientcomputer files. Most of you know that picture books can take a very long time,but this one took even longer. The short version: I started it in 2003 when myhusband said offhandedly (I think) that someone should write a book aboutborscht. So I did. It went through many, many, many, many drafts. Many. Evensome VCFA faculty had things to say about it ("Start over." "No one in hisright mind wants to read a book about borscht." "What the heck is borscht?"Etc.)
Am I a cook? No. I hate to cook. I could live on bread,cheese, and salads, but I somehow suspect that is not an entirely healthfuldiet. So I do cook some things. About four. And I don't eat anything thathas/had four legs. (Once I thought chicken had four legs so I didn't eat it foryears. Maybe I am kidding.)
Does food have magic properties? Yes. It does. Somebodyshould bring me some; that's what I think. Chocolate especially has magicproperties. Especially dark chocolate with hazelnuts.
(Dark chocolate - we share another passion...) You also have an earlier fall 2011 release, Reading toPeanut (Amanda Haley, Illus., Holiday House). I happen to know you havestrong feelings about dogs (which I share). Who are the current dog-members ofyour family? What do they think about Peanut?
How much time do we have? I'll rein myself in. Thecurrent dog members are Pippa and Pogo. Both are mutts, but they are alsoso-called designer dogs, Goldendoodles. We did not pay goldendoodle prices foreither one, and they're both Vermont natives. Pogo is the sweetest person onthe planet; he is pure love. Pippa—well, she's a case. She's the mostindependent dog I've ever had, and I've had several. It's not that she dislikesus; she just has many things to do that don't involve us.
As for Peanut, they both believe that more dogs are always agood thing. I'm sure they'd love to have another dog (Bob, husband dear, areyou listening?)
You have six published picture books to your credit,including the multi-award winner Ballet of the Elephants (Robert AndrewParker, Illus.; Roaring Brook, 2006.) Have you thought about writing somethinglonger? What draws you to the picture book format? And...will the picture bookformat survive its current turmoil?
I've written a novel (actually I've written threenovels) that's set during McCarthyism and is about a girl growing up in aleftist family that's under suspicion. It's been roundly rejected, and I'm notsure I want to revise it any more. So it's lurking around somewhere. So are thetwo earlier novels. Instead, I'm working on a longer piece of nonfiction forkids.
As for the picture book, I'd like to believe it willsurvive, because I love picture books with all my heart and soul. I cannotimagine a world without Horton, Ferdinand, Madeline, Max, ---   in fact, maybe one of the reasonspicture books are in crisis is because characters as memorable as those aren'tbeing created as often.
You were a librarian for years and served on awardscommittees. How have these experiences colored your work?
Leda, hiding behind Pogo and snuggling with PippaIt's hard to describe the intensity of thoseexperiences. My Caldecott committee was one of the professional highlights ofmy life. The quality of discussion, the brilliance of the committee members,the respect for artists and authors, and the leadership provided by our chair changedmy life. I'm a better person for that experience, I hope. The Globe-Horn Bookaward committee has fewer guidelines and more books to read and I loved workingwith the other two women during that year.
For much longer periods of time I was on two of Vermont'schildren's choice awards committees: the Red Clover Award and the DorothyCanfield Award. During those years, I read hundreds and hundreds ofchildren's/YA books every year. What an incredible privilege—and what aneducation. So much of what is published disappoints; so much of what is gooddoesn't get "buzz" and disappears.
Most of my committee experience was before blogs gained thepower they have now. I believe that blogging is changing the whole world ofchildren's books in ways that are both good and bad. I worry.
I'm eternally grateful to have had you as one of my advisorswhile I was a student at Vermont College of Fine Arts. What is the best thingabout teaching? Can you share any fun stories about VCFA (trick question)?
The best thing about teaching, Janet, is theopportunity to work with students like you. I think all of us on the facultylearn as much, if not more, from our students as they learn from us. To read isone thing; to read and articulate responses is another; to read and articulateresponses in a way that might push a student to a place she didn't think shecould go is pretty darned amazing. Funny or fun stories about VCFA? Everything that happensthere is fun, right? Guessing what's for lunch, meeting all your friends in thecommunal bathrooms, waiting for the water to heat up, looking forcaffeine---but you probably mean something more. I laugh more during residencythan I do the whole rest of the year. And I suspect the students have even morefun than the faculty.  (We have a ton!)
Please tell us about the forthcoming Monsieur Marceau(Gerard DuBois, Illus., Roaring Brook, 2012).
Right after M. Marceau died, my agent, Steven Chudney,suggested I might think about writing a picture book biography. I rarely takesuggestions from someone else (though this long blog post points to two suchinstances, hmmm), but this one resonated, particularly when I became immersedin research and learned about Marceau's actions during WWII, which I had knownnothing about. The more I learned of Marceau's life, the more convinced I wasto tell the story. Oddly enough, I studied mime in my senior in college withJan Kessler, and a student of Marceau's, Rob Mermin, lives close by.
Neal Porter accepted the manuscript in 2008; it will bepublished next fall (2012). I've recently seen the proofs, and I was completelyoverwhelmed by the gorgeous art Gerard DuBois has created. He's French andlives in Montreal. Wait until you see it!
Want to share a favorite borscht recipe?
It's on the back of THE PRINCESS OF BORSCHT! Simple as couldbe. There are more complex recipes as well. They're all good. Beets are good.
What's the best way for readers to find out more about youand your work?
I do have a website which I maintain myself through theAuthors Guild. It's nothing fancy, but I update it frequently. www.ledaschubert.com
Janet, thanks so much for interviewing me. It's almost asgood as sitting in Noble Lounge at VCFA and talking with you.

Likewise. Almost. Sigh.