This September, Groundwood Books is
publishing a story based on Flannery O’Connor’s childhood. One of the most groundbreaking
female writers from the South, Flannery O’Connor wrote numerous short stories,
essays, and novels that dealt with faith and being a Southerner. In her real
life, and as a child, she had an affinity for birds. In addition to teaching a
chicken how to walk backwards, she had a special place in her heart for
peacocks, which she had for most of her life. A new picture book by Acree Macam and Natalie Nelson, entitled King of the Birds, tells the story of
how young Mary Flannery O’Connor mail-ordered peacocks.
“The peafowl arrived by Railway
Express from Eustis, Florida, on a mild day in October. When my mother and I
arrived at the station, the crate was on the platform and from one end of it
protruded a long, royal-blue neck and crested head.”
This account is taken from Flannery’s
own essay titled “King of the Birds,” which is one among many essays that were
published after her death in 1964 in a collection called Mystery and Manners: Occasional Prose.
Here, I ask both Acree Macam and
Natalie Nelson questions about their picture book, The King of the Birds.
Where are you from? Where do you
live now? Do you do anything else in addition to writing/illustrating great
books?
ACREE: I grew up
in Raleigh, North Carolina and moved to Atlanta in 2004 for college. I thought
I would eventually leave the South but it keeps drawing me deeper in. My day
job is working as a copywriter for a messaging firm. We specialize in giving
complex businesses a more meaningful answer to the “What do you do?” question.
NATALIE: I grew up in Oklahoma City, and I've been migrating east and
south ever since. First I went to college in Arkansas, then I spent three years in Nashville, and now I
live in Atlanta, where I've been for the past four years. I like to call myself
a “Southerner-By-Choice.” I make illustrations for a bunch of different
magazines, newspapers, publications, and books. There are days when I still
have to pinch myself because what I do is truly my dream job—I draw pictures
for money!
When did you get your start as a
writer and/or illustrator? How long have you been writing and illustrating?
Natalie Nelson, Illustrator |
I've been illustrating professionally for about three years.
What were some of your favorite
books as a child? Authors, illustrators, you name them.
ACREE: Oh, gosh,
I loved From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs.
Basil E. Frankweiler, the Chronicles of Narnia, anything in the Nancy Drew
series, The Giver, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, and of
course the Madeleine L’Engle books. I don’t remember much of what I read before
age 8 but I’m sure my mom does. Hopefully our readers will have a better memory
than I do.
NATALIE: I loved anything by Eric Carle and Ezra Jack Keats, and I still
find myself being heavily influenced by their work today. I had a second grade
teacher who was a super fan of Tomie dePaola so I grew to love his books too.
In later elementary school I was obsessed with the Amelia's Notebook series by Marissa Moss. I wanted to BE Amelia,
and began doodling all my journal entries from that point forward.
Who are some of your favorite
authors and illustrators that inspire you today?
ACREE: In the
picture book world, I love the Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen collaborations.
Oliver Jeffers is so imaginative too. And Mo Willems is just hysterically
funny. In the adult world, I’ve been following Donna Tartt for the past 10
years or so. I really admire her as a fiction writer. She creates these worlds
that I want to disappear inside. Sarah Dessen is also an incredible YA author;
I’ve been reading her since I was a young adult. Those are just the living
writers. My first loves were Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Graham Greene,
Walker Percy, Jane Austen and so many others. And I’ve enjoyed Dorothy Sayers’
mysteries as an adult. She was a copywriter too.
NATALIE: Maira Kalman is at the top of my list; she is a genius. Ann and
Paul Rand's children's books, Ben Shahn, Eric Carle, Henri Matisse. My favorite
author is Flannery O'Connor, no surprise there.
Did you choose to work together on
this project?
ACREE: Very much so. The idea for the story came from NATALIE. She was looking
for someone who could write the manuscript and my hand shot up into the air.
NATALIE: Yes! This project is so special because ACREE and I truly
collaborated every step of the way. We started working on it nearly three years
ago during a season of our lives when we both had a little extra time on our
hands and were aching to make something meaningful. Once I had the germ of the
idea, I knew I wanted ACREE to write it because I knew she'd get it. We had no
idea the book would ever become a real thing, but we poured our hearts into it
and made something we are really proud of.
Why are you drawn to Flannery
O’Connor? The first essay in her book Mystery and Manners: Occasional Prose, is called “King of the Birds.” What do you love most about this Southern
author?
ACREE: I do love
Flannery O’Connor, but I also fear her. She’s the perfect antidote to the syrupy
sweetness of the stereotypical Southern woman and she will always call you on
your B.S. I’m not sure what she’ll think of me if we ever meet, but I hope
she’s at least cracking a bit of a wry smile our way over The King of the Birds.
NATALIE: I am drawn to Flannery O'Connor for so many reasons, it is hard
to name just one. As an artist, I admire her willingness to go to the dark
places of humanity and not apologize for it. I also love her sense of humor in
the midst of the darkness, and her ability to show that grace is offered to
even the most wretched of folks.
What is your favorite Flannery O’Connor
story? How has Ms. O’Connor influenced you and your creative process?
ACREE: I read “The King of the Birds” over and over while working on the
project and wrote the manuscript with her voice in my head. Hopefully some of
her dry wit comes through in the story. I think a lot of people have a one-dimensional
view of the South, and she helped capture its (often terrifying) aliveness. A
lot of people also have a one-dimensional view of children’s books, so in the
spirit of O’Connor, every page of this story works against the predictable and
easy. The characters each have full lives beyond the beginning and end of our
short book – or at least I hope it seems like they do.
NATALIE: My favorite story of hers is Wise
Blood, but her essays and letters are what I can’t stop reading. I love the
way she thinks, and hearing her tell the story behind her stories.
Natalie, how did you decide to
illustrate this book? Please describe your illustration style and process.
NATALIE: I visited Andalusia, O'Connor's home for the last fourteen years
of her life, a few months before we started working on this story. Being on the
grounds really brought her essay “The King of the Birds” to life for me, and
immediately all the images of the colorful birds started forming in my mind.
"More birds would do the trick." |
For this book, I painted a bunch of papers (with gouache paint) in the colors I wanted to use. Then, I scanned the painted papers into the computer and used Photoshop to cut out the various shapes to create all the characters and scenes. I also sprinkled in some cutouts of found photography, which is something I try to do in all of my work. In the end, I wanted the art to feel both modern and vintage, to tie the story back to the era Flannery really lived in.
What do you love about creating
picture books for children (and adults)?
ACREE: First,
kids are the perfect audience. They don’t hold back emotions. They ask the
questions that everyone else feels too dumb to ask. They’re curious and they
have a great sense of humor.
Second, writing picture books is a
lot like copywriting. You have to leave room for the images to tell half the
story. You’re always figuring out how to say the same thing in fewer, simpler
words. Anybody can do complexity, but simplicity is a worthwhile challenge.
NATALIE: I love the challenge of making pictures that tell the other half
of the story that the words don't convey. I also like creating art for children
that doesn't speak down to them but asks them to look harder and wonder more.
What is next? Any future projects
for us to look forward to reading?
ACREE: I sure
hope so. Any ideas?
NATALIE: I am
illustrating another picture book called Uncle
Holland, written by JonArno Lawson, and it comes out next spring!
To learn more about Flannery O'Connor, visit www.andalusiafarm.org.
For your amusement, here is a video of Flannery's chicken who could walk backwards!
To learn more about Flannery O'Connor, visit www.andalusiafarm.org.
For your amusement, here is a video of Flannery's chicken who could walk backwards!
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