Cynsations is celebrating its 20th anniversary by switching to a quarterly publishing schedule, featuring in-depth interviews and articles. Thank you for your ongoing support and enthusiasm!
The first time I met Janet Wong was a couple of years ago in her house for a summer party. I was smitten and blown away by her humility and generosity despite being a senior, well-accomplished poet and author in the industry. She is someone who lifts everyone up along the way. I’m also grateful to have a poem in Janet’s latest book with Sylvia Vardell, Clara’s Kooky Compendium of Thimblethoughts and Wonderfuzz. It’s an honor to welcome Janet to Cynsations!
In an interview with Teaching Authors, you say that the power of poetry, particularly for kids is you can say a lot with a few words. Can you tell us what brought you to write poetry for children?
I started out wanting to write picture books, stories told in prose. I had zero interest in poetry. When I heard the poet Myra Cohn Livingston speak at a UCLA Extension overview class on writing for children, I felt awe; she was incredibly smart, and I knew I could learn something from her. My instincts were right, and I still think of her advice often: “Put a little more music in it!”
You and Sylvia Vardell have created several poetry books where 100% of the profits go the IBBY Children in Crisis fund. Can you tell us more about the work and collaboration of Pomelo Books and IBBY?
Sylvia has been involved with IBBY for decades, even serving as president; many people think of IBBY as the “United Nations of children’s literature.” Pomelo Books donates 100% of the profits from the THINGS WE series (Things We Do, Things We Eat, Things We Feel, and Things We Wear) and the WHAT IS series (What Is a Family?, What Is a Friend?, and What Is Hope?) because we know that the IBBY Children in Crisis Fund needs more funding. Poetry books don’t earn a lot of money, but every little bit helps, right? Profits from our newest book, Clara’s Kooky Compendium of Thimblethoughts and Wonderfuzz (Pomelo Books, 2024), will be donated to charities that bring joy to children in hospitals. Read more about this book here.
You were a lawyer before you became a children’s author of more than 38 books for children and teens on a wide range of topics. How did your career in law inform your career in writing?
A few years ago I was invited to serve a 3-year term on the Yale Law School (YLS) Executive Committee of alums who help the law school do various things. It’s quite an honor; most of the committee members are people who have done amazing things in the legal profession. I told the dean that my invitation must’ve been a mistake because I stopped practicing law decades ago, and she replied that YLS values “lawyers writ large” who have done something unusual with their legal training.
The way law students are taught to consider multiple viewpoints — the practice of carefully examining and trying to understand opposing opinions inside-out — has been immensely useful to me as a writer. I approach revision with a mindset of “Is there another way to think about this?” Lots of possibilities present themselves when we ask, “How can I make this different, not necessarily ‘better’?”
You’ve spoken at thousands of venues all over the world in your career of over thirty years. Could you share one or two memorable incidents from your speaking engagements?
After an assembly at an elementary school in Washington, a 4th grader came up to me and said, “My Norwegian grandmother is Exactly like your Chinese PoPo!” This conversation reinforced for me that our most personal writing is often our most universal (and best) writing, too.
Another memorable moment happened at the National Book Festival, where I found myself standing with two other speakers who represented the confluence of my law life and my author life: Walter Dean Myers and Stephen Carter. During a 90-minute ride from O’Hare to Northern Illinois University (with Walter’s son, Christopher Myers, also in the car), Walter gave a “master class” in how to manage a writing life.
Stephen Carter was the professor who convinced me to stay at Yale Law School when I told him that I wanted to drop out; he said I should graduate first, and then become a potter in New Mexico (my ambition at the time). Standing in between these two giants — giants in height and also influence — I remember feeling special but also very small, with lots of growing still to do. It’s good to have these very humbling moments now and then!
How would you describe your writing process these days? Has it evolved over time?
I really admire people who sit down and work on a book for hours every day. I used to be upset with myself because I have never had a structured and regular daily writing practice. I realized recently, though, that even if I’m not writing a book, I’m constantly writing. Even when I’m just entering comments on social media, that’s writing. Answering text messages = writing. Playing Spelling Bee is helping me with my writing, too!
When I was working with Sylvia Vardell on our new book, Clara’s Kooky Compendium of Thimblethoughts and Wonderfuzz, I worked really hard. I was aiming for an arbitrary deadline that I had set — a deadline that we almost met — and I was unhappy when Sylvia told me that we needed to slow things down. As it turns out, taking a break and giving ourselves a bit of distance from the book (and even going backwards a few times) was really helpful. When you leave a manuscript alone for a little while, you can see it more clearly.
What do you think is the most difficult part of being a children’s author?
Worrying about sales. If books don’t earn enough money, they get put out of print — and poetry gets put out of print faster than any other genre. I buy books all year long to read (gently) and then give as gifts. Most of the people who read Cynsations buy dozens of books each year, but some people haven’t bought a single poetry book in a dozen years. When finances are an issue, you can still help: go to the library and raid the 811 section. Or take a list of poetry titles to your school and public librarians and ask if they can get them. Show your libraries that you want poetry books!
As a recipient of the NCTE Poetry Award, a lifetime achievement award that is one of the highest honors a children’s author or poet can receive, what advice do you have for up and coming writers?
It’s hard when your friends are winning awards and the recognition is not coming your way, especially when you feel you’re doing your best work. Hang in there. Think about the people — in so many different fields — who work at their craft for decades and finally are “discovered” in later life. Keep your hope alive and keep on playing the “publishing game”; you can’t win if you don’t play!
What’s next for Janet?
More pickleball! I want to be able to walk into any YMCA or pickleball club and play with anyone there. I don’t need to win; I just want to be competitive. What does this have to do with writing? Give me a couple of paragraphs and I’ll tell you!
A few months ago, I showed up at a Y about an hour from my house. A woman on the “challenge court” (for advanced players) told me to put my paddle down in the pile of beginners. She didn’t ask where I played, how much I’d played; she made a snap judgment about me based on my appearance. It reminded me of the Ted Lasso episode where Rupert is sure he’ll trounce Ted in a game of darts, but Ted wins. Ted admonishes Rupert for judging him, for not being curious enough to wonder whether Ted might be a good player.
Along the same lines, I feel that readers often judge unfamiliar books, especially poetry books, deciding whether a book “is not for them” much too quickly. I want to surprise young readers about poetry. I want teachers to share Clara’s Kooky Compendium of Thimblethoughts and Wonderfuzz and to see their kids light up. If we can learn to withhold judgment — about a poetry book or pickleball ability or vegan cheese or anything —if we can practice being curious on a daily basis, we’ll grow into the “wonderfuzzy” lifelong learners (and challenge court players) that this world needs.
Cynsational Notes
Janet Wong lives in Gig Harbor, Washington, but has played pickleball all over the United States (and even in France and Portugal). You can learn more about her work at janet-wong.com and pomelobooks.com.
Suma Subramaniam‘s interests and passions in writing for children and young adults are mostly centered around STEM/STEAM related topics as well as India and Indian heritage. When she’s not writing, she’s gardening or volunteering for We Need Diverse Books and SCBWI or blogging about children’s books at Diverse Verse blog or Cynsations blog. Learn more at https://sumasubramaniam.com.