Spotlight image: Co-Authors Reneé Critcher Lyons and Helen Kampion at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center bookstore.
Today I’m pleased to welcome two fellow Vermont College alumni, Helen Kampion and Reneé Critcher Lyons to Cynsations to discuss their recent picture book biography, Rollin’ On Down The Line: Lady Bird Johnson’s 1964 Whistle-Stop Tour for Civil Rights, illustrated by Erin McGuire (Sleeping Bear Press, 2024).
From the publisher’s description:
The late summer and early fall of 1964 was a turbulent time in America. After years of racial struggle, in July President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act. This law, declaring that all citizens were equal, outlawed racial segregation. Many Americans cheered this legislation; yet some did not. Many Southerners despised it and worried about what it meant for their traditions and way of life. With the upcoming November presidential election, President Johnson was advised not to campaign in the South due to the threats of violence since the signing of the new law. But someone needed to visit the citizens in the South and explain why the new law was necessary and good for the entire country.
Born in Texas, First Lady Claudia Alta “Lady Bird” Johnson was from the South and understood its people and customs. Despite her fear of public speaking and threats to her own safety, Lady Bird undertook a train tour to reach out to her fellow citizens and Southerners. This is the true story of her historic Whistle-Stop journey, making almost fifty stops through eight Southern states in four days.
What first inspired you to write for young readers?
Reneé: I have known I was a writer from a very early age. However, as far as writing for young readers, I implicitly knew this genre was for me when my daughter was born! I could not get enough of sharing these books with my newborn and toddler. It was like I “birthed” what I was meant to do when I bore my child, a profound experience.
Helen: Growing up I loved to read and make up stories for my younger sister. I never outgrew my love of storytelling so it seemed natural for me to write for young readers.
Please describe your pre-publication craft apprenticeship. How did you take your writing from a beginner level to publishable?
Reneé: I have undergone a great deal of training in the craft, first with the Institute of Children’s Literature and second with Vermont College of Fine Arts. Then, of course, I have written on a consistent basis since graduating with my MFA in Creative Writing. I want to also thank fellow authors, my agent, and editors as well.
Helen: I started out taking some local classes for beginners. Here I learned the importance of joining SCBWI and a local critique group. After attending SCBWI conferences and feedback from my group, I realized I needed more in-depth training. I applied to Vermont College of Fine Arts in the Writing for Children and Young Adults program and obtained an MFA.
How did this project come about and why did you want to collaborate on it?
Helen: Reneé and I were classmates at Vermont College and talked about co-writing a story. She is a “history hoarder” who is especially skilled at finding little-known facts or events about people.
When she told me about Lady Bird’s heroic trip through the South and how the First Lady promoted Civil Rights and campaigned for her husband, President Johnson, I was hooked. The rest is history!
What were the challenges (literary, research, psychological, logistical) in bringing the text to life?
Reneé: One challenge we faced included the “time” factor, for I work full-time as a professor as well, and scheduling joint writing sessions proved difficult. Of course, finding just the right editor for the book is always a challenge.
As far as craft, the challenge was writing the story in such a way that young readers would understand the times, the dangers, and the Lady, while reading as a means of developing their own values and inner capabilities for bravery and courage.
Tell me about the process of working with a co-author. How did you divide up the research and writing tasks?
Helen: Since the idea for the story came from Reneé’s love of little-known historical facts, she wrote the initial outline of the events of Lady Bird’s trip.
We didn’t actually divide up the research as much as we both read the same books about and by Lady Bird, listened to her speeches, poured over photographs, reviewed newspaper articles, and reached out to the National First Ladies Library and Museum and the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library and Museum for assistance. To truly understand Lady Bird, and do her justice, we both needed to know her as a person.
Once we had amassed the information, we wrote our first draft.
Since Reneé and I live in different states, we used Google Docs to work on the manuscript. We kept the agreed upon text in black and each of us used a different color for revisions. This way we could see what each other wrote. Then we would discuss, edit, and add to the main text.
Since we are both strong women, there were times where each of us insisted on keeping/deleting some text. To avoid ruining our friendship, we set up a “veto” system. Each of us had three vetoes that we could use if we felt strongly that something should be included or not, as long as it didn’t impact the overall story. It worked really well.
Both of us are elated with the joint writing process, publication, and writing partnership, and we’ve already started our next project, while working on several of our own!
What surprised you most about the process?
Helen: The thing that surprised us most was the amount of research required to write the book, and the amount of follow-up research needed for accurate illustrations.
For example, what colors did Lady Bird wear, who was on the speech car with her, which hand did she hold up during her speech in Columbia, S.C., and what did the interior of the train car look like. Another surprise was the intense editing and publication process, which necessitated examining every detail of our creative work with a “fine-tooth-comb.”
What model books were most useful to you and how?
Reneé: For picture book biographies, Gail Gibbons is always a model, as are Candace Fleming and Elizabeth Partridge books.
We really love books such as Electric Ben: The Amazing Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin by Robert Byrd (Penguin, 2012) and Rosalyn Schanzer’s George vs. George (National Geographic, 2004), both of which served as our models.
In terms of publishing, how did you navigate the process of finding an agent and, with his or her representation, connecting your manuscript to a publisher?
Helen: I was fortunate to already have the wonderful, Stephen Fraser from the Jennifer De Chiara Agency as my agent. When Reneé and I completed the manuscript, he agreed to represent her as well and sent Lady Bird off to publishers.
We wish it had been a quick and easy sell for Steve, but it did take quite a while until it to was acquired. This manuscript that got rejected 12 times received the Junior Library Guild Gold Seal Award and the California Reading Association’s 2024 Eureka Silver Award for Nonfiction.
What is your relationship to the children’s-YA writing and illustration community? To the larger children’s-YA literature community?
Reneé: I am a board member of the National Children’s Book Literacy Alliance, having worked on many of their projects to promote children’s books and literacy. I teach children’s and YA literature at the college graduate level (to school librarians). I participate in children’s book award committees, having served on the YALSA Nonfiction committee, the Phoenix Book Award Committee, the Alex Committee, and, currently, and continuing, the Green Earth Book Award Committee(s). With this work, I have met and established a relationship with such amazing professionals as Katherine Paterson, Mary Brigid Barrett, Patricia MacLachlan, and Stephen Kellogg!
Helen: I serve as the Treasurer for the National Children’s Book Literacy Alliance, and like Reneé, have worked on projects to promote children’s books and literacy.
In the past, I worked at Barefoot Books’ publisher-owned book store, taught writing classes at Barefoot books, edited manuscripts for editors, volunteered at SCBWI conferences, and set up events for fellow authors at local bookstores.
What advice do you have for beginning children’s-YA writers?
Reneé: I would say listen to yourself and what you know is right for your interests. You will have so many voices, all saying differing things. Develop a sense of discernment as to what voices serve your writing career and vision.
Helen: Join SCBWI and a critique group first and foremost.
Then be true to yourself and your interests and write what you want, not what you’re supposed to write. Also, be patient as your writing career can, and most likely will be, long.
How are you approaching the transition from writer to author in terms of your self-image, marketing and promotion, moving forward with your literary art?
Reneé: I am believing in myself, graciously accepting invitations, and, for this first effort, it seems writing possibilities about the book and the process itself have arisen more than any other means of promotion. Writing about writing – what could be better?
Helen: With a background in sales, marketing and promotion is second nature to me so calling bookstores, libraries. or museums to set up events is fun and easy. I did this pre-publication for my fellow authors, so now I get to include myself! As far as my self-image, I feel validated and more comfortable speaking about writing to folks interested in creating stories for children.
As an author-teacher/librarian, how do your various roles inform one another?
Reneé: They work hand-in-hand. As a professor of future librarians, I am immersed in the new releases every year, the creative genre-blending that is occurring, the new faces and names, and the new subjects and “bent” of the field. It adds juice to the turkey, so to speak, inspiring me to work on new approaches or new ideas that definitely emerge subconsciously as the result of such immersion.
As an MFA in Writing student/graduate, how did that experience impact your literary journey?
Reneé: First and foremost, I met so many fellow authors, especially Helen, my writing partner. We push and expand each other’s “limits,” making our collective work rich in creative output.
Helen: Had I not attended Vermont College, I would not have met Renee, and Rollin’ on Down the Line might never have happened. And the knowledge I gained allowed me to contribute valuable and comprehensive text to the manuscript.
In what ways is Lady Bird’s campaign tour especially relevant for young readers today?
Reneé: Almost everyone who reads the book and provides comments says, “This is what is happening today.” They are speaking of the division, the manner in which we need to work together, and the proper way our leaders should behave and act. It is a lesson in civility, courage and bravery that is much needed in our political arenas. Today’s young readers are those who will grow up to demand such behavior from politicians and their fellow citizens.
We would also refer you to our most recent article for Knowledge Quest, Lady Bird Johnson, “Deeds, not words,” and Dutiful Citizenry.
Cynsational Notes
Reneé Critcher Lyons’s mother always said she would be a writer; as a youth, she wrote on everything―the coffee table, the walls, even the lamp shades! Renee took this prediction to heart. Now, as a creative writer (MFA–Vermont College) and professor of librarianship/children’s literature (East Tennessee State University), little-known points of history inspire Reneé’s creative bent, as does traversing the Blue Ridge hills of North Carolina, her family home for over 250 years. She lives in Boone, North Carolina.
Helen Kampion finally pursued her dream of writing for children after a career in high-tech sales. With an MFA from Vermont College in Writing for Children and Young Adults, she began writing poetry, picture books, and middle grade novels.
Helen’s interest in history and strong women led her to co-author a picture book about Lady Bird Johnson’s courage and grit.
Gayleen Rabakukk holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts and is currently a student in the Library Science Master’s program at the University of North Texas. She also has an undergraduate degree in Journalism from the University of Central Oklahoma. She has published numerous newspaper and magazine articles, and two regional interest books for adults. She is represented by Terrie Wolf of AKA Literary Management.
She serves as board member for Lago Vista’s Friends of the Library and also leads a book club for young readers at the library. She’s active in Austin SCBWI and has taught creative writing workshops for the Austin Public Library Foundation. She loves inspiring curiosity in young readers through stories of hope and adventure. Follow her on Instagram and Bluesky.