Congratulations to Nikki Grimes on the upcoming publication of A Cup of Quiet, illustrated by Cathy Ann Johnson (Bloomsbury, April 15, 2025). From the publisher:
When the squeal of tires and thrum of Grandpa’s hammer fill the air, Grandma gets thirsty for a cup of quiet.
“That’s silly, Grandma,” her granddaughter says. “Quiet can’t fit in a cup and you can’t drink it.”
But together, they venture into the garden to collect the calming sounds of nature, and their cup grows and grows.
A bee’s buzz,
a leaf’s crackle,
a whistling wind,
a hummingbird’s whir.By slowing down and appreciating the gentler sounds of nature, Grandma and her granddaughter step away from the hubbub of daily life and refresh. Their time together made more special by sharing a cup of quiet.
Take a look back at Nikki’s 2019 Cynsations interview with Traci Sorell and her advice for writers: “First and foremost, honor your audience. Writing for young readers is a precious responsibility. Give these readers your very best.”
Author Interview: Nikki Grimes on The Power of Words
By Traci Sorell
Memoir is one of my favorite genres to read. When Nikki Grimes shared some poems from hers last summer, I knew I must read Ordinary Hazards (Boyds Mills & Kane, 2019), the entire book.
Written in verse, her words captivated me much as the act of writing did her at an early age. The acclaim she’s already received in starred reviews and from fellow powerhouse creators speaks to the truth telling found within its pages.
Nikki, I’m going to jump right in with questions because I couldn’t put down Ordinary Hazards once I started reading. Although we faced different challenges growing up, I reflected on the observations you shared of grownups in this memoir in verse and they were spot on. Your experiences cultivated self-preservation and a sage outlook early in you. Tell us what prompted you to write this book at this time.
The answer is multi-pronged. First, Time is what prompted me. That is to say, the passage of time, and as I age, I’m increasingly in touch with my mortality.
In the last couple of years, I’ve begun working my way down my personal list of critical to-do projects, and this memoir was at the top. I’ve always believed that the most important story I have to tell is my own, and I felt the clock ticking.
The second answer to the question is also Time, as in the times in which we live. For many of us, this is a dark season, especially in our country. So many of the ideals we hold for America—some of them realized, some of them aspirational—are under attack by the current administration, and it is easy to succumb to the fear that the darkness will win.
But the God I know teaches me otherwise, and so does my personal experience. Light always wins, in the end. It doesn’t win easily, it doesn’t win without a fight, but it wins.
Ordinary Hazards is a story about light overcoming darkness, and I think that kind of story is needed now more than ever.
Lastly, Ordinary Hazards is a testimony about the power of words. At a time when truth-telling journalists and bold citizens are under attack, it’s important to be reminded that our words matter, that they carry power, and that we have a right to own them, and to speak the truth we know.
Powerful. Imbued with truth—your words here and in the book. What do you hope a reader will take away from Ordinary Hazards?
As is true with any book, each reader will resonate with a different aspect of the story. In that sense, there are many takeaways.
Hope, of course, is a main ingredient of every story I tell. No matter what challenges you may face in life, you have reason to hope. Aside from that, there are three general takeaways I long for readers to grasp.
- Your past need not dictate your future. We can be informed by the past without being tethered to it.
- There is always light at the end of even the darkest tunnel.
- The responsibility, and the power, to create the future you choose lie within you. We are all stronger than we know!
I also hope readers walk away from my story feeling empowered to own theirs.
You’ve definitely communicated all of those with strength and authenticity. Now that you’ve completed the first entry on your must accomplish list, I’m curious. You’ve written for every age group in children’s-YA literature. What have you not done yet in your career that you still want to accomplish?
That’s easy: a collection of adult poetry and a novel or short story collection for adults.
I’d also like to attempt a graphic novel. I’m not sure I can pull it off, which is, of course, why I feel driven to give it a try!
I have no doubt you’ll do all of those! What craft and career advice do you have for writers just entering this field?
First and foremost, honor your audience. Writing for young readers is a precious responsibility. Give these readers your very best.
Second, stretch yourself as an artist by trying a variety of genres. You may not succeed at them all equally, but in the attempt, your craftsmanship will grow.
Third, if you get an idea that frightens you, walk into your fear. Whenever I’ve walked into my fear, the result has been some of my very best work.
Lastly—and this connects to the first—remember that good enough isn’t. Don’t settle for competence in your work. Go for greatness, every single time. You may not always hit it, but you’ll continually raise the bar in your own work, and that is something that will give you, and your readers, enormous satisfaction.
Cynsational Notes
New York Times bestselling author Nikki Grimes was inducted into the Black Authors Hall of Fame in 2023. Her honors include the CSK Virginia Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award, the ALAN Award for significant contributions to young adult literature, the Children’s Literature Legacy Medal, and the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. Author of the Coretta Scott King Award-winner Bronx Masquerade, and five Coretta Scott King Author Honors, she won the Printz Honor and Sibert Honor for her memoir Ordinary Hazards.
Her latest titles include Garvey’s Choice:The Graphic Novel, a School Library Journal 2023 Best Book; Lullaby for the King, one of Book Riot’s 25 Best Christmas Books of All Time; and A Walk in the Woods, recipient of 8 starred reviews, and 11 Best Book listings for 2023, including the New York Times, NPR, and Smithsonian Magazine. Ms. Grimes lives in Corona, California.
Best-selling author and Cherokee Nation citizen Traci Sorell writes inclusive, award-winning fiction and nonfiction in a variety of formats for young people. Traci is a two-time Sibert Medal and Orbis Pictus honoree for her nonfiction work. Eight of her books have received awards from the American Indian Library Association. Her most recent books are: Being Home, illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Michaela Goade, and Clack, Clack! Smack! A Cherokee Stickball Story, illustrated by Joseph Erb, along with two board books. Learn more at www.tracisorell.com.