I love poetry picture books that are also biographies of people I’ve never heard of before.  Today is a beautiful example of just that.

Nancy Johnson James is a poet and the author of Brown: The Many Shades of Love; Black: The Many Wonders of My World; and Blue: The Many Ways I Feel in The Colors of My Life series. Her family is from the same Kentucky town that Wilds was from. She lives in Maryland. You can learn more about her at her website or follow her on Instagram, Twitter, or Bluesky.

DREAM A DRESS, DREAM A POEM is a poetic picture book biography all about Myra Viola Wilds who was a dressmaker turned poet.  She was a Black woman who lived in the difficult in-between time, right after Reconstruction had ended, but before the Harlem Renaissance had begun.  She had dreams of being a dress maker and loved doing it, but the strain on her eyes caused her to go blind.  Yet her creativity would not be stifled.  It was then that she began to write poetry.  The gorgeous color block illustrations and the lyrical text both repeat and mimic Myra’s poetry in ways I don’t want to spoil.  This is a perfect combination that just sings.

Welcome Nancy!

Me: Can you tell us a little bit about your writing journey?  How has that brought you to writing this picture book?

Nancy: I was a very quiet child who could go for days without speaking. My parents were readers and writers so books were always all over the house.  I learned to read and write at home before I started school and my mother encouraged me to write what I was thinking.  So, I learned very early that I could express the things I could not find a way to say out loud through writing.  I started actively keeping a diary when I was around 8. 

So that’s how it started.  I read anything but my early interests were in mythology and folktales.  I was introduced to poetry through children’s oratory.   During the major religious holidays and/or events children were given speeches (usually poems or excerpts) to memorize and perform at church.  I took my first creative writing class in middle school and never stopped.

Me:  I adore how you approached telling Myra’s story in such a beautiful poem.  How did you first hear about Myra Viola Wiles?  What gave you the idea to tell her story?

Nancy: Initially I learned about Myra Viola Wiles through writer and editor Amy Novesky.  When I read her work and a little about her story I felt an immediate connection to my own family’s history. My father was from Columbus, KY. I have spent time in Kentucky and heard many, many stories of what life there was like for my grandparents and great-grandparents. Like Myra, some of my family made their way to Pennsylvania during The Great Migration. 

Me: It’s hard to explain the in-between period Myra was living in (in between Reconstruction and the Harlem Renaissance), but your back matter really helped to explain it.  What made you choose poetry over straight nonfiction to tell this biography?

Nancy: She was a poet. There is something about poetry that makes it possible to access a person’s voice.  I think poetry is nonfiction. During the research process I developed a deeper understanding of the character and energy of this generation rather than just historical details regarding famous folk like W.E.B. Dubois and Ida B. Wells.  That is the power of art and poetry.  In this case, poetry and storytelling  made it possible for me to connect to her personally.

I like to think of the motto of the National Association of Colored Women, “Lifting as we climb.”  I think it is a beautiful way to express the drive of that generation.

 As an example, my great-grandparents, Noah and Ruth Webster moved their family from Wolfe Island  to Columbus, KY in the 1890’s.  They had eight children and of the four sons two became medical doctors, one dentist and one PhD.  One of the daughters, Aunt Ruth, completed her undergraduate degree and was a teacher.  They were all incredibly motivated. 

Me: I was astonished to read Myra’s poem in the back matter and realize that you had used some of the same rhyme scheme and meter.  How in the world did you do that?  Was that the format from the very first draft of this manuscript?  How many revisions did it take to get the manuscript to this brilliant state?

Nancy: I’m glad that you caught that.  My MFA is not going to waste!  How many revisions? So very many.  I did experience some frustration. But, I had the benefit of an editor and colleagues who provided feedback that I could trust.

I felt like I was in conversation with Myra, but also with voices from my past. August Wison talked about writing from “blood memory.”    I recalled my father’s use of language and memories of the place and people.

Me:  I love that. The illustrations by Diana Ejaita are wonderful.  I love how she even worked Myra’s same poem into the illustrations!  Were there any illustration surprises for you?  Any favorites?

Nancy: They are wonderful.  I love the boldness of the art.  When I think about Myra and her contemporaries the words: drive, energy, boldness, resilience, hopefulness and faithfulness come to mind.  I think the illustrations capture that. They are vibrant, alive and future facing.

Me: What is one thing that surprised you in writing this story?

Nancy: All the history that needs telling!  I went down so many rabbit holes during my research because so much of what I found was very personal.  Myra published work in The Crisis Magazine, a publication that was present in my home as a child.  My parents were very active with our local NAACP chapter and The Crisis Magazine is the organization’s publication.  There are so many stories to tell!  That’s how I realized that I also needed to step back and think about her generation. 

Me: Any advice for new picture book writers and/or poets?

Nancy: As an elementary teacher, I read a lot of children’s literature.  I like to pay attention to the books children self-select.  An adult may introduce the story, but the thing that brings a child back to a book again and again is imagination.  The text and illustrations should open a door to imagining more or generate more expansive thinking.  Even when I was a kid,  I would finish a book and then imagine what might happen next.  I still do that, to be honest.

I love that too. Thank you for stopping by my blog today Nancy.

But wait, dear readers! There’s more! Nancy has agreed to giveaway a copy of her book to one lucky winner. You can enter the rafflecopter here! Happy Martin Luther King Jr. day!