Today I welcome Jane Sutcliffe to my blog to talk about her
book, Stone Giant: Michelangelo’s David
and How He Came to Be, which recently received a marvelous review in Kirkus https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jane-sutcliffe/stone-giant/.
Jane Sutcliffe www.janesutcliffe.com is the acclaimed author
of over twenty nonfiction books for young people. She says her childhood was so
average that she read biographies to get a peek into the exotic and exciting
lives of others. Now she writes biographies and other nonfiction books for
children.
Stone Giant was inspired when Jane
visited Florence. She stared at Michelangelo’s David for a very long time, knowing that there was a story in that
face. This interview is the story behind the story that Jane discovered.
Could you tell us
about that trip to Italy and why you were so struck by Michelangelo’s statue of
David?
I honestly went to
Italy just as a tourist, not looking for a book idea. Of course, I wanted to
see the David, since I’d heard about
it my whole life. We were lucky enough to have a very wise tour guide who let
us just drink in the magnificent view of the statue. Then she asked two
questions. “Do you like David?” she asked. Heads bobbed. “What do you like
about David?” she continued.
We all had
different reasons. Some liked the physical perfection of the statue, some the
artist’s skill, and so on. For me it was that face. In the expression on
David’s face, I could see the whole story of David and Goliath. I had never
seen anything so expressive. It gave me such a thrill to see that face on the
cover of Stone Giant.
How did you
approach your research on Michelangelo’s creation of David? Were there any
memorable incidents along the way?
I always start by
reading as much as I can about the subject. This is the pure joy part of
research. And sometimes you find a bonus along the way. In reading about
Michelangelo I also learned a great deal about his contemporaries, including
Leonardo da Vinci, who makes a brief appearance in Stone Giant. I was especially struck by a brief anecdote about
Leonardo described in a 16th century biography. That anecdote became
my picture book Leonardo’s Monster
(Pelican, 2010).
The marble block
really was called the “giant” at the time. So it seemed like a natural hook to compare
the stone to a big troublesome ogre. The opening sentence is repeated at the
end of the narrative with a different twist on “giant,” this time to refer to
the masterpiece. My editor actually suggested repeating the idea in the
Author’s note and ending with, “There is a giant in the city of Florence.” It
was dropped in the cross-read; apparently three times was too much.
You did such a
marvelous job of shaping your information into an engaging story. In your book,
you talk about how Michelangelo saw David in the stone, all he needed to do was
to carve away what was not David. How did you manage chip away at all the not-Stone Giant information to reveal your
David story?
Great question!
That is exactly how I see the job of any nonfiction writer. Once we’ve done our
research, we know our story is all there. All we have to do is reveal it. The
art is in knowing what to leave out—not too much, not too little. And never,
ever, to add anything that does not belong.
This book is pitch
perfect for its young audience. Did you always envision this as a picture book?
At what point in the writing process do you consider your reader?
I knew because of
its tight focus and its visual appeal that it had to be a picture book. So I
had to reimagine all the information I had into something that would appeal to
young readers. Once I’ve done my research and my head is all full of
adult-speak, I usually step back and just start jotting down ideas, more to
regain my own voice than to start the writing process. I think of this step as
kind of cleansing the palate.
Can you tell us a
little about this book’s journey from idea to published book?
Well, it went to a
number of publishers before it found enthusiastic support at Charlesbridge. Everyone
there has been completely on board with the idea of a fully illustrated David for young readers.
John Shelley’s
illustrations are the ideal accompaniment for your text. What was it like
seeing them for the first time?
John is the
perfect illustrator for a nonfiction book. His attention to detail and his
obvious enthusiasm for the project make the book shine. And his inclusion of
some of Michelangelo’s sketches gives the book an added dimension, and
something for adult readers to connect to. I think that’s immensely important
in a picture book, and often overlooked.
What’s coming out
next? What are you working on now?
My middle grade
nonfiction book about the burning of Washington during the War of 1812, The White House is Burning: August 24, 1814,
will be released next week from Charlesbridge. You can see the book trailer
here: http://youtu.be/mn4TR_QoTm0
I also have a
picture book about William Shakespeare and the Globe, Will’s Words: How William
Shakespeare Changed the Way You Talk, due out from Charlesbridge in 2016.
It will be illustrated by—ta-da—John Shelley! And I couldn’t be happier!
Is there anything
else you’d like to share with our readers?
Hmmm. Since you
asked, how about a plug, not for me, but for our local libraries. (Full
disclosure here: I’m on my town library’s board.) Every one of my books starts
with a trip to the library. Libraries are as important now as they ever have
been. Support your local library, with your time, your visits, and your votes.
(Leaving soapbox now.)
I couldn't agree
more. Libraries are the living, thinking, beating hearts of our communities!
Jane, thank you so much for being my guest today. Now I can't wait to read The White House Is Burning.
To find out more about Jane
and her work, drop by her website at www.janesutcliffe.com
or follow her on twitter at https://twitter.com/jane_sutcliffe
I just wanted to add that I'm a guest today on the printasia.com blog. I wrote about the passion of children's nonfiction here: http://www.printsasia.com/blog/2014/07/29/the-gulf-oil-spill-capturing-the-passion/
