You May Contribute A Verse

VerseShow Archive: Pivot and Diversify with Joyce Wan

This week's episode is a re-air of my 2019 conversation with illustrator and author Joyce Wan! If you’ve never listened to this episode, it’s a good one. In preparing to rerun it, I rediscovered it. A lot of things went through my head during this relisten. First, a rare glimpse at being completely happy with my creative work. This is a really good conversation and I’m glad of the chance to re-air it. Two, Joyce has a holistic perspective that we don’t always get to experience. Partially informed by my ignorance into the kidlit world and what it means to be published, I think we manage to go broad and dig deep into aspects of doing It bears ending on a recognition that we’ve touched on in other conversations, which underpins almost every aspect of this chat with Joyce: children’s books are creativity and a way to reach hearts and build up minds, but they’re also a commodity. Facing that aspect of the business of kidlit can help prepare us for the realities that we’re engaging in an industry that relies on marketability and salability. And we ourselves as creators are commodities as well, in a really important sense. I really enjoyed relistening to Joyce’s perspective on her career – enjoy Joyce’s verse!

VerseShow Archive: If You Please Everyone You’re Not Doing Something Real with Steve Light

I’m Brenna Jeanneret, children’s lit author, mother, rock climber, outdoors person, and podcaster joined by Josh Monken, children’s lit author, father, science communicator, and podcaster. Josh and I have embarked on this kidlit journey together this year, having become critique partners early in the year, only to find that our powers combined could make captain planet. Maybe not, but at least our powers combined can make a pretty good podcast.  Our guest for this conversation was Steve Light. You can find Steve on Twitter and on his website.  The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our new quokka mascot, Versey, and was generously created by the great Maddie Frost! Find her on Twitter @_maddiefrost or on her website Maddie-Frost.com  Our theme music is So Happy by Scott Holmes you can find more of his music at scottholmesmusic.com   Find us on Twitter @joshmonkwords and @brennajeanneret and as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment! Thanks and see ya next time.  You May Contribute a Verse is a homespun production, produced, edited, recorded, conceptualized, and marketed by Josh Monken and Brenna Jeanneret.  

VerseShow Archive: Nothing Changes Unless You Change It with Kelly Light

It’s the flipside of the golden ticket this week with one from the archives: author-illustrator Kelly Light! Way back in 2019 I started a podcast called What It Takes to Make. I thought at the time that my life wasn’t going to have space for the kind of creativity I wanted. I figured I’d use my journalism background to live vicariously through creators of different stripes, from filmmakers to dancers to kidlit authors. Little did I know, a couple of things transpired as a result of those early efforts. The name changed pretty early, first of all, when I got a takedown notice from another podcast – that was wild. Second, I couldn’t have anticipated what doing the podcast would do to me. As I was approaching 40 at the time, speaking to other creators around the same age, it lit a fire under me and helped define and focus what I wanted to do with myself. Three years later, here we are, a co-hosted, well-oiled machine, laser-focused on understanding and navigating the complicated kidlit world. There are some parallels between my experience and Kelly Light’s – some trying things out, some opportunity, some rolling with the punches and adapting. Kelly is a giver and opened a lot of doors for other guests and – to some degree – cemented my interest in more seriously pursuing picture book writing. We're happy to share today’s conversation – enjoy Kelly Light’s verse from May 2019!

Finding Your Community of Creative Weirdos with Julie Hedlund

I’m Brenna Jeanneret, children’s lit author, mother, rock climber, outdoors person, and podcaster joined by Josh Monken, children’s lit author, father, science communicator, and podcaster. Josh and I have embarked on this kidlit journey together this year, having become critique partners early in the year, only to find that our powers combined could make captain planet. Maybe not, but at least our powers combined can make a pretty good podcast.  Our guest for this conversation was Julie Hedlund, founder of 12x12 and co-founder of Picture Book Summit. Find Julie on Twitter,  Instagram, Tic Tok, and her website. The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our new quokka mascot, Versey, and was generously created by the great Maddie Frost! Find her on Twitter @_maddiefrost or on her website Maddie-Frost.com  Our theme music is So Happy by Scott Holmes you can find more of his music at scottholmesmusic.com   Find us on Twitter @joshmonkwords and @brennajeanneret and as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment! Thanks and see ya next time.  You May Contribute a Verse is a homespun production, produced, edited, recorded, conceptualized, and marketed by Josh Monken and Brenna Jeanneret.  

A Podcast for CK with CK Malone

Some conversations show you what the world could be – how great we could all have it – if we just give a little more of ourselves or, put another way, place ourselves firmly outside the center of focus. CK Malone is an educator, author, and giver. They aren’t perfect – we discuss this point in the episode – but what they are and strive to continually be is capital-G Good. From shouting out those who inspired them to boosting the work of others to praise for those who have made them and their work what they are today, this chat takes a village. A little context: we recorded this conversation in early April 2022, a few months after CK had hosted an event boosting (future podcast guest) Julie Hedlund’s Over Bear Under Where, and had just completed several hundred manuscript critiques. For free. Generous and gracious is the name of the game. CK’s debut picture book, A Costume for Charly, comes out this September – make sure to preorder it if you’re able, or ensure your local library stocks a copy when the time comes. Find out more about CK and their debut A Costume for Charly FIRST by listening to this episode, THEN at their website, carlislemalonebooks.com. Enjoy CK Malone's verse!

Nick Cave is Gonna Be Fine–An Interview with Ally Malinenko

I’m Brenna Jeanneret, children’s lit author, mother, rock climber, outdoors person, and podcaster joined by Josh Monken, children’s lit author, father, science communicator, and podcaster. Josh and I have embarked on this kidlit journey together this year, having become critique partners early in the year, only to find that our powers combined could make captain planet. Maybe not, but at least our powers combined can make a pretty good podcast.  Our guest for this conversation was Ally Malinenko, author of Ghost Girl and the upcoming This Appearing House. You can find Ally on Twitter,  Instagram, and her website. The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our new quokka mascot, Versey, and was generously created by the great Maddie Frost! Find her on Twitter @_maddiefrost or on her website Maddie-Frost.com  Our theme music is So Happy by Scott Holmes you can find more of his music at scottholmesmusic.com   Find us on Twitter @joshmonkwords and @brennajeanneret and as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment! Thanks and see ya next time.  You May Contribute a Verse is a homespun production, produced, edited, recorded, conceptualized, and marketed by Josh Monken and Brenna Jeanneret.

The Gertie Journey with Karen Nespoli

I’m Brenna Jeanneret, children’s lit author, mother, rock climber, outdoors person, and podcaster joined by Josh Monken, children’s lit author, father, science communicator, and podcaster. Josh and I have embarked on this kidlit journey together this year, having become critique partners early in the year, only to find that our powers combined could make captain planet. Maybe not, but at least our powers combined can make a pretty good podcast.  Our guest for this conversation was Karen Nespoli, author of Gertie Saves the Day illustrated by Daniela Massironi. The best place to find Karen is on her website.  The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our new quokka mascot, Versey, and was generously created by the great Maddie Frost! Find her on Twitter @_maddiefrost or on her website Maddie-Frost.com  Our theme music is So Happy by Scott Holmes you can find more of his music at scottholmesmusic.com   Find us on Twitter @joshmonkwords and @brennajeanneret and as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment! Thanks and see ya next time.  You May Contribute a Verse is a homespun production, produced, edited, recorded, conceptualized, and marketed by Josh Monken and Brenna Jeanneret.

BONUS Betsy Bird, Low-Key Ostrich Gal!

Betsy Bird is back! When we have folks on who are generous with their time and their expertise we like to take advantage of that, vampire-style, and wring them dry of every bit of their knowledge we can think to ask. What we have this week is the result of a call to peers and fans, in a podcast-first crowdsourcing effort. You get to hear Brenna and me NOT meander organically through a conversation, but instead curate a much shorter chat sourced by friends. If you haven’t already listened to our full conversation with Betsy Bird, please do so at your earliest convenience (it's the next one down from this one in the feed). Here’s the connective tissue I see in this supplemental conversation that, by its nature, hops around a bit: Betsy Bird is clearly comfortable knowing and growing and moving within the publishing industry, whether it’s advocating for herself and her work, assembling lists, knowing she’s funny, or navigating industry trends. It’s all of a piece with someone who has put in her time and keeps putting in her time, to take in, and to give back. I’m happy to share this bonus Betsy – enjoy one more bit of this ostrich gal’s verse.

It’s Gotta Be Funny with Betsy Bird!

I’m Josh Monken, children’s lit author, father, science communicator, and podcaster, joined by Brenna Jeanneret, children’s lit author, mother, avid climber and outdoorsperson, and podcaster! This is the podcast You May Contribute a Verse, where we talk to kidlit creators, share their stories, and learn from their journeys. New blog banners. Kidlit drinks. Ostrich illustrations and fleshy agents. Hot men of children’s literature. Critical race theory! This conversation has it all! As you may have surmised, we do indeed have children’s author, librarian, podcaster, storyteller, funnyperson, blogger, and reviewer Betsy Bird on the podcast this week, for a much-hyped conversation that delivers. Betsy is an absolute wealth of knowledge, fitting for a librarian, speaking to people who want to learn more. She’s got stories galore from her years as a librarian, a blogger for the School Library Journal, and as author of several books, among them the recent middle grade Long Road to the Circus. She’s also a podcaster with her sister on the weekly podcast Fuse 8 n’ Kate. Obscure references abound in this convo, sure, but there’s a lot of non-cliché heart with this humor too. FYI, chances are that you may forget by the time you get to the end of this episode, but just in case you don’t, or if you read the ep notes while listening, you’ll hear us cut off sort of abruptly at the end. That’s because there’s more in store! Our next episode will feature some friend-submitted questions in an off-schedule bonus convo with Betsy. And finally, find out more about Betsy at her website, betsybirdbooks.com.

Self-Publishing: An Act of Rebellion with Amanda Esch-Cormier

I’m Brenna Jeanneret, children’s lit author, mother, rock climber, outdoors person, and podcaster joined by Josh Monken, children’s lit author, father, science communicator, and podcaster. Josh and I have embarked on this kidlit journey together this year, having become critique partners early in the year, only to find that our powers combined could make captain planet. Maybe not, but at least our powers combined can make a pretty good podcast.  Our guest for this conversation was Amanda Esch-Cormier, author of Wild and Beautiful illustrated by Naya Kirichenko. You can find Amanda on Twitter and Instagram.   The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our new quokka mascot, Versey, and was generously created by the great Maddie Frost! Find her on Twitter @_maddiefrost or on her website Maddie-Frost.com  Our new theme music is So Happy by Scott Holmes you can find more of his music at scottholmesmusic.com   Find us on Twitter and the whole episode archive @verse.show and @brennajeanneret and as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment! Thanks and see ya next time.  You May Contribute a Verse is a homespun production, produced, edited, recorded, conceptualized, and marketed by Josh Monken and Brenna Jeanneret.