You May Contribute A Verse

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.

Rejecting Rejection with Giuseppe Castellano

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 journey.
Some things are worth waiting for. Our conversation touches on that in more ways than one. Today’s guest is Giuseppe Castellano, founder of the Illustration Department, a multifaceted enterprise focusing on encouraging and developing illustrators around the world through online learning and mentorship in a variety of areas.
Giuseppe also hosts the Illustration Department podcast, so you know he’s bringing the professionalism goods to this conversation. And he’s got the bona fides, credentialed in illustration and working as an art director for Penguin and Simon and Schuster for close to fifteen years.
Giuseppe and I have been working toward this conversation for two years, and I am overjoyed to finally share it. Short content advisory: the three of us discuss Giuseppe’s battle with severe depression and the struggle to keep on going and keep on flowing down that river toward better days, despite the despair, rejection, hardship, and other obstacles we encounter along the way.
Find out more about Giuseppe, The Illustration Department, and the ID podcast at one link: illustrationdept.com.

No Notes, Just Vibes With Kaitlyn Sanchez

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 Kaitlyn Sanchez, a literary agent at Context Literary. You can find her on Twitter @KaitlynLeann17 and his website kaitlynleannsanchez.com
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.

Chaos Ensues with Kaz Windness!

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 journey.
I think we’re starting to establish that there’s no such thing as a normal kidlit publishing journey. Our guest today is author-illustrator Kaz Windness, out with her debut picture book, Swim, Jim! this May. Among Kaz’s claims to fame prior to this year’s debut with Swim, Jim!’s, are a book of goth nursery rhymes called Mother Goth, a semi-graphic sort-of graphic novel about a murderous and moody unicorn called If UR Stabby, and a viral picture of a thrift store leotard. We’ll let that one speak for itself.
We caught up with Kaz late in 2021, just after Swim, Jim!’s cover reveal, about the time of Fred Koehler’s Quinn’s Monsters project, which Kaz was also participating in, and simultaneous with some regrettably missed Stabby the Unicorn painting auctions. Maybe next time. How things can change in just a few months – there’s a lot to talk about, and a lot more to come from Kaz.
Find her absolutely gorgeous – and only occasionally creepy – art and words at windnessbooks.com.
Chaos ensues with Kaz. Controlled chaos, delightful chaos, entertaining chaos! Here is Kaz Windness’s verse.

Perspective, Kindness, and Flowers With Benson Shum

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 Benson Shum. You can find him on Twitter @bshum79 and his website bensonshum.com  
The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our new quokka mascot, Versy, 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 at 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. 
Episode 38 of You May Contribute a Verse is a homespun production, produced, edited, recorded, conceptualized, and marketed by Josh Monken and Brenna Jeanneret.