"A Dance Like Starlight" – The 2015 Crystal Kite Interview with Kristy Dempsey

In the International Other division, the 2015 Crystal Kite Award goes to "A Dance Like Starlight" by SCBWI International Central member Kristy Dempsey, who lives in Brazil!

Kristy receiving her Crystal Kite Award

Kristy with her Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Text

Tears, and an awards sticker!

Lee: For those who are just hearing about your book for the first time, please tell us about “A Dance Like Starlight."

Kristy: A Dance Like Starlight is historical fiction, telling the story of a young African American girl in Harlem who dreams of becoming a ballerina. Her mother works cleaning and sewing costumes for a ballet school so this young girl grows up around ballet and this dream takes root in her heart. When the ballet master notices her interest and her talent, he allows her to take classes, but she cannot perform on stage with the white ballerinas. Her mother sacrifices to take her to a performance by the first African American ballerina to perform under contract with a major dance company, Janet Collins, who performed with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet. Miss Collins's performance was highly publicized in advance and highly praised by reviewers and audiences. For my protagonist, seeing Miss Collins's performance proved her own dreams were not out of reach. 

I drew upon a childhood experience of my own in writing this book. When I was about 10 years old, I went to a concert and heard a performance that brought tears to my eyes. I dreamed of being able to move others in that way. For many years my dream was to become a professional singer and I put lots of hard work into achieving that goal. I still sing but my dreams changed over the years. One of the criticisms of A DANCE LIKE STARLIGHT has been that we don't see whether or not my protagonist achieved her own dreams. But in my view, we are constantly changing and growing and we might be influenced by many different "glimpses of success" through the years. At the end of A DANCE LIKE STARLIGHT, my main character says: 

No need to waste my wishes 
I've got dreams coming true. 

One of the ways children learn they can achieve is by seeing others do it before them, no matter where their dreams may carry them in the future. This particular story represents a minority character along with the added difficulties she faced, because of the color of her skin, in daring to dream that she could achieve. I think it's vital that these stories be told so that children have mirrors for their own experience. But I didn't plan to write this book. It was more a consequence of my own heart being captivated by the struggle and story of Janet Collins and imagining what it must have felt like to see her perform. I recognized, even as I was writing it, that I was looking through a window and my hope was to connect at the emotional level of what it must feel like to have a dream and to wonder if society will ever allow your dream to come true. As I said in my Golden Kite speech, in writing I often hope to discover my own empathy, or more honestly to work toward it. I hope that will be true for my readers, as well. 

Lee: What’s it like to have your book win both the Golden Kite and the Crystal Kite Awards?

Kristy: After returning from the conference and awards ceremony in LA, I described the event as a "singular moment" in my life. The conference itself was amazing and the awards ceremony was surreal. Because I live in Brazil where we are part of a larger international SCBWI region and where we do not often have SCBWI events, the International Central Crystal Kite was presented to me in a small ceremony in the lobby just after the Golden Kite ceremony. To be honest, I felt a little tearfully overwhelmed. In a good way. The whole of my writing life (since 1998) has been spent in Brazil without much in-person access to other writers. The writing community I've been a part of has been online, and while it has provided immeasurable support and connection for me, I felt extremely privileged in LA to shake hands and receive hugs from the people who are "in this game" with me, my fellow dreamers who also live the ups and downs of this profession. Actually, Lee, I think the conversation that you and I had right before the Golden Kite ceremony sums up best what my heart felt during those few days in LA. I told you that while the recognition of the awards gave some sense of validation to the time I invest in this career, it is the connection with others that feels the most satisfying for me. That someone --an awards committee, an editor, a reader --connected with my work, and that it moved them or changed them or helped them to see, brings tears to my eyes. To tweak a C.S. Lewis quote, "I [write] to know I'm not alone." It's what I want for my readers -- for all readers -- as well. 

Lee: Any thoughts after attending the 2015 SCBWI Summer Conference as an award-winning faculty member?

Kristy: Well, I'll admit that I felt like an impostor walking into the faculty dinner on Thursday night. I hardly knew anyone personally and I consider myself an introvert. Walking onto a patio full of strangers and knowing I would need to introduce myself and try to make conversation was intimidating! Not to mention the fact that some of my writing heroes were there and I was hoping not to slobber all over them. (Candace Fleming, I'm looking at you.) So to be honest, I'm not sure my experience was much different than any other writer or illustrator attending their first conference in LA. I was starry-eyed over meeting my favorite authors and illustrators. I was excited about spending three days engaged in discussing craft. I was looking forward to learning from people who have more experience than I do. And yet, I was also there as a faculty member, prepared to present a workshop about how to live the creative life. 

The workshop I presented, How NOT to Have a Nervous Breakdown While Waiting, was one born out of personal experience, for sure. To be honest, I felt pretty vulnerable before my presentation. I've learned, though, that vulnerable is usually the best place for me to be when it comes to connecting with others. One of the most difficult aspects of this career for me to manage is the emotional up-and-down of putting myself and my work out there. In one of my WIPs, I have a line -- "Fire and hope have much better things in common than their simple ability to burn you." For me, that line epitomizes my relationship with this business. There is this hope every time I sit down to write that compels me and lights my way as I explore how to create a meaningful story. And yet, that same hope can burn like fire when it is deferred, when I get a rejection, or when despite all my attempts, I can't get what's in my head onto the page. This tightrope we must walk with hope is one of the reasons I'm so grateful for SCBWI. In my workshop I wanted to say, "This is me. Is there anyone else out there who feels this way? This is what I do to survive it." It felt like both a huge risk and a huge privilege to get to share that part of myself with others. 

Lee: Do you have any advice to share with other children’s book writers and illustrators?

Kristy: My advice will likely not feel very new, because others have said it before. But these two things have made a significant difference in my writing career: 

1. Read, read, read in the genre in which you want to write. 
2. Find a way to interact weekly with children who are in the age group you want to write for. Do something to get around kids. Volunteer. Teach. Mentor. I say this NOT so that you will simply know your audience better but so that you will care about them more. Don't let your only goal in spending time with them be to get fodder for your stories. The fodder for your stories -- the mannerisms, the dialogue, the humor, the drama, the interests -- will become internalized if you are truly spending time with kids for their sake. Even more, you will become increasingly committed to creating books that matter for them, because they will matter to you.

Thanks, Kristy!

SCBWI's International Regional Advisor Chairperson is Kathleen Ahrens, who together with Angela Cerrito (Assistant International Advisor), shared this about SCBWI International Central:

International Central (http://intlcentral.scbwi.org/) is made up of SCBWI members who live outside of the United States in a country where there is not currently an SCBWI Region. For this reason, International Central is likely the most diverse region of SCBWI. At present, members of International Central represent 34 countries spanning the globe, including: Botswana, Finland, United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Korea, Peru, Brazil, Poland, Kenya, Hungry, Greece, Iceland and Uruguay. As with all SCBWI regions, members of International Central include writers, illustrators and translators at all levels: associate, full and PAL. Some members are new to writing for children while others have published several PAL titles.

Currently, the major event in International Central is the SCBWI Bologna Showcase (http://bologna.scbwi.org/) held on even number years as part of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair (http://www.bookfair.bolognafiere.it/en/home-page-bologna-childrens-book-fair/878.html). International Central members have same benefits as all SCBWI members including: attending SCBWI events worldwide at the SCBWI member rate, SCBWI publications (The Book, SCBWI Insights, SCBWI Bulletin), the Blue Board (http://www.scbwi.org/boards/), webinars, SCBWI’s Translators’ listserv and the opportunity to apply for SCBWI’s many Awards and Grants (https://www.scbwi.org/awards/). In addition to the publications in English, many International Central members subscribe to La Cometa, a Spanish SCBWI publication produced jointly by Regional Advisors Judy Goldman (SCBWI Mexico) and Malena Alzu (SCBWI Spain.) Through the Blue Board, many members from International Central join online critique groups. In some areas, SCBWI members meet informally. Meetings may include Book Talks, Critique Groups or social gatherings to share information and offer encouragement. 

So if you live in a country where you'd be part of SCBWI International Central, know you belong to a vibrant, exciting region!

Learn more about Kristy at her website here.

You can find out more about SCBWI International Central here.

Kristy Dempsey On Her Golden Kite-Winning Picture Book Text For "A Dance Like Starlight: One Ballerina's Dream" - And a chance to win a copy!

This year's winner of the Golden Kite Award for Picture Book text is the remarkable "A Dance Like Starlight: One Ballerina's Dream" by Kristy Dempsey, illustrated by Floyd Cooper.

Golden Kite Award-Winning Author Kristy Dempsey

I contacted Kristy to find out more...

Lee: Hi Kristy, congratulations!

Kristy: Thanks, Lee! I am still gobsmacked and moved to tears every time I think about it.

Lee: Please tell us about your book.

Kristy: A DANCE LIKE STARLIGHT is the historical fiction story of a young African-American girl who dreams of becoming a prima ballerina. She faces barriers each day because of the color of her skin and she doesn’t even know if she should dare to dream or if becoming a prima ballerina is just a wish that could never come true. When she hears that Janet Collins, the first African-American ballerina to dance with a major ballet company, will perform with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, her mother sacrifices to take her to see the performance. Janet Collins was actually the first African-American ballerina to perform under contract at the Met. The event was highly publicized in advance and the audience was not segregated. There were published anecdotes from those who witnessed Collins’s performance and though the little girl whose story I have written is not based on any one person, her response echoes the thrill, the satisfaction and the wonder of those who did witness Janet Collins’s electric performance and this historic barrier-breaking accomplishment.

Lee: How did the story take shape to be from the young girl’s perspective?

Kristy: As a child, I went to a concert during which I was moved to tears by the singer’s performance. I remember wondering what it must feel like to be able to affect the emotions of your audience in that way. As I read about Janet Collins’s performance, I realized that the story I wanted to tell was about the child in the audience who, for the very first time, sees that her own dream could be possible. For me, the most interesting angle of this story was this child watching the stage with wonder and hope, and beginning to believe that she might be able to accomplish her own dreams as well.

Lee: You’ve packed so much emotion into the words! One spread in particular gets me every time I read it, when the main character is watching Janet Collins on stage,

“In my heart I’m the one leaping
   across that stage,
raising myself high on those shoulders,
then falling,
   slowly
      slowly
         slowly
            to the arms below.

It’s like Miss Collins is dancing for me,
only for me,
showing me who I can be.
   All my hoping
      wells up and spills over,
         dripping all my dreams onto my Sunday dress."

Talk to us about how to capture emotion.

Kristy: For me, the heart of all story is the emotion. There are an infinite number of story ideas, characters, settings, and plots, but the emotion is what makes each universal and relatable. Our cultures, our backgrounds, the barriers we have faced surely vary and those inform the story as well. But emotion can draw the reader into an empathetic understanding of something they’ve never experienced. I have never experienced the racism that my main character experienced. Or the barriers that Janet Collins had to overcome. So at the outset, I knew that there were cultural aspects of this story that I must carefully communicate. But at the heart of this story was a little dreamer watching her dream become a possibility. I had experienced the hope and wonder that was the result of being moved to tears by an incredible performance. I knew what that felt like and I could put it into words. So, while I worked very hard to give my reader an understanding of the historical context in which this story takes place, I also wanted my reader to connect to the desire this little girl has as a dreamer. I used my own dreams and feelings as an entryway into describing the emotion of my main character.

My suggestions?

1. Make it personal. Brainstorm ways to describe your own emotions from a similar situation and make a list of the descriptive phrases.

2. Research the context to strengthen the backdrop of your story. I thought of each scene in this story much like the scenery in a play. The small details that I hint at in the text –where they lived, what their home looked like, how much it cost to purchase tickets to the performance, etc – support the emotion in the story by providing a passage for the reader into that time period. It deepens the reader’s understanding of how tender the main character’s hope might have felt.

3. Use action to show emotion. In the excerpt above, the main character is crying and she describes it as if her tears are the culmination of her hope welling up and spilling over. There are other examples in the story of this same type of description. Fidgeting shows excitement, turning away shows embarrassment, twirling beneath moonlight shows contentment. Allow the reader to perceive your characters’ emotion through their actions. It’s the classic tip of SHOW, don’t TELL!

Lee: Speaking of emotion, what did it feel like when you saw Floyd Cooper’s illustrations for your words for the first time?

Kristy: I was a puddle. Of course, any writer would have been grateful for and overwhelmed by Floyd’s masterful depiction of her words. But a specific set of circumstances contributed to what I felt in that moment. First, when I originally wrote this story, one of my critique partners, Anne Marie Pace, read it and said, “I’d love to see Floyd Cooper illustrate this.” That dream felt too big to hold in my heart at the time, but it took root. I’ve always been mesmerized by Floyd’s art and couldn’t even begin to imagine what stars would have to align for that to be a possibility. Then, I went through a series of significant revisions where I lost hope and wondered if this manuscript would ever be viable. And finally, once the manuscript was acquired by Philomel, AND they actually had asked Floyd to illustrate it, AND he actually had agreed, it still took another 6 years for the book to be worked into his schedule and to be published. So as I opened up that package with the F&Gs, it was after 10 years of my own dreaming to see this book come to fruition. Floyd’s art was definitely worth the wait. To be honest, I sobbed! I was a perfect picture of “all my hoping wells up and spills over, dripping all my dreams . . .” onto the floor in front of me.

Lee: Awww! That's heart-warming! In addition to being celebrated and receiving your Golden Kite Award, you’ll also be on faculty at the upcoming 2015 SCBWI Summer Conference. You’ll be giving a Saturday afternoon breakout workshop on HOW TO NOT HAVE A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN WHILE WAITING. Can you give us a sneak peek?

Kristy: Well, it’s a workshop born out of my personal experience. I really believe that to be successful at this career you have to learn to wait well while nurturing and controlling the inner chaos that drives your creativity. Waiting for responses from agents and editors, waiting for the publication machine to turn its slow-moving wheels, waiting for illustrators’ schedules to align, waiting for your own ideas to gel into something worth pursuing . . . it’s enough to make anyone with a creative drive feel a little insane at times. My workshop will be part inspiration/pep talk and part practical activities on living and maintaining the creative life.

Lee: How long have you been a member of SCBWI, and how has it contributed to your career journey?

Kristy: This is my 10th year of membership in the SCBWI. I live in Brazil where there are very few SCBWI members and SCBWI has provided me with a diverse worldwide community of colleagues who encourage, critique, educate and hold me up! I began writing A DANCE LIKE STARLIGHT about the same time I joined SCBWI and then went through revision and a journey to publication that follows those same 10 years of my membership in SCBWI. Being honored with the Golden Kite Award for this book feels like a culmination of the knowledge, community and experience I gained as a member of the SCBWI.

Lee: What three things are you most looking forward to about the conference?

Kristy: This will be my first national SCBWI conference! I am most looking forward to: 

1. meeting writer and illustrator friends I have only known online, 

2. hearing Mem Fox (one of my writing and teaching heroes) speak alongside her editor Allyn Johnston, 

3. and soaking up the creative energy! I work full-time as a school librarian in Brazil and most of my access to other creative professionals is online, so I am especially looking forward to this in-person chance to mix with a diverse group of industry professionals.

Thanks, Kristy!

You can join Kristy and all the other amazing faculty at the 2015 SCBWI Summer Conference. Details and registration information here.

And to find out more about Kristy, visit her website here.

Would you like a chance to win a copy of "A Dance Like Starlight?" Then leave a comment, and in one week we'll randomly choose a winner. Good luck!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

The 2015 Golden Kite and Sid Fleischman Award Winners!

The 2015 Golden Kite Fiction Award goes to...

Revolution by Deborah Wiles.

This harrowing story centers on the 1964 Civil Rights movement and one young girl’s summer that will change her life forever.



This year’s Nonfiction Award winner is...

The Family Romanov; Murder, Rebellion and the Fall of Imperial Russia by Candice Fleming

This book follows the salacious history of events surrounding one of the great Russian royal families.



And the Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Illustration goes to...

The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus illustrated by Melissa Sweet and written by Jen Bryant

Words have never been so beautifully illustrated as in this descriptive visionary’s tale.

And the Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Text is...

A Dance Like Starlight: One Ballerina’s Dream written by Kristy Dempsey, illustrated by Floyd Cooper receives the Picture Book Text Award.

Janet Collins, the first African-American prima ballerina, dances her way into the hearts of young readers in this inspiring picture book.


And the 2015 Sid Fleischman Award for Humor goes to...

Evil Librarian by Michelle Knedsen.

Cynthia must save her best friend from the clutches of the dangerously cute new school librarian that just happens to be a daemon in this smart and funny romp.

Congratulations to all the winners!

Cheers as well to the Honor Book recipients, for FICTION, Dory Fantasmagory by Abby Hanlon (Dial Books for Young Readers.) For NONFICTION, Freedom Summer; The 1964 Struggle for Civil Rights in Mississippi by Susan Goldman Rubin (Holiday House.) For PICTURE BOOK ILLUSTRATION, The Farmer and the Clown by Marla Frazee (Beach Lane Books.) And for PICTURE BOOK TEXT, The Baby Tree by Sophie Blackall (Nancy Paulsen Books.)

Look with interview with all the winners in the coming months right here on this blog!