Dear Faith,

Hi! I am a graduate student at the University of Chicago and also a big fan of your work. This quarter I am taking a seminar on “Reading Artists Writing” and have decided to focus my final paper on your children’s books and memoir.

Having recently familiarized myself with the material as well as the numerous essays, reviews and books that touch on your work, I was wondering if you could answer a few questions that were left unanswered by these texts.

First, I’ve noticed that your artworks and your children’s stories are often kept separate. Even when critics or historians recognize the plurality of your mediums, you are more often than not written about as either a fine artist or a writer. I was wondering if you consider the two sets of work to be part of the same creative oeuvre.

After Andrea Cascardi suggested you turn Tar Beach into a children’s book, how easy was it to make the actual conversion? Since then, has the development of stories and illustrations progressed in a similar manner as your paintings and sculptures? What is your process like?

Has it been difficult to find ways to convey such dark subject matter with a young audience? Have other children’s books inspired you to work with such powerful material?

How are these books related to your career as a teacher of elementary through graduate students?

And in relation to your memoir, how do you hope for it to function? Who is your target audience and how is it meant to be read alongside your artworks?

I apologize for all the questions. Your children’s books as well as your story quilts dazzle me, and your memoir brought me to tears on multiple occasions. Thank you for sharing your work and life.

Roxanne

Are you an educator? not yet!