Group Blog: UNLAWFUL ORDERS: A PORTRAIT OF DR. JAMES B. WILLIAMS TUSKEGEE AIRMAN, SURGEON, AND ACTIVIST Written by Barbara Binns

By Suzy Leopold

Let’s meet the critically acclaimed author, Barbara Binns. I had the pleasure of interviewing her about her new middle-grade biography.

This inspiring story is about a Tuskegee Airman and his fight for racial equality. Black and white photographs and illustrations support the well-researched text. Back matter includes a bibliography and source notes.

Yesterday was the release day for Unlawful Orders: A Portrait of Dr. James B. Williams Tuskegee Airman, Surgeon, and Activist.

Welcome to the GROG Blog, Barbara.

Q1: What was your inspiration for writing this biography, Unlawful Orders: A Portrait of Dr. James B. Williams Tuskegee Airman, Surgeon, and Activist?

A1: Honestly it was a teacher, just not one of my teachers. My inspiration was Clara Belle Drisdale Williams, the mother of James Williams, and his two brothers, Jasper and Charles. This began as a two-page tribute to her, but the more I learned, the more I fell in love with her entire family, especially her middle son, James B.

Q2: Did you have a critique group (literary agent or editor) who helped and supported your vision for this story?

A2: A friend who writes under the name Kayla Kensington, Finding Her Family’s Love, Mt Zion Press, 2022 and I have formed a critique duo. She writes adult romance, proving people can work with, and successfully critique, writers of differed genres. We’ve been meeting together for several years and it has helped both of our writing. We meet in person as much as possible, although 2020 and 2021 were the years we both got cozy via Zoom.

Q3: The official publication date for Unlawful Orders was yesterday--October 18th. What are some activities and events you are doing (or plan to do) to launch and promote your book?

A3: I have a list of activities I am counting down on.

This summer I had my website updated in preparation for the new book. You can see the result on my website.

In July, I sent an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of Unlawful Orders to an SCBWI friend, who also does book reviews for the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette, to get the ball rolling. Her review was published in September.

I have also been in touch with Teaching Books, an internet book resource for children and adults. I recorded an audio interview for them, along with a reading from Unlawful Orders. It will be available soon in the book resources section of Teaching Books.

I am lucky enough to be able to work with a publicist provided by my publishing house. She got me an interview with a reporter for The Tribune in Seymour, Indiana – the site of the Freeman Field Mutiny described in the book. You can read the article in The Tribune.

The publicist also put me on a Scholastic panel with another

author where we discussed nonfiction books for kids during the

recent National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)

Homecoming mini-conference, in Louisville, Kentucky. That was

the first NCTE first in-person event since Covid-19 and put me in

touch with dozens of teachers from across the country.

I did a video interview for Scholastic and School library journal

which is available on YouTube.

The next event occurs on October 23--a book launch at the 57th

Street Bookstore in Chicago, a southside independent bookstore.

I know, the official publication date is on the 18th, but we all

decided it was better to do an event on Sunday afternoon, where more people could attend. The store is located in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood, which is where the book’s main character spent his adult life. Not coincidentally, I also lived in the area, so this is a homecoming for me and my book. I was lucky enough to recruit two people to interview me during the event, a fifth-grade teacher and a historian, both from the University of Chicago Lab School. It will be a happy, come-one, come-all, discussion and book signing.

And, of course, being featured on the wonderful GROG Blog.

Thanks for the opportunity.

Q4: When did you become interested in writing children’s literature?

A4: It was a two-step process. First, in 2008, after I attended an Association of Writers and Writing Programs conference. They had a session about why teen and tween boys don't like to read (They only found one boy willing to attend and speak, but they had half a dozen girls). After that, reaching out to those reluctant readers became a mission for me.

Step two happened at about the same time. I was trying to write an adult romance novel and the heroine had a truly obnoxious older brother. Controlling, interfering, and protective. I found myself wondering what made him that way (and yes, I know I created him so everything was my doing) so I decided to stop and write his childhood as a backstory. That became PULL, and the brother was seventeen-year-old David Albacore. He was at a point in his life when being controlling, interfering, and protective of his younger sister was a positive survival skill. I submitted it to a YA romance novel contest that was being judged by Andrea Somberg, and that’s how I got my agent, and my first book published. Because of that conference, I went out of my way to research and understand teen boys, and I think that made the difference in the writing that led to publication.

A decade later and I have never gone back to working on that adult romance novel.

Q5: Share a piece of advice or craft of writing tip.

A5: #1 Never forget who your readers are. 
YOUR reader is not “anyone” or “everyone” because no book, story, music, or movie is right for everyone. You will have to find your niche and target market when you want to sell. So start at the beginning thinking about the kinds of people who will like the words on your pages – what are their likes and dislikes, and what do they want in a book. My books are intended for tweens and teens, especially reluctant readers. Every chapter, every page, is deliberately organized to their reading habits, to make them want to read more.

#2 Get to know your own writing style. 
Yours may be different from every other writer in the world. That’s alright. Your style and your voice are the things that will make your stories unique and marketable. I found success when I realized my style was "fixing." I combined that with the best piece of writing advice ever received, "Give yourself permission to write crap." That means I don’t strive for perfection and get stressed when I find I have written a crappy first draft. Because I can fix the crap. Then I fix it and fix it and fix it again. Don't ask me how many times I revise a story, I no longer even try to count. My style takes a lot of effort, frankly, it’s exhausting. But that is my style. 

#3 Polish your manuscript. 
This is number three because it is of the highest importance, and related to number two. Revising and editing are two different things. Successful authors learn to do both or hire editors to help them before they send their stories out to their readers. And, if they did a good enough job, their readers will spread the word to others, and those authors might find that “everyone” really does like their writing. 

Q6: I understand you are an advocate for reluctant readers and support student choices. Expand on your thoughts, “I believe that anything that makes a student want to read is a good book, no matter the subject matter.”

A6: I believe the reading muscle is like any other, it needs to exercise and get strong. If young people want to read a book, any book, no matter the subject matter, let them do so and exercise the muscle between their ears. Those are the young people who will grow up to understand their world and get the most out of life. They will make the speeches and policies, and be comfortable anywhere because they learned at an early age that there are indeed “more things in heaven and earth” that they would otherwise not have grasped. They will also be adults with empathy. It is not “grooming” when a book shows kids how to care about others and refrain from being cruel.

On a personal note, I was still in middle school when my school librarian allowed me to take out a book about a serial killer–a first-person story about a “Dexter-like” villain holding a child hostage and prepared to justify why he had to take the boy’s life. Spoiler alert, that did not make me grow up to be a criminal. But my prolific reading habits put me on track to earn degrees in Biochemistry and Computer Science, and now to a late-life career as an author. Anything and everything that makes a young person want to read is valuable.

Are you ready for some fun rapid-fire questions?

Describe yourself in five words.

Thoughtful, cynical, happy, intelligent, and, procrastinator.

What is your favorite childhood memory?

Almost anything school-related, except gym class. I loved school.

Sunrise or sunset?

Sunset – I don’t do mornings.

When are you most productive?

The middle of the night, unfortunately. Writing plays holy heck on my sleep patterns because I can get on a roll at midnight and stopping means things will get lost forever. When my daughter was young I worked all day in an office, then cared for her after work. I only had the leisure time to write after she went to bed. Although I am retired, and she has grown and gone off to live her own life, for some foolish reason my body and brain still think bedtime is creativity time. I've learned the hard way that if an idea strikes in the middle of the night and I try to wait, the idea has evaporated by the next morning. I can do minor editing during the day, but apparently, my creative muse requires late nights to get going.

What was your favorite childhood book?

The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet. Chuck and Dave built a spaceship on the beach and took their favorite chicken along on a voyage to an invisible planet circling the earth. What those boys never knew was that they had a stowaway, I rode along too.

Q7: Tell us why it is important for diversity in children’s literature and for readers to see themselves in books.

A7: All you need do is check out the reactions of kids to the new Little Mermaid portrayed by Halle Bailey.

Story has been important to human beings since they first learned to write. The very first time a child is read to, parents can observe how important those pictures and stories are to them. Books show children the things that adults feel are important. If a child never sees themselves in a book, it sends a message that they are not considered important. And, if they only see themselves, that gives the message that all others are unimportant.

In today's world, neither of those messages helps young people do well in society.

One final question, Barbara . . .

Q8: The nonfiction genre today is not the textbooks of the past with lists of facts and dates. Publisher’s Weekly reported, “both middle grade and young adult nonfiction works are more diverse and innovative than ever before, and the same is true for books for younger readers”. Share your thoughts about the importance of telling true stories, especially about unknown heroes and heroines.

A8: I love superhero stories. As a child, I was a DC and Marvel fan, and I loved Vampirella. But sometimes young people need to know that there are real live larger-than-life human beings doing important deeds. And that all heroes do not have to look alike. It helps them visualize the possibility they can do great things too.

My history books were undeniably boring. Names, dates events, over and over, and students' jobs were to memorize and regurgitate it back to pass the test. I did not enjoy history until college when I took a Roman history class and found myself studying a drama, historical figures living real lives, loving and hating, fighting, and betraying. It was all better than anything on TV. Dates weren’t important, motives were, and I loved it. When I decided to write a nonfiction book, I knew I wanted to give readers a similar feeling. I want to present people who will remind kids that people like them, or like people they know, can make major accomplishments to the world.

Initially, I considered leaving almost every date out of the book. Then I realized I needed the dates to keep track of actions, so the readers will too. But I wanted to emphasize what happens and why more than when.

Thank you for joining us on the GROG Blog, Barbara. Readers are sure to appreciate the inspiring story about “JB” Williams and his fight for equality. He accomplished much in his life. I salute Dr. James B. Williams. 🇺🇸

Additional titles written by Barbara: