Group Blog: Sue Alexander

Friday, October 9, 2015

With STEVE MOOSER/ SCBWI by J.G. Annino

Giveaway alert!

If you stumble upon the capital letters, SCBWI, unexplained, this can pose a puzzlement.

See Chicken Books Which Invigorate?

Smile Cold Bears Wafting Icicles?

From the first time I heard SCBWI spoken out in full length -

Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators - the nourishing group has held my hand.
Maybe you have your own glow from connecting with a SCBWI critique group,

from attending a conference or, in gleaning a crucial tip at the national

website, and from regional chapter sites.

And then, consider the SCBWI Bulletin.

Many of us save paper version of the SCBWI Bulletin. Each issue’s cover

shows off the fabulous original art of one talented & lucky member artist.

You can make a game of finding the SCBWI kite & tail on each cover.

You can curate favorite covers in your office or at school.

One of my topmost faves is the plant-bedecked May/June of 2010 cover

created by artist Lisa Desimini. A favorite kite hunt cover I like is the 40th birthday

celebration cover by Priscilla Burris in May/June 2011. Many of us kept that issue, as it featured a spiffy SCBWI chronology by Eileen Heyes. (And the cover kites were small cupcake toppers.)

A sweet use of old paper ones (some members receive the Bulletin online)

is to gift them to SCBWI recruits. When the nascent SCBWI network launched in

North Florida in 2001, our events with Eliza Dresang, a well-regarded children’s literature

specialist, award-winning author Adrian Fogelin, our showcase at the library, & monthly meetings,

were fun. But for newbies, it could be that our pass-along SCBWI Bulletin copies

(as long as they lasted) were the most popular feature.

SCBWI is both safety net & tough love coach for illustrators & writers worldwide.

These are creators striving for nothing less than the best for young readers, to paraphrase

Newbery Award author E.L. Konisburg, who said, “And writing for children deserves a certain

kind of excellence.”

We are lucky to hear from Steve Mooser, SCBWI president since 1971.

Steve Mooser studied journalism & film-making in college & has lived on both coasts,

but prefers California. He founded SCBWI with jaunty author Lin Oliver, he has published

more than 60 books & has won many awards. He is a husband and a father, in addition to being

president. He ~~is also~~ was also, a class clown. Now, some of Steve Mooser’s preferences or predictions.

7 Questions for Steve Mooser, President, Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators

Favorite spots/places/times to read for pleasure

In the evening before falling asleep—that’s usually in a bed rather than in a canoe far out at sea.

Surfboard, paddle board, kayak/canoe or…

basketball

What professional writing/publishing/creative groups do you belong to, besides SCBWI?

For what reasons?

I belong to The Authors Guild because I support their lobbying legislators and others for fair treatment of authors and illustrators.

Also -The Coalition Against Censorship, again, for supporting authors.

What may be new for SCBWI national conferences in the next 10 years?

Probably more on new publishing platforms, and perhaps some live streaming of certain sessions. And if I have my way, perhaps stream the entire conference using Google Cardboard or Oculus Rift technology, to give people around the world the opportunity to experience the conference in Virtual Reality.

Three legendary SCBWI members, sadly no longer with us & why we should
commemorate/remember them (links at end of this column)

Sue Alexander, our first member and a co-founder of the SCBWI.

Paula Danziger, whose enthusiasm for writing, for interacting with young people, and for the SCBWI keeps her in our thoughts every day.

Sid Fleischman, who along with Jane Yolen, spoke at our very first conference. He never ceased advising and mentoring us on everything from writing to magic. And he was master of both.

Three current youngest SCBWI members & something about them

We don’t ask for age other than over 18. I will say this—we wish we could have members under 18 but COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) laws prohibit us from collecting contact information on minors. Over the years, however, some members have snuck their budding author or illustrator son or daughter into a session or two at the conference, and I have no doubt that mother’s stealth and their children’s desire will pay off down the road with a career in the field.