Author Vivian Kirkfield is no stranger to the kidlit world. You can find her just about everywhere in kidlit social media. Her newest picture book, Making Their Voices Heard, debuted the end of January. I, Tina Cho, invited my critique partner to share her writing expertise with our Grog readers. Take it away, Vivian!
Thanks so much for giving me the opportunity to share on the Grog Blog, Tina. I’ve seen a question come up several times on Facebook groups
that are devoted to writing, and I thought I would speak to that.
How do you craft a story with two main characters where
giving each equal weight is important?
Before I wrote the draft for MAKING THEIR VOICES HEARD: THE
INSPIRING FRIENDSHIP OF ELLA FITZGERALD AND MARILYN MONROE, I used several
picture books as mentor texts. One of the most helpful was Amelia and
Eleanor Go for a Ride by Pam Munoz Ryan, illustrated by Brian Selznick.
Another book was Martin and Mahalia: His Words, Her Song by Andrea Davis
Pickney, illustrated by Brian Pickney. I studied how the authors introduced
their characters and how they relayed information about their lives and how
their lives connected.
I’d already done a bunch of research, but none of my
sources, mostly books about Ella and Marilyn, spoke about their friendship. I
had to become a detective. I contacted the author of one of the Marilyn Monroe
books. She didn’t know but she directed me to the website of the president of
the Marilyn Remembered fan club. He didn’t know either, but he kindly gave me
the phone number of the woman who had been Ella’s promoter for thirty-seven
years. It was so hard for me to call her…I’m really timid that way. But I knew
I needed the information because I knew I wanted to write an authentic and accurate
story for children…and I wanted it to be a story that children could relate to
– a story about friendship. Even young kids know about playdates and going to a
classmate’s birthday party and how it feels when your friend is mad at you. How
to be a good friend is an important lesson for kids. And although it’s true
that each of these icons had enormous talent, each was being limited because of
discrimination of one kind or another…and it was their friendship and respect
for each other which helped break those barriers.
I took a deep breath…or maybe a few…and I called Audrey
Franklin. I got her answering machine. And left a message. Miracle of
miracles…she called me back the next day - we chatted for hours and she
verified that they were, indeed, friends.
So, now I had verified they were friends, but I knew I also
had to balance these two superstars. The mechanics of the text set out to do
that. I began by introducing both women and pointing out how they are different
yet the same.
Ella and Marilyn. On the outside, you couldn’t
find two girls who looked more different. But on the inside, they were
alike—full of hopes and dreams, and plans of what might be.
Next, I showed how Ella got her start – going from living
on the streets to playing with a real band. Then, on the next page, I showed
how Marilyn got her start – going from working at an airplane factory to
signing a studio contract.
But we need to throw rocks at our heroes, right? And what I
love about writing nonfiction is that I don’t have to invent the rocks…these
women really faced huge obstacles and barriers. On the next two spreads, I show
how Ella, though a jazz phenomenon, battled racial discrimination. And then I
show how Marilyn faced an industry run by men who controlled her career.
So far, so good. I was keeping it pretty even and balanced.
Now I wanted to show how Ella helped Marilyn…and then how Marilyn helped Ella.
The nightclub incident where Marilyn persuades the owner to book Ella by
promising to bring the media to his doorstep was easy. There was plenty of
online information about that – and Ella even speaks about it in an interview.
But how was I going to show how Ella helped Marilyn? That was definitely a
challenge.
I found interviews where Marilyn mentioned how much she loved
Ella, not only as a singer, but as a person. Ella was actually her idol…Marilyn
was a fan girl! And then I read several articles that spoke about how Marilyn
studied Ella’s voice to improve her own vocals to get ready for her singing
role in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Bingo! When critics gave Marilyn rave
reviews and her bosses amended her contract and gave her a higher salary and
more control over script approval, I knew I had what I needed. Because this was
a BIG deal – it’s what she had been fighting for all along. Marilyn also used
Ella’s records to help with her insomnia – she’d fall asleep listening to
Ella’s voice.
Now when Marilyn spoke, her bosses paid
attention. And reporters and photographers followed her everywhere. Determined
to thank Ella in person, Marilyn bought tickets to Ella’s next show.
After the show, Ella and Marilyn sit shoulder to shoulder,
chatting. When Marilyn discovers that the Mocambo club refused to book Ella,
she wanted to help her friend the way her friend had helped her.
Putting their heads together, Marilyn and Ella
hatched a plan.
And I love the illustration Alleanna Harris did.
Marilyn put her career on the line to a certain extent
because in those days, there was a lot of racial discrimination (not much has
changed, unfortunately) and movie studios controlled what their actresses could
and couldn’t do. By calling the nightclub owner and insisting that he book
Ella, Marilyn stepped up and spoke out. This is what we mean by allyship. You
don’t just give money to the cause…you step in and make it happen. The Civil
Rights movement was just in its infancy…in fact, the nightclub incident
happened in 1954 and it wasn’t until the end of 1955 that Rosa Parks refused to
give up her seat on the bus.
I was able to show that both of these strong women admired
and respected each other. Ella said, “She was an unusual woman – a little ahead
of her time. And she didn’t know it.” And Marilyn said, ““Well, my very
favorite person and I love her as a person as well as a singer. I think she’s
the greatest and that’s Ella Fitzgerald.”
I also wanted to show how we are all complex individuals.
Most of us know Marilyn as a sexy Hollywood star…and kids probably don’t know
her at all. Similarly, most kids may never have heard of Ella, but her music
was genius…in fact, at the very first Grammys in 1959, Ella Fitzgerald won for
best female pop vocalist and best improvised jazz performance. I thought it was
time for kids to discover these two special women and how differences in race,
color, and creed played absolutely no role in their amazing friendship. And how
poignant a time for a book like this. We can, and must, all step up, making our
voices heard for what is right, so that our nation can be healed. Covid-19
will, at some point, have a vaccine that will protect us from it. But this
sickness of hatred and anger can only be healed with kindness, love,
compassion, and with the willingness to listen to the voices of people of
color.
Most of you who know me know that I am an extremely
optimistic person and I’m always trying to find a positive, even in the darkest
of times. My older sister used to call me Pollyanna, after the storybook
character who finds something to be glad about in every situation. And I think I
have found it. Young people are stepping up and refusing to allow this hatred
to go on. A high school junior reached out to me last week. As a school service
project, she is building a website where she will showcase videos of teachers
reading aloud books from different cultures. She wants to use Sweet Dreams,
Sarah and she wrote to ask my permission. Of course, I checked with the
publisher who is totally on board. What thrilled me the most were the young
girl’s words: “Your book has had a profound impact on my life and has given me
the confidence to use my voice.”
And THAT is why I write books for children! Just like Ella
and Marilyn, everyone needs to make their voice heard.
Bio: Writer for children—reader forever…that’s Vivian Kirkfield in five words. Her bucket list contains many more than five words – but she’s already checked off skydiving, parasailing, banana-boat riding, and visiting critique buddies all around the world. When she isn’t looking for ways to fall from the sky or sink under the water, she can be found writing picture books in the quaint village of Amherst, NH where the old stone library is her favorite hangout and her young grandson is her favorite board game partner. A retired kindergarten teacher with a masters in Early Childhood Education, Vivian inspires budding writers during classroom visits and shares insights with aspiring authors at conferences and on her blog, Picture Books Help Kids Soar where she hosts the #50PreciousWords International Writing Contest and the #50PreciousWordsforKids Challenge. She is the author of numerous picture books. You can connect with her on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Linkedin, or just about any place people with picture books are found.
Vivian's books:
FROM HERE TO THERE: INVENTIONS THAT CHANGED THE WAY THE WORLD MOVES (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, January 2021, illus by Gilbert Ford
