326: Painting, Math, and Tiny Houses: Writing the Picture Book Biography - Interview with Amy Alznauer

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Amy Alznauer. Amy lives in Chicago with her husband, two children, a dog and her four puppies, a parakeet, sometimes chicks and a part-time fish, but, as of today, no elephants or peacocks. Check back. Her writing has won the Annie Dillard Award for Creative Nonfiction, the Christopher Award, and the SCBWI-Illinois Laura Crawford Memorial Mentorship, and her essays and poetry have appeared in collections and literary journals including The Bellingham Review, Creative Nonfiction and River Teeth. She has an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Pittsburgh. She teaches calculus and number theory classes at Northwestern University. She is the managing editor for the SCBWI-IL Prairie Wind. And she is the writer-in-residence at St. Gregory the Great, where she has a little office in a big building with a bad internet connection, where she tries to get work done (in theory). In this episode Amy and I discuss: How the relationship between the Zhou brothers inspired her book. What Amy had to do to find the perfect illustrator for her book. Why Amy believes it is important to get the blessing from the real-life figures that inspire your writing.  Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes diymfa.com/326