Christopher Paul Curtis - About the Author
Did you know that the original title of the story that evolved into The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 was The Watsons Go to Florida? 'I was doing a story about a family taking a trip to Florida but when I got them there, nothing happened," recalls Christopher Paul Curtis. So, the aspiring novelist thought through what was happening in 1963 and changed the direction of his story. Literally.
It was still the story of a family journey, but now the Watsons were on a collision course with history. Yet, in the midst of the tragedy and horror of the bombing in that Birmingham church and the death of four children, he remained true to a child's perspective. 'The story was not immersed in the horror, the Watsons brushed up against it - I didn't want it to be a book about civil rights, I wanted it to be a book about family."
Even though much of his work is set in the past, Chris's stories maintain a timeless appeal that provides a door for today's readers. The author immerses himself in the language of the time, reading books and magazines, watching films, and of course, using resources from the library. Mid-19th century Buxton was especially challenging for the author as he navigated a way of speaking that was a hybrid of Canada and the black South. For Bud, Not Buddy, the author took the same approach with depression-era Michigan and the jazz-infused language of the people the boy encounters on his journey to find a family.
"We're not all that much different," comments Chris. "We're all humans and we have that same human base we come from." Even though the cadences might strike a slightly different beat than you would hear on today's streets, the meaning resonates just the same. As a time traveler and storyteller, Chris Curtis asks the questions we wish we could and creates the situations that make those stories come alive. How else could you present the impossible conversation of a parent explaining slavery to a child? That conversation must have happened thousands of times and, through the artistry of the author, readers are given a window into a family's great pain and a link of empathy is born.
A frequent speaker at schools, Christopher Paul Curtis stands in awe of how creative teachers have used his books in the classroom. "I find everything a teacher does is insightful and delightful," says Curtis. "Teachers invent their own rules and find a way to use the books to make learning about civil rights and the Depression less intimidating." He adds that "the good thing is that not only are the students having fun but they are sneaking in a little lesson. My ultimate good feeling comes when a young person reads one of the books and they want to find out more."
"Teachers and librarians have been extremely important in my life," the author declares. When Chris was a child, writing was not taught in the way it is now. Creative Writing was a class you took in 11th grade. "My 11th grade English teacher encouraged me and made me feel like I was a good writer." Chris has often shared his four rules for young writers: "Write every day, have fun, have patience, and-- this one is most important because you have to develop your own style--ignore all rules." Now he adds a fifth: "Read! Read for the joy of reading and then go back and see how Jacqueline Woodson made you cry and how Chris Crutcher made you laugh."
Most fans of Curtis's books know that he came to writing later than many authors. His first professional years - 13, to be exact--were spent on an auto assembly line in Flint, Michigan. While he is still in Flint, his days are now often spent writing at the public library. With the encouragement of his family, he made the leap to try to become a writer. He read the Writer's Market books and submitted Watsons to contests sponsored by Random House and Little, Brown respectively. While he didn't win, an insightful editor at Random House decided to publish the story as a children's book and Christopher Paul Curtis was on his way.
The book was well received and he harbored a hope that it might get recognized at award time, perhaps with a Coretta Scott King honor. "I had read somewhere that they call the winners the Sunday night before. I was in the library on a Monday morning and didn't know I still had a shot, thinking "Who wants those stupid awards anyway?'" Imagine Chris Curtis at his usual spot in the library writing away as a librarian gets to tell him that The Watsons go to Birmingham, 1963 had received both Newbery and Coretta Scott King honors.
"I'm in the library right now," comments the author. To this day, the library is still the physical touchstone of his writing process. The journey may take you by a different route but it always comes back to the library.
-- Interviewed by Ellen Myrick, October 2009
