28 Oct Nazanin Ford, MY AMERICA BLOOMS, and a GIVEAWAY!
EL: I’m so happy that author Nazanin Ford has dropped by to talk about her new book, MY AMERICA BLOOMS. It is such a powerful, beautiful, kid-friendly book! Naz’s words and Fateme
Mokhles’s lovely illustrations (which I scattered throughout this post) bring us into the world of a young girl who, with her family, flees Iran and starts over in the United States. Ford uses the metaphor of flowers blooming and, sadly, withering. Her lyrical language invites the reader into the main character’s mind. Although this book shows the challenges immigrants face, it ultimately has a hopeful message. And isn’t that what we need now?
Welcome, Naz! Will you tell us a little about yourself?
NF: It’d be my pleasure! I grew up in Southern California, but I was born in Tehran, Iran. I’ve lived in Nevada for over twenty years now, with my husband, our two daughters, and our dog, Chipper. I taught community college and high school writing for about ten years. Then a couple of years ago, I stepped back from the classroom to spend more time with my family and my writing. These days, I volunteer at the library and for my Nevada SCBWI region
EL: What types of books did you enjoy as a child?
NF: Honestly, the list would be shorter if I answered what kinds of books I didn’t enjoy as a child! I loved reading (still do) and read voraciously (still do!). English was not my first language, but it was the first language I could read fluently. So reading was how I found my way and adapted when we came to America.
EL: I love how you used the garden metaphor throughout the whole book. Did you choose to do that intentionally, or did it come naturally as you were writing?
NF: Thank you for saying that! The garden metaphor was not part of the poem I originally wrote, which inspired My America Blooms. When I decided to see if I could develop the poem into a picture book narrative, I knew I needed a visual and concrete way to communicate the main character’s emotions. I played with a lot of different images and figurative language that could represent the feeling of leaving your homeland.
Then, during one of the many revisions, I wrote a line about not being able to pack the flowers in her garden, and it clicked. The garden became a stand-in for the physical place my main character was leaving behind and everything she would miss. Over the course of the story, it came to represent all the things she hoped for, as well. Not only did the language work—the figurative language was ripe for the picking!—but the garden offered a clear way to relate complex feelings.
EL: “Ripe for the picking!” made me smile. Will you talk a little bit about how this beautiful book is autobiographical?
NF: The events in this book are fictionalized, but they are based on my family’s immigration journey—and I think many immigration journeys. Like the family in the story, my family fled Iran for the opportunity to live without fear and oppression.
I was young, but I remember the anxiety of leaving loved ones and going into the unknown. It was not easy. My family had to start over with practically nothing in America. There was bias and unkindness, but there were countless good experiences and kind people as well. Even at a young age, I knew we had a lot to be grateful for. As an adult, I have so much respect for my parents’ courage and resilience.
I wanted to tell a story that was honest about all of those emotions—for kids like me who experienced this kind of change and for the people who know and uplift kids like us.
EL: The book is so lyrical, especially with the garden metaphor throughout. Do you always write in lyrical prose?
NF: Again, thank you for your kind words! My writing is like my reading—I enjoy a wide variety of styles and genres. I write a variety of stories from all kinds of angles. Some things work better than others, but I love to play and see what comes of it.
EL: Do you have a writing group or groups? How important do you think they are?
NF: Yes!! For me, my writing community is essential. I started out thinking I just needed a couple of trusted critique partners, and that was that. Over the years, I’ve gained many trusted peers, accountability partners, work groups (where we “meet” to work independently but at the same time), and affinity groups where we share our experiences and resources. Each of these feeds my creativity, productivity, and evolution in different ways. Creating is so introspective. My writing partners and peers help me see beyond my own experience, which helps me grow.
EL: What do you do when the words won’t come?
NF: I love the way you ask this question. There are only two things I can do when the words won’t come: don’t write or write anyway.
Sometimes, I think we do need to step back and give ourselves some grace. Other times, we have to write through the block and stop worrying whether the work is any good. I choose based on what’s stopping me in the first place. If it’s a lack of inspiration, I go out and do the (other) things I love. If I’m not writing because I’m stressed, then I usually make myself write through the feeling but lower the stakes (and try to refrain from the self flagellation).
Gratitude also helps me. Nothing is more humbling than acknowledging all my good fortune. That recognition is often the reset I need…and it usually comes easier after a good stretch of venting and pouting.
EL: I get it! And now, it’s time for a …
Naz is offering a 30 minute AMA and a signed copy of My America Blooms! Yes…both! Just comment on this post to get in the running.
Here’s where you can buy this gorgeous book:
www.nazaninford.com or the Beaming Books website here
NF: I’m so grateful for the opportunity to share My America Blooms with readers. Thank you, Ellen!
EL: Thank YOU for visiting with us, and congratulations on the book! Get to know Naz better @Nazfordwrites.
Until next time,
Ellen
Kim A. Larson
Posted at 09:34h, 28 OctoberThis looks like a beautiful book! I love the metaphor. Congratulations, Naz!