Q: What do you write?
A: YA novels and poems – or poems that turn into novels – or novels full of poems. Also, picture books!
Q: Where are you from?
A: I grew up in suburban Maryland, then moved to Baltimore, rural Pennsylvania, Washington DC, back to rural Pennsylvania, and finally ended up in Boston.
Q: What is your favorite font?
A: Baskerville.
Q: Besides “author,” what other jobs have you had?
A: Half of a two-person traveling production of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. Musical instrument-selling wench at the Renaissance Faire. “Jokes and Riddles” editor at the magazine Highlights for Children. Library coffee shop barista. Witchcraft and spellbook proofreader. Vegan restaurant waitress. Piano teacher. Violin teacher. Yoga teacher. Creative writing teacher.
Q: What’s the coolest thing that’s ever happened to you as an author?
A: On a school visit, I was supposed to meet with students in small groups in the school library. As I waited, someone came onto the PA system and made a very loud announcement: “All students: there is now AN AUTHOR in the library. If you would like to meet THE AUTHOR, come to the library. REPEAT: THE AUTHOR. IS IN. THE LIBRARY.” I could not have written that scene better myself.
Q: What is your favorite punctuation mark?
A: The ampersand. Did you know it comes from combining the two letters in the Latin word “et,” which means “and”? I once told that to an auditorium of 400 students, and right after my presentation, a teacher came running up to me with a little box containing…this shiny silver ampersand. So now I officially have an Ampersand Collection (which will also be the name of my all-denim-clad indie folk band).
Q: It sounds like you enjoy school visits! Will you come visit my school/bookstore/book club?
A: I’d love to! Reach out via my contact page with details.
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If you want to read all about my pet plants + my favorite junk food, check out this interview on the blog That Artsy Reader Girl.
To find out about lies I told in middle school + writing a novel in 30 days (NaNoWriMo), read this interview with my publisher, Boyds Mills Press.
Lisa Rosinsky 