Read, Write, Repeat.

John Noltner and I worked together at a newspaper several years ago when we were both fresh out of college. I was a reporter, and he was a photographer, so we often ended up working together on articles.

It was immediately obvious how talented John was, so I wasn’t surprised when he left the newspaper and started his own photography business in Minneapolis. I also wasn’t surprised when he recently released his first book — A Peace of My Mind: Exploring the Meaning of Peace One Story at a Time.

John interviewed a wide range of people about their perspectives on peace — what they believe it means and how they work to incorporate it into their lives. There’s a homeless veteran. A Buddhist monk. A businessman. A potter. A college professor. A songwriter. An activist and more. Each person gets a two-page spread with a summary of their thoughts on peace, a brief biography and a luminous photo taken by John.

John joins Read, Write, Repeat today to share his story of how the book came to be.

How did you first get the idea for this project? Was it initially going to be just an art exhibit, or was a book always part of the plan?

When I began this project in 2009, I really had no idea where it would lead me. It was a conversation that I wanted to have and an idea that I wanted to explore, but really, at the time I had no idea how it would develop. The project lived at first online as a series of podcasts, then last year it was produced as a traveling exhibit. On Nov. 3 of this year it was released as a book.

How did you find the people you chose to feature? How many interviews did you conduct, and how did you choose which people to include?

Finding the subjects was a very organic process. I reached out first to people I knew, and asked who they would suggest I interview. From there, each subject suggested others to consider, and it grew out from there. With very few exceptions, everyone I invited to participate welcomed the opportunity to share their thoughts. I think there is a hunger for this kind of dialogue. And everyone that I interviewed for the project was included in the final piece.

What were your biggest learnings from listening to this wide variety of people share their thoughts on peace?

This entire process has been very encouraging for me…to spend time with such amazing people who are working toward a more peaceful world, in big and small ways, gives me hope. I’ve taken many lessons away, and there are some themes that recur. Here’s a Cliff Notes version of some of them:

• We often feel like issues of peace are so overwhelming that we cannot make an impact on them, yet we are each faced with choices every day where we have control over how we respond to people or to situations.

• Sometimes we can find peace in the places we expect it least.

• Peace takes practice, and if we find it difficult, that gives us reason to try harder.

• A position of peace is actually a position of strength and of courage.

• When we can find the good, even in our enemies, we increase the chances of a peaceful resolution.

• Fear and pride are two of the largest obstacles to peace in our lives and in the world at large.

• Working toward peace can be as grand as international mediation, or as simple as smiling at someone passing you on the street.

Were there any people whose views you didn’t agree with?

There were some thoughts that didn’t resonate with me right away, but as I listened to them, they began to make more sense. Really, that is the notion of this project … that we need to take time to listen to one another more fully, and if we can do that, our odds of working cooperatively toward some sort of common good are improved.

Our world doesn’t encourage us to slow down and take the time to listen to people. I wanted to create a space where that could happen, and art … photography … writing … can be a wonderful tool to accomplish that.

What were your goals when you took the photographs? Each person’s essence really seems to come through in them. So many people don’t enjoy having their photo taken. How did you make them comfortable enough to get
the shots you did?

I always conducted the interviews first, followed by the portrait. I work primarily as a photographer, yet for this project, a huge amount of time was devoted to the interviews with the subjects. When it came time to do the portrait, sometimes we were short on time. But because we had just come out of a very personal conversation for the interview, I think the subjects were already comfortable with me. And perhaps because there was not a lot of time for the photographs, they came off as simple and honest. Not overly produced. I think when that happens, the person’s humanity comes through.

What has the reaction been to your book so far? What’s been the most surprising response?

The book has been well received and I am excited to see what the next several months will bring. I think the most surprising response is that several colleges are considering using the book for next year’s common reading program, which would mean that all incoming freshmen for the college would read the book leading into their college experience. The notion of the book being used on a large scale like that is exciting, but I am equally encouraged by small book clubs and individuals spending time with it, and possibly considering some ideas that are new and fresh to
them.

What are your next goals for your peace project? Do you have other future projects planned?

If the book continues to sell well, I will use the proceeds to fund the next stage of the project, which would be an international version asking the same question: “What does peace mean to you?” At this point, it seems as though I will be doing a two-week trip through Central and South America as early as January in order to do new interviews and portraits.

Where is your book available?

The book is available directly on our own website.

It is also available on Amazon.com.

And, it’s at more than a dozen retailers in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Here’s a list.

The book is for adults and young adults. It can be read straight through, or picked up and opened to a random page.

But no matter how you approach it, reading it is a hopeful, heartfelt experience.

There are lots of different ways to be loud.

And Deborah Underwood shares many of them in her picture book The Loud Book (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2011).

On each page, Underwood lists a different kind of loud. (“Crowded swimming pool loud.” “Burp during quiet time loud.” “Uncle Alexander’s old car loud.”) And, Renata Liwska provides beautiful illustrations of a variety of animals experiencing the noise.

This book is a follow-up to 2010′s The Quiet Book by the same author and illustrator. That book was a New York Times best-seller, so there’s the perfect book for any child in your life, no matter what their natural volume inclination.

Now, let’s turn things over to today’s guest reviewer, Jazzy. She says the loudest thing she’s ever done is scream. But only because her older sisters were teasing her.

Our reviewer: Jazzy.

Age: 7.

Things I like to do: Play with my friends. Color. Paint.

This book was about: Loud things.

The best part was: The page that said “Ant loud.” Because ants were on her apple and she was crying and it was funny.

I smiled when: I saw the page that said “Deafening silence loud.” Because I like cookies.

I was worried when: It was raining and everyone was in the pool.

I was surprised: By the page that said “Garage avalanche loud.” Because avalanches usually have snow.

Three words that best describe this book are: “Loud.” “Crackle.” “Pop.”

My favorite line or phrase in this book is: “Oops loud.” Because they accidentally hit a baseball through a window.

My favorite picture in this book is: When he dropped his lunch tray.

Other kids reading this book should watch for: The Quiet Book that this author also wrote.

You should read this book because: Sometimes you need to be loud. Even if you’re usually quiet. Sometimes, you need to scream out.”

Thanks, Jazzy!

If you’d like to learn more about Deborah Underwood, you can visit her website or read this interview.

If you’d like to learn more about Renata Liwska, you can visit her website.

THIS JUST IN! There are plush animals that go along with The Quiet Book and The Loud Book. They are adorable. See them here!

Editor’s note: After finally receiving my long-awaited copy of Tom’s Tweet (Alfred A. Knopf, 2011) in the mail, I found the following book review from my cat, Vince, a few days later.

Because I’ve had to force Vince to review cat-related books in the past, I was quite pleased that he’d decided to give me a holiday break. So, without further ado … VINCE!

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Well, it’s that time of year again.

The time when all the humans in my house get together, fill two entire tables with food and sit down and eat — wait for it — a bird.

Those of you who have read my previous reviews may recall that these same humans once stopped me from doing the exact same thing.

OK. The bird I wanted to eat was still alive, but I don’t think that’s such a huge distinction. Living or dead, a bird is a bird is a bird.

I also think it’s funny that my humans brought Tom’s Tweet into the house just as they’re preparing to pig out. It’s a book about Tom, a real cat’s cat. He sees a baby bird on the ground and swaggers over. He’s all set to pounce and gobble it down when he notices how tiny it is. How alone. He pauses.

I almost gave up on Tom right there. I mean, really. Hasn’t he ever heard of an appetizer?

But, I guess even the coolest cats feel all warm and fuzzy sometimes. I myself have been known to snuggle down into a pink blanket and let the house’s smallest human surround me with her stuffed animals. But that’s really beside the point.

So I wasn’t surprised when Tom decided to help the baby bird back to his nest by carrying him gently in his mouth. But I was surprised how Tom reacted when the mama bird showed up and started dive-bombing his head. He could have dropped the baby and saved himself a lot of grief.

But no. No-o-o.

Tom runs away with the baby bird still in his mouth and hides in the flowers. The baby won’t stop tweeting, so Tom builds it a nest, lets it sleep under his arm and even — yuck — feeds it chewed-up worms. When the mama bird finally flies away, Tom hustles the baby back to its nest and thinks he’s done with the whole mess.

But no. No-o-o.

Tom misses the baby. And the baby misses him. And the baby must have explained to its mama that Tom took good care of him because the mama has an unexpected proposition for Tom.

Now, I’ve read enough cat books to know what’s what. And this book is worth your time. It’s got it all. Jill Esbaum’s story is funny and sweet and great to listen to out loud. The smallest human read it to me. And, the cat’s natural leadership skills are duly lauded in the end.

Another thing it’s got going for it is that Dan Santat is an illustrator who obviously understands cats. Tom is macho and crusty and frustrated, but a softie at heart. I bet Santat has several cats.

So read this book. Learn from Tom. And, please, try to control yourself this Thanksgiving.

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Vince also wanted me to point out that Jill Esbaum and Dan Santat have websites worth visiting. You can find Jill’s here and Dan’s here.

And, I’d like to point out that Vince has reviewed several other cat books, including Where Is Catkin?, Frankie Works the Night Shift, Raj, The Bookstore Tiger and I Am Tama, Lucky Cat. Feel free to check out his feline perspective.

Finally, no matter what you choose to eat, Vince and I both say, “Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!”

When I sat down to read Phyllis Root’s latest picture book, Scrawny Cat (Candlewick Press, 2011), to a class of second graders, they were all excited.

They had lots of stories to share about their pet cats, cats that belonged to friends and neighbors, and cats looking for homes.

So, they were very interested to hear the story of a lonely, little, lost cat looking for a home. They were sad when people told the cat to “get out of here.” They were worried when a mean dog chased him. And they were scared when the dinghy the cat hid in floated out to sea in a storm.

But just when it seemed all was lost, the dinghy landed on an island and Scrawny Cat met Emma who was just as lonely as he was.

And, when I finished the book, and the kids saw Scrawny Cat happy, safe and loved with Emma, they all said, “Awwww …”

Now, let’s hear from today’s guest reviewer, Aria, one of the students in the class. She’s never had a cat, because her sister is allergic to them, but she says that someday she’d like to have one.

Today’s reviewer: Aria.

Age: 7.

Things I like to do: Climb trees, color and paint.

This book was about: A cat named Skipper who was a stray. His owners must have lost him. And he hides on a boat to get away from a mean dog and the boat sails away to a girl named Emma.

The best part was when: Skipper got his home and family — a new owner.

I smiled when: Skipper met Emma and she scratched his ears.

I was worried when: The boat drifted away in the big storm. And when the cat was being chased by the big dog.

I was surprised when: The girl picked him up and took him home and the cat was so worried that she would toss him out the door.

This book taught me: If a friend doesn’t want to be your friend anymore, that’s OK. Because you can find another friend who will like you, too.

Three words that best describe this book are: “Kindness.” “Nice.” “Friendly.”

My favorite line or phrase in the book: “Now, everyone called him Get Out of Here. But the scrawny cat knew his name was not Get Out of Here.”

Other kids reading this book should watch for: “The big, growly dog.”

You should read this book because: It’s nice. People who have cats might like this book, too.

Thanks, Aria! You did a marvelous job.

This book’s author, Phyllis Root, has written more than 30 children’s books. If you’d like to learn more about her, you can visit this website, or read this question-and-answer interview.

If you’d like to learn more about illustrator Alison Friend, who made scrawny cat look so pathetic and scared that I just wanted to pick him up and give him a hug, you can visit her website.

I grew up going to libraries. They were universally accessible, well-stocked, well-staffed and free.

So, sometimes, I forget that not everyone grows up with such easy access to books.

But I never forget that everyone should.

That’s why I was thrilled to hear about author Jean Reidy’s online auction to support the library at the Musana Children’s Home in Iganga, Uganda. Eighty orphaned children live there full time. Another 120 come each day from surrounding communities to attend school.

The home makes a difference, providing food, shelter, medical care, education and safety to people who desperately need it. But resources are tight. And the children’s needs increase each day.

Here’s what Jean has to say about the home.

“The Musana community was founded and is run by three young women from my hometown here in Colorado. In addition to dormitories and classrooms, the school has a small library badly in need of books … I hope you will join me at the auction and reach beyond our borders to celebrate literacy and a love of reading ─ as well as earth, space and a kid’s sense of place.”

Jean visited the home in 2010. (That’s her with some of the children in the picture.) She decided to use the publication of her most recent picture book Light Up the Night to raise awareness and funds for the library. She rallied other authors, artists, businesspeople and creative folk of all kinds to donate items that you can bid on, with proceeds going toward the library.

There is something for everyone.

Especially if you’re a reader, a writer, a librarian, a teacher or a parent. A partial list of items includes:

– Manuscript critiques by published authors and agents.
– Classroom visits by published authors.
– Signed books.
– Artwork by professional children’s book illustrators.
– Handmade jewelry.
– Home decor.
– Handmade baby blankets and quilts.
– And more, more, more.

It’s easy to leave a bid.

Visit the auction anytime between now and Nov. 18. And if you promote the auction via Facebook, Twitter or your blog, you can be entered in a separate contest to win a $100 gift card for — what else? — books!

If you’ve ever been grateful for being able to pick up a book and read it, this is one way to help someone else grow up with the same gift.

Stop by Jean’s auction today!

Earlier this year, author Audrey Vernick’s first middle-grade novel Water Balloon (Clarion, 2011) was released.

It’s the story of Marley Baird, who just wants things to go back to the way they used to be. Instead, her parents are divorcing and she’s spending the summer with her father in his new house, away from her friends and doing a job she’d rather not. There is a cute boy who could make life more bearable, but things don’t always go smoothly there either.

Audrey is well-known for her picture books, especially Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten? It’s nice to see her novel getting positive buzz as well.

Here’s what Kirkus Reviews had to say:

“Vernick makes a very auspicious fiction debut here with her breezy, briskly paced tale, well-portrayed characters, authentic relationships and keen ear for realistic dialogue. The sweet, swoony young romance doesn’t hurt either, and preteen female readers will eat this up … a harbinger of more good novels to come from this author.”

Audrey was kind enough to stop by Read, Write, Repeat and talk about her new book and why writing it was similar to visiting the dentist.

This is your first middle-grade novel. How easy or hard was it to move from picture books to a book for older readers?

The difference between the two kinds of writing is enormous. I have a much easier time with the picture-book form. Novels are a struggle. I become overly focused on word count in a sort of desperate-to-reach-the-finish-line way. It’s nothing like that with picture books.

How does your writing process differ when you’re working on a picture book versus something for older readers?

I don’t have to fight myself to write picture books. I’m happy to do the work. I enjoy almost every stage of it. But it’s murder for me to eke out a first draft of a novel. I have to trick and bribe myself. I sometimes send my family on weekend trips so that I can have a writing marathon weekend at home. Novels are so LONG, with so many balls to juggle, and I get into this fearful place that if I go down a wrong path I’ll have so much to undo and fix and sometimes that keeps me from pushing forward. In other words, my writing process for picture books seems kind of healthy, whereas it’s wholly dysfunctional for novel writing.

It’s probably worth noting that once I’ve completed a novel, I’m very happy to have done so. It’s like exercise, or even dental cleanings — I don’t enjoy getting through it, but I feel better for having done it.

You have also written two books about baseball and two books about buffalo. Do either baseball or buffalo make an appearance in Water Balloon? (I heard something about a dart board with the Red Sox on it …)

There is not a single buffalo appearance in Water Balloon. But there is a reference to a forthcoming picture book–a private joke with myself. In the end, though, the joke was on me. In Water Balloon, a child shows Marley, the main character, a book with a dog and a potbellied pig on the cover, a reference to Bogart and Vinnie: A Completely Made Up Story of True Friendship, my picture book coming out in 2013. But in the time since I wrote that scene, that potbellied pig, Bogart, has turned into a rhinoceros. (It is worth noting here that one of my favorite things about writing for children is the occasional opportunity for sentences not unlike the previous one.)

As for baseball, Marley’s cute neighbor, Jack, is a baseball player. Her father is a big Yankees fan who named their dog Gehrig, after the great Lou Gehrig. And one of my favorite scenes in the book takes place at Yankee Stadium. (I had to update that scene in the revision — from the old stadium to the new.)

I read an interview with you where you said, “My books will never have last-minute helicopter rescue scenes. Or vampires. No magic potions to magically fix everything on the second-to-last page. No explosions, either.” What will readers find in Water Balloon?

I hope readers find a connection to a character living through a difficult time with as much grace as she can muster. I like to think that readers will settle in and really get to know Marley Baird. That’s generally what I seek in the books I read and the movies I watch — I want to get to know a character well. When I think of the books and films I remember, I think of the characters I met, not the plots.

What did you learn while writing this book?

I learned that I do well working in bursts — I can write about 8,000 words in a day, but I can’t sustain that rate. More than anything, I learned that writing a novel is really hard for me. I have some friends who crank them out, but it doesn’t work that way for me. I also learned that my brain is working out plot and character points even when I’m actively engaged in other activities.

What were your favorite books as a child?

I loved A Secret Garden, and remember repeatedly rereading that magical scene when Mary discovered the garden. A bit younger, I loved Ursula Nordstrom’s A Secret Language. I’m a lifelong fan of Harriet the Spy and desperately wanted to like tomato-and-mayonnaise sandwiches so I could be more like her. (But ew.) I love it when my daughter signs her name with her middle initial, M., as it reminds me of Harriet

What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

To always keep a hand in it. When I was a mother of very young children, I felt panicked that I was not writing (at the time, I wrote short fiction for adults). And I was told to just keep a hand in it. Back then, I did so by sending out my stories, even while not producing new ones. These days, when I’m not actively writing, I try to keep up with publishing news, my own publicity activities in support of my books, and reading blogs by writers — just to keep a hand in it.

What are you reading now?

I’m reading a novel: To Be Sung Underwater, by Tom McNeal. The book before that was outstanding: Jo Ann Beard’s In Zanesville.

What are you working on now?

I’m about to start a new novel. Well, I started it, but I think I need to start it again. I know a lot about my characters, but, as usual, I’m terrified to jump all the way in, and thus have been using the excuse of housebreaking a puppy and renovating a kitchen to not write. But I think it’s time to begin. I also just committed to coming up with 30 picture-book ideas in the month of November — I’m a PiBoIdMo participant.

Thanks for stopping by, Audrey!

You’ll be seeing quite a bit from Audrey in the future. She has two books coming out next year — So You Want to Be a Rock Star (Walker Children’s) and Brothers at Bat: The True Story of An Amazing All-Brother Baseball Team (Clarion).

If you’d like to learn more about Audrey, visit her website.

Or, you can stop by her Literary Friendships blog.

And finally, there’s a really nice interview with her on author Lynda Mulally Hunt’s blog