I’ll never forget when I first met Vivian Kirkfield, a longtime online critique partner, in person. It was at a 2016 writing retreat. Someone got the idea that each of the online critique groups in the room should pose for pictures and guess who was in nearly every group? That’s right — Vivian! Vivian is a true friend. She cheered for years for her buddies who had books published before she did. Now her books are coming out in a beautiful rush and her fans are having a blast cheering her on. While I love all her books, her newest, Making Their Voices Heard, the Inspiring Friendship of Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe (illustrated by Alleanna Harris, little bee books), is the most, well, Vivian. Because if there’s anyone who knows how friends can lift each other up, it’s Vivian. I feel lucky to be Vivian’s friend. For fellow friends reading THE KIDS ARE ALL WRITE, enjoy. And for the rest of you, I encourage you to reach out to Vivian to say hi because for Vivian, there are no strangers. Only friends she hasn’t met yet.
How did you come up with the idea of writing Making Their Voices Heard?
I came up with the idea of writing Making Their Voices Heard when I found an online photo of Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe sitting next to each other in a nightclub. I’m always looking for new story ideas and that photo…of two such different looking ladies who seemed to have such an air of camaraderie – almost as if they were hatching a plan – piqued my curiosity. The caption on the photo referred to how they were friends and how Marilyn had helped Ella get a booking at a top nightclub…hmmm…I had to know more!
What was the writing journey like? How long did you work on it? How much did it change along the way?
I knew right away that I wanted to tell a story about both of them – and I wanted to discover the story behind the story…why did Marilyn need to help Ella? And had Ella helped Marilyn in some way? I started writing the story late in 2014 and brought it to a July 2015 writing retreat and showed it to an editor who was one of the faculty. She loved it and asked me to finish it (it was pretty rough) and send it to her. I signed with my agent that Fall and she sent it. The editor loved it, but couldn’t get her acquisitions team to take it. They were afraid it might be seen as a ‘white savior’ story. ☹ In the summer of 2016, I took it to another conference and again an editor asked to see it. And again, her sales and marketing team said no…for the same reason. ☹ At the end of 2017, my agent sent it to an editor at Little Bee Books. Courtney Fahy loved it…although she did ask for some revisions to make sure I was presenting a balanced story – one where both Ella and Marilyn contributed to each other’s career…I gladly revised…and they bought the story, hired the amazing Alleanna Harris to illustrate, and the rest is history!
Did you ever have moments where you wondered or worried if it would find a home? How did you feel when it did?
I definitely wondered if the story would find a home…two editors had fallen in love with it but couldn’t acquire it. This gave me a better appreciation for editors and how they often don’t function independently from their publishing company. It gave me a better understanding of how every book is a collaboration…a team effort. And because it had come so close twice before, when the manuscript made it all the way through acquisitions, I was elated. I wanted to be able to share this incredible story of friendship…especially since it shows us what complex individuals we are. Many people know the name Marilyn Monroe…but most don’t know she was the first female movie star to own her own production company. And lots of people love Ella’s jazzy recordings, but don’t realize that she sued the airline Pan Am for discrimination successfully back in 1954…before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on that bus, before Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his I Have a Dream speech.
This is a story about friendship — a subject that I know is very important to you! You are such a wonderful friend to so many in the children’s book community — including me. Can you share your thoughts on what it means to be a friend, why it is important to be a friend, the most important qualities in a friendship and how you saw those qualities in the friendship between Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe?
Awww…thank you, Nancy. I feel I am so blessed, being surrounded by this incredible kid-lit community. And you are so right, Nancy! Friendship is very important to me. When I think of what friendship means to me, I think of Cori Doerrfeld’s book, The Rabbit Listened. Sometimes that is all you need to do to be a good friend. And other times, you share your troubles…that’s part of being a friend as well. Trust, respect, empathy – those are qualities I treasure in a friend…and the qualities I hope I model. When Marilyn needed to improve her voice, she studied the recordings of her idol, Ella Fitzgerald. And when Ella had a problem getting a booking at a particular nightclub, she confided in Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn often had trouble getting to sleep…and she listened to Ella’s recordings to relax. Marilyn is quoted as saying, “My favorite person in the world is Ella Fitzgerald…and I love her as a person, not only as a singer.” And, Ella saw every one of Marilyn’s movies and respected the depth of Marilyn’s character, saying: “Marilyn Monroe was ahead of her time and she didn’t even know it.”
Were the illustrations by Alleanna Harris what you envisioned or did they surprise you? Do you have a favorite spread?
I was THRILLED when I found out that Little Bee was going to ask Alleanna to illustrate…and I jumped for joy when she agreed! As far as a favorite spread, I do love the vignettes she did…but every page is a joy for me. I feel she captured the spirit and personality of both of these icons.
Do you have any favorite Marilyn Monroe movies and Ella Fitzgerald recordings? Did you watch any films or listen to recordings to get in the mood for the writing?
I’ve always loved Some Like it Hot…I think Marilyn Monroe was a wonderful actress…but for me, her comedic talents were best showcased in this movie. And I did listen to YouTube videos of Ella and Marilyn as well as interviews each had done.
Pippa’s Passover Plate by Vivian Kirkfield, illustrated by Jill Weber (Holiday House)
After years of working on your craft, you had a flurry of releases last year and you have a lot coming out next year and going forward. Can you tell us about some of your other books and how Making Their Voices Heard fits in and departs from your other books?
I consider myself a very lucky lady that so many editors have fallen in love with my manuscripts. Although I do write in many different ‘genres’ of picture book (Pippa’s Passover Plate is a rhyming holiday story and Four Otters Toboggan is a lyrical free verse counting book about endangered animals), my favorite is nonfiction pb bios. Earlier this year, my first book debuted…a nonfiction picture book biography about the first African American woman to secure a U.S. patent, Sweet Dreams, Sarah (Creston Books, illustrated by Chris Ewald) which just won a Eureka Honor Award. And in January 2021, I have a compilation book of nine full-length fully illustrated picture book bios launching from HMH, From Here to There: Inventions That Changed the Way the World Moves (HMH, illustrated by Gilbert Ford). And we just sold another picture book biography, so please stay tuned for more details. 😊
Sweet Dreams, Sarah by Vivian Kirkfield, illustrated by Chris Ewald (Creston Books/Lerner Books)
What have YOU learned from your journey with this book?
What have I learned? I’ve learned that if you dig deep, you will uncover great stories. I’ve learned that nothing is impossible if you can imagine it. And, I’ve learned that the only failure is the failure to keep trying.
Thank you so much for visiting us on THE KIDS ARE ALL WRITE, Vivian! Is there anything else you would like to add?
I’d love to encourage everyone to never give up. Surround yourself with positive people who encourage and support you. Join critique groups and cherish their feedback. And most importantly, gather your courage and believe in yourself. Thank you so much, Nancy, for having me on your blog! This has been a lot of fun!
Four Otters Toboggan, An Animal Counting Book by Vivian Kirkfield, illustrated by Mirka Hokkanen (Pomegranate)
When Vivian isn’t looking for ways to fall from the sky or sink under the water, she can be found writing picture books in the quaint village of Amherst, NH where the old stone library is her favorite hangout and her young grandson is her favorite board game partner. A retired kindergarten teacher with a masters in Early Childhood Education, Vivian inspires budding writers during classroom visits and shares insights with aspiring authors at conferences. Watch for her #50PreciousWords International Contest in March and the #50PreciousWordsforKids Challenge in May. You can find her online here:
On her website: viviankirkfield.com
Facebook: Vivian Kirkfield
Twitter: @viviankirkfield
Pinterest: @viviankirkfield
Instagram: @viviankirkfield