An Inside Look with J.M.M. Nuanez
*Season #SIX (Summer 2019)
How did you come to know Jack and Birdie?
Most of my story ideas come from a vision or image that suddenly pops into my head. Usually the image is of a character or characters in a scene. It’s hard to know where these visions come from—sometimes they are based on someone I see on the street. I assume a lot of them are an amalgamation of the media I consume—movies, books, podcasts, video games. For Jack and Birdie, it was the same: they appeared to me on my walk home from work. They were standing there, hand in hand, with looks of determination on their faces, like it was them against the world. The looked absolutely ordinary other than the fact that Birdie was wearing a skirt over his jeans. I went home and immediately started free-writing, and Jack’s voice quickly became sharp in my ear and I wrote and wrote just to get to know her and her brother’s story.
What do you think are their most admirable qualities?
Individuality. Strength. Loyalty.
Is there anything you wish they would have changed or done differently in their story?
Nope. I try not to look back too much once something is final—and anyway, BIRDIE AND ME is no longer mine. It’s published and out in the world. The story belongs to everyone now.
What do you think they can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what they went through?
There are two things that I hope people reading BIRDIE AND ME receive: knowledge and acknowledgment. I hope they realize that if they are different, if they are outside of the box, if they aren’t even sure what kind of boxes exist, I hope they know that they aren’t alone. They are valid people deserving of love. Secondly, I hope they are inspired and challenged to think about what other people—even supposed “enemies”—might be going through. Everyone has a story. Everyone is trudging through their own set of challenges. I hope they see that adults often don’t have all or any of the answers, but it’s important to keep seeking help and support, and to keep looking for the people who truly love them, even if they don’t always get it right. Those people are out there, even if it may take a while to find them.
How did you research Jack and Birdie and the circumstances they found themselves in?
Holy bananas! So. Much. Research. I read books, I talked to kids and some parents, I watched documentaries, I scoured social media sites and traveled in the real world. From my research, the biggest truth I found was that for people (and especially kids ) who identify as gender non-conforming, there is no one ultimate way to be. The expectation that any one person should know exactly who they are, how to label or identify themselves, and how to present themselves at all times is a fruitless and sometimes dangerous expectation. Instead of having all the answers and labels, it’s more important to be authentic to who you really are, even when you don’t understand it. And that’s something I tried to include in the book.
Do you and the two characters share any similarities?
Both Jack and I are older siblings. I think I was definitely working through feelings and thoughts about what it means to be an older sibling, what my responsibilities were and are and what it was like growing up being a responsible sibling caregiver. My situation wasn’t as unstable as Jack and Birdie’s, but with five of us, and sixteen years between me and my youngest sibling, I was inevitably drawn into caregiving circumstances (which I think is very natural for eldest and older siblings). Even though my siblings and I are now all adults, I still think about my responsibilities toward them and my position as the eldest. With Birdie, I definitely share a love for the outlandish and fabulous. I’m not really into sparkles and dresses, but I do love rainbows and food fashion accessories!
What was the hardest scene to write about them?
Endings are always, always, always hard. I knew what I wanted the emotional resting place to be, but getting there plot-wise was difficult. Trying to orchestrate a climax that felt tense, but also real and meaningful was extremely challenging. I really felt like I was “being a writer” and “working through my craft.” I thought a lot about the beats of a scene, and the specifics of character development in every sentence and how tension was being raised and then lowered. Most editing is pretty technical for me, whereas the early drafts are like 95% feeling. So, getting the ending right really challenged my writing chops.
Now, as far as emotionally, writing the fire scene was tough. In order for me to write any scene, I have to really see it all—what I mean is, with my eyes open or shut, I have to be able to imagine everything that happens and see it like I see a movie in my head. I make myself feel the emotions of the characters, and see the scene through each of their eyes so that I can accurately and authentically get their motivations, emotions, and actions right. So, the fire scene was difficult. Also, the confrontation at Janet’s trailer was likewise difficult. But that one was mostly adrenaline based—started and over in a flash.
Who do you think were their biggest supporters and why?
Despite the shortcomings of the adults around them, I think most of them really do love and support Birdie and Jack. Their uncles each provide crucial support, and although alone they fall quite short, together, the kids have a lot of what they need. Of course the quiet heroism of their local librarian, Ms. Perkins, as well as Carl’s girlfriend, Rosie, give the kind of encouragement and love the kids need. And let’s not forget Jack’s friend, Janet. She offers crucial peer support to both Jack and Birdie and through her companionship they can be real kids.
Why do you think young people are sometimes more resilient during difficult and challenging times in life, than the adults around them?
I think as a kid, your expectations are constantly changing and so are your goals—so, often, instead of being totally crushed by a difficult time, you just move the goal posts. And because you don’t have as many years under your belt, you tend to be more flexible (both physically and emotionally). When we are adults there is often so, so, so much baggage. That history, years of difficult experiences and pain, often add up and make it hard to believe it will get better. Most kids—thankfully—don’t have that baggage to bog them down.
What do you think Jack and Birdie are doing as the present time?
It is up to the reader now. Jack and Birdie and their story after the last page exist in the readers’ minds and hearts. I think what the reader sees is what is. Perhaps one day, I’ll give Jack and Birdie’s future more thought and I’ll want to write more. But for now, I have no plans to do so, and so for me, their future belongs to those who love them.
SEASON #SIX (Summer 2019)
Interview #122 with Tamara Bundy (Author of Pixie Pushes On)
Interview #123 with Lindsay Lackey (Author of All the Impossible Things)
Interview #124 with Tae Keller (Author of When You Trap a Tiger)
Interview #125 with Jamie Sumner (Author of Roll With It)
Interview #126 with Hena Khan (Author of More to the Story)
Interview #127 with Phil Bildner (Author of A High-Five for Glenn Burke)
Interview #128 with Leslie Connor (Author of A Home for Goddesses and Dogs)
Interview#129 with Gillian McDunn (Author of Queen Bee and Me)
Interview #130 with Jody J. Little (Author of Worse Than Weird)
Interview #131 with Jenn Bishop (Author of Things You Can't Say)
Interview #132 with Kaela Noel (Author of Coo)
Interview #133 with Rebecca Stead (Author of The List of Things That Will Not Change)
Interview #134 with Gae Polisner (Author of Jack Kerouac is Dead to Me)
Interview #135 with Emily Blejwas (Author of Like Nothing Amazing Ever Happened)
Interview #136 with Joy McCullough (Author of A Field Guide to Getting Lost)
Interview #137 with Kim Baker (Author of the Water Bears)
Interview #138 with Erin Entrada Kelly (Author of We Dream of Space)
Interview #139 with Jess Redman (Author of Quintessence)
Interview #140 with Melanie Conklin (Author of Every Missing Piece)
Interview #141 with Lindsey Stoddard (Author of Brave Like That)
Interview #158 with Rebecca Ansari (Author of The In-Between)
Interview #159 with John David Anderson (Author of One Last Shot)
Interview #160 with Tracy Holczer (Author of Brave in the Woods)
Interview #161 with James Bird (Author of The Brave)
Interview #162 with Marcella Pixley (Author of Trowbridge Road)
Interview #163 with Barbara O'Connor (Author of Halfway to Harmony)
Interview #164 with Alan Gratz (Author of Ground Zero)
Interview #165 with Lisa Fipps (Author of Starfish)
Interview #166 with Ann Braden (Author of Flight of the Puffin)
Interview #167 with Kimberly Willis Holt (Author of The Ambassador of NoWhere Texas)
Interview #168 with Elana K. Arnold (Author of The House That Wasn't There)
Interview #169 with Erin Soderberg (Author of The Great Peach Experiment)
Interview #170 with Donna Gephart (Author of Abby, Tried, and True)
Interview #171 with M. Evan Wolkenstein (Author of Turtle Boy)
Interview #172 with Lindsey Stoddard (Author of Bea is for Blended)
Interview #173 with Jess Redman (Author of The Adventure is Now)
Interview #174 with David Levithan (Author of The Mysterious Disappearance of Aiden)
Interview #175 with Chris Grabenstein (Author of The Smartest Kid in the Universe)
Interview #176 with Ali Standish (Author of The Mending Summer)
Interview #177 with Holly Goldberg Sloan (Author of The Elephant in the Room)
Interview #178 with Jeff Zentner (Author of In the Wild Light)
SEASON #ELEVEN (Fall/Winter 2021)
Interview #179 with Katherine Applegate (Author of Willow)
Interview #180 with Padma Venkatraman (Author of Born Behind Bars)
Interview #181 with R.J. Palacio (Author of Pony)
Interview #182 with Kyle Lukoff (Author of Too Bright to See)
Interview #183 with Barbara Dee (Author of Violets are Blue)
Interview #184 with Anne Ursu (Author of The Troubled Girls of Dragonmir Academy)
Interview #185 with Margaret Finnegan (Author of We Could Be Heroes)
Interview #186 with Jasmine Warga (Author of Shape of Thunder)
Interview #187 with Joseph Bruchac (Author of Rez Dogs)
Interview #188 with Kathryn Erskine (Author of Lily's Promise)
Interview #189 with Elly Swartz (Author of Dear Student)
Interview #190 with Heather Clark (Author of Lemon Drop Falls)
Interview #191 with Veera Hiranandani (Author of How to Find What You're Not Looking For)
Interview #192 with Elizabeth Eulberg (Author of The Best Worst Summer)
Interview #193 with Cathy Carr (Author of 365 Days to Alaska)
Interview #194 with Carol Cujec and Peyton Goddard (Authors of REAL)
Interview #195 with Gillian McDunn (Author of These Lucky Stars)
Interview #196 with Alyssa Colman (Author of The Gilded Girl)
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