An Inside Look with Caroline Gertler
*Season #SIX (Summer 2019)
How did you come to know Georgia?
Getting to know Georgia was a long process for me. I started this book with a concept—a girl who discovers something about her father’s art after his death—and then wrote a few drafts and iterations of the story, and got to know Georgia through the development of the book.
What do you think is her most admirable quality?
Georgia comes off as unlikable to some readers, who think she’s too focused on herself. But I think it’s admirable that Georgia doesn’t just cover up her sadness and jealousy, and instead, works through these complicated feelings.
Is there anything you wish she would have changed or done differently in her story?
I wish Georgia never felt like she had to make a choice between Theo and her budding friendship with Harper. It’s hard when one person in a friendship changes and grows, but it’s an experience most of us go through at some point in our lives. And we learn a lot about ourselves in the process.
What do you think Georgia can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what she went through?
Georgia’s story can show other children who are grieving that the process is messy, that it affects all areas of their lives, and that they can get through it, especially when they are surrounded by supportive people.
How did you research Georgia and the circumstances she found himself in?
I don’t personally have experience with losing a parent, but I did go through other experiences of loss with my family on an emotional level. I tapped into those feelings to explore Georiga’s grief. I also read a bit about the experience of being the child of a famous artist.
Do you and Georgia share any similarities?
I’m an observer, like Georgia. I think all artists are people who love to notice and watch the world around them.
What was the hardest scene to write about her?
Interestingly, the scene where she confesses to Evelyn, the curator at the Met, was a challenge for me. Originally, I had written that as a caper scene, where Georgia tries to steal back the drawing, and leads the security guards on a chase through the Met. But that didn’t work with the emotional tone of the rest of the book. So I had to figure out a realistic way for Georgia to confess what she did and fix it.
Who do you think was her biggest supporter and why?
Of course, Mom is a big supporter of Georgia, but outside of that, Theo. He is like a brother to Georgia, and he’s there for her through it all.
How do you think young people, like Georgia, find the strength to carry on after a great loss and are able to find their true selves in the process?
Resilience is an important quality that we all need to find within ourselves, and work to build stronger. Having supportive adults is also key for young people, but unfortunately, not everyone has that. Ultimately, realizing that your strength comes from within, not from any outside source.
What do you think Georgia is doing as the present time?
I think Georgia’s unleashed her artistic capabilities, and is really tapping into that as she grows up. Maybe she’ll even work at an art museum. And even as her friend circle expands, she’s still best friends with Theo.
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)
Interview #197 with E.L. Chen (Author of The Comeback)
Interview #198 with J.M.M. Nuanez (Author of Birdie and Me)
SEASON #TWELVE (Winter 2022)
Interview #199 with Jamie Sumner (Author of One Kid's Trash)
Interview #200 with Chad Lucas (Author of Thanks a Lot, Universe)
Interview #201 with Jenn Bishop (Author of Where We Used to Roam)
Interview #202 with Rebecca Caprara (Author of Worst-Case Collin)
Interview #203 with Leslie Connor (Author of Anybody Here Seen Frenchie?)
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