Once Upon A World Book Award Winner - Gretchen Woelfle

On November 2, I attended the Awards Program for The Once Upon A World Book Award. The event took place at The Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. This award was established by Sonia Levitin and her family to "support and perpetuate the values and mandate of the Simon Wiesenthal Center & Museum of Tolerance by honoring children's books ... which deal with issues of tolerance, diversity, human understanding and social justice, thus inspiring a young reader to promote positive change in the world."

In previous years, only one book for younger readers was chosen. This year, the Young Adult category was added. The books that were honored this year are SURFER OF THE CENTURY by Ellie Crowe for younger readers, and JEANETTE RANKIN: POLITICAL PIONEER by Gretchen Woelfle, for YA. Gretchen is a local writer, and I was delighted when she invited me to this wonderful event and took the time to share her thoughts about the award and some other exciting activities related to her book.

What inspired you to write about Jeanette Rankin, the first woman elected to congress?

Back in the 1990s I worked as a scriptwriter for interactive multimedia educational programs. One of our projects was called 100 American Heroes and during my research I discovered Jennette Rankin. I’d never heard of her, and was intrigued by this woman who was ahead of her time in many ways. Years later, after I became a book author, I discovered there were no full-length children’s biographies of her – and off I went.

How much research was involved?

Any biographer will tell you that research can be endless, and for me that’s a plus. When you choose someone who lived nearly as century – 1880-1973 – and was involved in most of the political movements of that century, you can research endlessly. [Deep dark secret: Often I find research a lot more fun and a lot easier than writing.] I did all the usual things: read books and researched online for primary documents. It’s hard to imagine how books got written before the internet! My picture research led me to the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs collection (online!) and to state historical societies and university libraries. The Papers of Jeannette Rankin are stored at the Schlesinger Library at Harvard and they sent sixteen rolls of microfilm to my local library. Rankin had a clipping service while she was in Congress and I found all sorts of tasty tidbits to include in the illustrations.

What was the most fascinating thing you learned during the research process?

Rankin didn’t like to write, but she loved to talk. Fortunately the Suffragfist Oral History Project at Berkeley recorded several interviews with her in 1972. Transcripts of those interviews are now online and I was able to download and read 275 pages of Jeannette’s own words and speech patterns. Thus I was able to include many direct quotes from Rankin in my book.

Tell me a little bit about the video conference you had on election day.

As you know, Jeannette Rankin: Political Pioneer, won the first Young Adult Once Upon A World Award from the Simon Wiesenthal Center/Museum of Tolerance. Two days after a lovely award ceremony, I took part in a video conference at the museum with three groups of students – a middle school from south central LA, a private Jewish girls’ school, and a group of middle schoolers in Missoula, Montana (Rankin’s hometown.) A week before this event I had traveled to Missoula to take part in the Montana Festival of the Book, and had given a talk to the students who took part in the video conference. For an hour the three groups and I talked about Jeannette Rankin and how I wrote the book. Toward the end, one student from each group stood up on a “soapbox” and told us about his or her hero. A girl in Montana chose Rankin for her courage and perseverance. A boy from LA described his mother, who never gave up working for what she wanted – just like Jeannette.

What are you working on now?

I seem to have caught the biography bug and am working on several of them – from picture books to YA – from American history. I find that as I do background research for one subject, I come across a second and then a third. Writing biographies combines the best of fiction and nonfiction. You’ve got all the elements of fiction to work with -- protagonist, conflicts, setting, narrative arc – and you get to do all that research!

Gretchen, thanks for taking the time to chat abour your work and for showing readers and writers that non-fiction really is exciting!

If you would like to learn more about Gretchen and her books, please check out her web site at http://www.gretchenwoelfle.com/

Sonia Levitin Brings The Return to the Stage!

Sonia Levitin is the award winning author of over 40 books. Most recently, she was honored with the Sydney Taylor Book Award for STRANGE RELATIONS (Knopf, 2007). Sonia has a new project on the horizon, a musical version of THE RETURN (Atheneum, 1987), an emotional story about Operation Moses - the rescue airlift of Ethiopian Jews. Sonia is also committed to social action and works with organizations to fight intolerance and slavery. She is a shining example of tikkun olam - repairing the world with her meaningful work. I was honored that Sonia could take time out of a very busy production schedule to share some insights about the musical.

How did the idea of creating a musical come about?

I have always loved musicals. The first one I ever saw was SOUTH PACIFIC,when I was in high school. I was hooked. I learned all the songs and love them still.To me,it is the best form of entertainment.

Of all your books, why did you choose THE RETURN to create a musical?

I think RETURN has the most to offer as a musical,with its universal theme of the longing for freedom,its inter-cultural cast of characters. I think a musical needs great variety in story content and an intriguing locale. RETURN has all of these.

Do you have a background in musical theatre?

My only background in musical theater is the love of it, and appreciation of the art form--which, incidentally, has grown tremendously as I've been working with the talented people who must join together to create a musical.

What type of research was required to write the play?

For the book I did an enormous amount of research to get the ethnographic and political/social details. I went to Israel several times and interviewed Ethiopian immigrants, anthropologists, teachers, doctors, politicians and aid workers. I studied documentary films, books, anything I could get my hands on about Ethiopia and the Beta Israel tribe--the black Jews. I traveled to other states for interviews, steeped myself in Ethiopian culture. When it came to writing the play, I re-checked my original sources and conferred quite a few times with people who have been to Ethiopia and worked there: Barbara Ribakove Gordon, executive director and founder of NACOEJ, the North America Conference of Ethiopian Jewry, and Dick and Middie Giesberg of Los Angeles, who are tireless supporters and workers in that organization.

What do you hope the audience learns from the show?

First of all I want the audience to come away from the show having had a fabulous experience of entertainment and inspiration. I want them to feel good about having been part of a rescue experience that is still going on today. I want them to be singing the wonderful songs by composer Will Anderson.I hope they will have learned that "falasha" is a pejorative, that ordinary people from the U.S., England and other nations extended their hearts and their pocketbooks to save oppressed strangers in Africa, and that the country of Israel gave them sanctuary, averting a possible genocide. I want them to realize that for the first time in all history, white people helped to bring black people out of slavery and into freedom, and that it is possible to change the world for the better.

How does it feel to see your story come to life on stage?

Watching my story come to the stage is an astounding, overwhelming feeling. When I hear the songs and see the scenes, I remember the Ethiopian immigrants who told me their stories, which I wove into the drama. It pulls me back and affects me anew each time, making me feel the emotions of sorrow, pity, anger, joy. I also feel a strong bond with the actors, director, and all the people behind the scenes who are working many, many hours every day and night to bring this show to life.

How can your fans see the show?

To see the show, call the box office at the Edgemar Theater:310-392-7327, and check out the web site at www.returnthemusical.com

What are some fun facts about you?

I am crazy about animals. My husband once pointed out that I talk to every animal I see, be it a horse, bird, dog, cat or lizard. I also love babies and children. I will hug a tree. I like to hike, to paint, to play the piano. The first is a priority, because we have two dogs who are always ready to go places. I forgive them their foibles--and they forgive mine. As in the show's premise, I do believe in "SIGNS." A little bit of magic, premonition, attention to the "Unseen" and the unusual makes life interesting, I think.

Sonia, thanks for taking the time to share the news about RETURN THE MUSICAL. It's been a delight. Break a leg!