In most cases, writers and illustrators do not have contact with one another and communication is done through editors. In your case, there would not necessarily be a need for a middle person. This can be good and this can be...well it can be a bit of a challenge. How was it working together? Were there any challenges?
Anna: We’re still married, so that’s a good sign! Of course, for me, having Chris right downstairs was a huge bonus. I knew I didn’t want these creatures to be human or a particular animal and I could express that to Chris, who was on board with that idea from the beginning. After that point, I had to learn to keep quiet and let him do his job. Which he sometimes/often had to kindly remind me. That was the biggest challenge for me because I was trained as a visual storyteller, so when I write, I picture everything. But I’m pretty certain it was a lot tougher for Chris because I’m so opinionated. Fortunately, we’re both thrilled with the way the book came out. And we’re still talking to each other.
Christopher: Having Anna as the in-house writer to bounce ideas off of was such an asset for me. Luckily, we both have similar sensibilities so we were already on the same page when we discussed the writing and illustration. Once we found the creative space for each of us to have our own vision for the book (an important step), then we were able to move forward together and benefit from each other’s strengths. Not surprisingly, it was a like a marriage in that regard.
Anna - I noticed in your bio on the jacket flap that you like to read, travel, laugh, eat, and nap. What was the last book you read that made you laugh out loud?
It’s been a while, but off the top of my head: Naked by David Sedaris, A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole, and Bossypants by Tina Fey.
One place you would love to travel to?
There are so many places I’d love to visit: Africa, Eastern Europe, India, Turkey, and more specifically, Angkor Wat, Petra, Machu Picchu, the Pyramids, and a bunch of places in the U.S.
Favorite hole in the wall restaurant?
The food trucks in Los Angeles, In-N-Out Burger, and Sao Mai in the East Village. Sao Mai has great pho.
Are you a cat-napper or long afternoon naps?
I’m definitely a cat-napper. After a fifteen-minute snooze, I feel human again.
Christopher - How was the process of completing a picture book similar or different from the cartoons that you draw for The New Yorker?
I found the process to be very different. With my New Yorker cartoons, I’m the sole author and artist so it’s one direct path from my brain to the page. Also, since it’s only a single panel cartoon in black and white, the execution is quick.
As the illustrator for You Are (Not) Small, I had the opportunity to focus on Anna’s wonderful characters and bring them to life visually. I enjoyed the process of working in color, creating characters and having fun with their personalities. The visual timing for humor in a children’s book is so different than that of New Yorker cartoons as well. Being able to do both types of art was amazingly rewarding.
