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 Behind
the Book Interview Natasha
Anastasia Tarpley, Author
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| Kulture
Kidz: |
Tell us a little
about yourself. What are some things you like to do
in your free time?
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| Ms. Tarpley |
I like to travel.
I also enjoy cooking. I am addicted to cooking shows,
so I'm always trying out new recipes. I love music,
especially jazz, and try to hear live shows as often
as I can. I've also gotten into exercising regularly-helps
clear my brain. And of course, I love to read. Even
though I participate in these activities when I'm
not working, they fuel my creativity, and my writing,
I think, is better as a result. |
| Kulture
Kidz: |
What role did
books play in your childhood? |
| Ms.
Tarpley |
Books were a major
element of my childhood. I grew up with two sisters
and a brother in Chicago, Illinois.
We were very active kids-always
making up
games, always running around. And our parents made
sure we were involved in wide array of extra-curricular
activities. Books, for me, were yet another source
of adventure. One of my favorite things in the world
was to go to the library with my Dad, or to the
bookstore with my Mom. I would spend hours picking
out my books, a process that involved all of my
senses: I'd smell the pages, listen to the spine
crack, feel the weight of the book in my hand. Reading
for me, was a way to escape into whole other worlds,
to have an outlet all my own, which, as a
shy little girl, was very important.
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| Kulture
Kidz: |
What were some
of your favorite books as a child? |
| Ms.
Tarpley |
There are so many
books that I loved, that it's hard to list them by
title. I loved the Little House on the Prairie books,
Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary (especially Ramona and
Beezus), Louise Fitzhugh, Ezra Jack Keats (A Letter
for Amy, Snowy Day). And I really enjoyed hearing
folk and fairy tales, which my parents and librarians
often read to us. |
| Kulture
Kidz: |
When did you first
notice you had a talent for writing? |
| Ms.
Tarpley |
I started writing
very early in my childhood. I learned by watching
my mother, who also used to write when I was young.
Writing was just something that I enjoyed doing. Then
I started noticing that other people seemed to like
my work, and my parents and teachers were always encouraging
me to keep writing. When I was a sophomore in high
school, I published my first poem, and made the connection
between my own writing and the work I read by other
people. A light bulb went off in my head-hey, I can
do that! I began to think of writing as something
that I could do for a living. I've been writing and
publishing ever since. |
| Kulture
Kidz: |
What influenced
you to write Bippity Bop Barbershop? I understand
this is the companion book to your first book I
Love My Hair. |
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Ms. Tarpley
|
 In
I Love My Hair,
I wanted to highlight the special bond between mother
and daughter, as well as to celebrate our creativity
as African Americans and the features that make us
beautiful and unique. Rituals like combing hair, telling
stories, etc, are so vital to our sense of self and
our connection to our heritage. I think readers really
respond to this element in I Love My Hair.
But a lot of parents of little boys were looking for
a book in which their sons could see themselves
reflected more directly.
 So, I talked to men about the special rituals they
remembered from their childhood, and many
recalled going to the barbershop. I also used to
wear my hair short, and sometimes went to the barbershop
to have it cut. I remember the comfortable feeling
inside the shop, the easy way the men interacted
and joked with one another. In fact, being there
reminded me of the times I shared with my mother
while she combed my hair, the way we laughed and
talked. I thought the barbershop would be a great
counterpart to the mother-daughter experience
for little boys. Thus,
Bippity-Bop Barbershop was born!
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| Kulture
Kidz: |
Do you have any
advice for young writers? |
| Ms.
Tarpley |
First and foremost
read everything that you can get your hands, fingers,
feet, toes, or teeth on. Reading other writers helps
you to find your own voice, and teaches you a tremendous
amount about technique-what makes a story effective
and what doesn't, structure, pacing, etc. Write as
often as you can. It's like learning to play a musical
instrument, you have to practice. Be selfish about
your work, don't let anyone make you feel as though
you shouldn't be doing what you're doing. Stay focused
on your work, even if you are in a position where
you can't write as much as you want.
I did many things, including
going to law school and working full-time as a reporter,
before I was able to write full-time. It's really
easy to let a job, or school, or friends take you
away from your work. But if writing is something
you want to do, you have to make it a priority and
find ways to do it. Make notes on the train
or during lunch, daydream about what you're working
on for a few minutes in your spare time, plan some
outings that are related to your subject matter,
anything to maintain a connection with your writing.
That said, don't make writing a chore. If you're
stuck, take a break. Go for a walk, watch a movie.
Have fun.
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| Kulture
Kidz: |
Thanks
so much Ms. Tarpley for your time! |
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