It was hard then, as now, to find children’s books featuring African American boys. There are websites where you can upload your manuscript and have a book made, or have a book made every time someone buys it. In her writing, she often lingers in the details of daily life, celebrating identity and community. While a sophomore in high school, the Chicago native began to gather publication credits for her poetry. Congratulations on all of your successes! BBS:   Was it a more or less challenging process to write Princess Tiana, compared to your other PBs? BBS:   What’s the one piece of advice you have for newbie writers—that they likely haven’t heard before? Required fields are marked *, copyright 2007 - 2020 by The Brown Bookshelf. NT:      Yes, it was the first children’s book that I wrote. And don’t be afraid to try things outside of how you’ve defined your work. Great interview! It’s called, Princess Tiana and the Royal Ball. And even if kids don’t become writers, I believe books open doorways and windows that allow them to glimpse the possibilities of the world and who they might become. BBS:   I know all of your work has special meaning to you. These things are part of who I am. What’s the one question they seem ask you more than any other?

I look forward to getting this book for my little princess. Bippity Bop Barbership was a favorite of my oldest years ago.

So, I started working on a series of first-person narratives that explored these themes. She earned a BA at Harvard University and a JD at Northwestern University School of Law. BBS:   What did receiving the NEA Fellowship mean to you…and for your writing career? Great interview. Lewis; Destiny’s Gift (2002), illustrated by Adjoa Burrowes; and I Love My Hair! The rest was the universe smiling on me–I was shocked when I won. See, now, pretty much EVERY interview should end with the important question about cobbler vs. beignets. And I will definitely be picking up a copy of her vesion of Princess Tiana and the Royal Ball for my youngest daughter (we both loved the movie)! BBS:   You’re an author that goes on school visits, and presents to children regularly. I love the book I love my hair and Princess Tiana and the royal ball. That’s crucial information, there. NT:      Yes, it was a little easier. NT:      Be open and creative in your approach to your work. Was it the first one you wrote? NT:      Parents and teachers and others basically introduce kids to books, and help to shape what their relationship to books and reading (and writing) will be. Before you leave us…Airplanes or Trains? A selection of her papers related to three of her children’s books is held in the Children’s Literature Research Collections at the University of Minnesota. At the age of seven, Natasha Anastasia Tarpley began to write alongside her aspiring writer-mother. I remember the smells, the sounds of libraries.

It’s called, Princess Tiana and the Royal Ball (Disney Press). BBS:   What new children’s book projects are you working on? I wanted to try to find a way to get closer to the voices and experiences of my ancestors. Natasha writes beautiful books. BBS:   I Love My Hair was the first picture book that you published. BBS:   In addition to writing picture books, you’ve also co-edited an interesting anthology entitled What I Know is Me. Very INSPIRING! NT:      That was a collection of writings by talented young African American girls from around the country, co-edited with a young lady who was 19 at the time. (1997), illustrated by E.B. Writing for Disney must have been quite a challenge – I look forward to picking up the new Princess book, and know it will be just as magical as the film. A companion book followed (Bippity Bop Barbershop, Little Brown), along with two more picture books (Joe-Joe’s First Flight, A A Knopf; and Destiny’s Gift, Lee and Low). http://www.writer-on-line.com/content/view/322/66/~Articles/Memoir/An-Interview-with-Natasha-Tarpley.html. At Harvard University, Tarpley enrolled in her first writing workshop…long after a love of the written word was already in her blood. BBS:   In the span of two years, you published three more picture books: Bippity Bop Barbershop, Joe-Joe’s First Flight, and Destiny’s Gift. Her honors include fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Massachusetts Cultural Council. NT:      I was able to read the screenplay. What are some practical ways they can do this? But these days there are also many alternatives to traditional publishing. So, in short, I think it is VERY important for parents and educators to model and reinforce the importance of reading and writing-and also the pleasures of these things.

From there, I talk about what happens when a publisher decides to accept the book (i.e., contracts, payment of an advance, etc). great interview, thanks to you both, and i love the advice for new writers. I love those books because it shows me I can have different hairstyles.

I had an idea for a story about a little girl and her mother combing the little girl’s hair every night–based on my own hair-combing ritual with my mom, and that became I Love my Hair!, my first children’s book. Princess Tiana showed me that everyone makes mistakes all the time.
The others were not immediately accepted by the first publishers my agent sent them to, but because I had published before, it was easier to get editors to read the new manuscripts. And don’t be afraid to approach people with ideas for projects.” With Disney, I had been following the story of how African American parents were petitioning Disney to create an African American Princess.

Without further ado, day five’s  featured author—Natasha Tarpley. The Harlem Charade; Selma Takes the Stage; Joe Joe’s First Flight; I Love My Hair! I’ve read I Love My Hair to my daughter many times. BBS:   The seeds of your writing career were planted early, simply by your observing your mother use writing as a means of self-expression and establishing goals. But if you had to choose just one, which book or project would you say is closest to your heart? Tell us about it. And the grant funding enabled me to take time off from school to write—I wrote my book, Girl in the Mirror, during that period. NT:      When I got to Harvard, I really wanted to explore African American history and identity in a deeper way than what was being taught in my Afro-Am classes. And thanks, Natasha, for your heartfelt answers.

Could you first describe the nature of these poems, then recount the chain of events that resulted in your competing for–and winning–this prestigious award? At Harvard University, Tarpley enrolled in her first writing workshop…long after a love of the written word was already in her blood. LOVED this interview, Tameka! My mom and dad always read to us, we had a regular story hour at school. What made you decide to start writing for children? Lewis; The Harlem Charade (2017); The Princess and the Frog: Princess Tiana and the Royal Ball (2009), illustrated by James Finch; Bippity Bop Barbershop (2009), illustrated by E.B. If you’re a poet, be a poet, but be open to the many ways of being a poet in the world. NT:      I’m working on a few middle-grade and young adult novels. She earned a BA at Harvard University and a JD at Northwestern University School of Law. Unfortunately, the book was never released. While a sophomore in high school, the Chicago native began to gather publication credits for her poetry. All wonderful. So nice to learn more about Ms. Tarpley and her writing journey! Tarpley’s most recent work is based on the historic Disney-animated film, The Princess and the Frog. NT:      It was really an affirmation that I was moving in the right direction in my life. These rituals, these stories really make a difference. BBS:   You began your writing career with adult-oriented books that were analytical and introspective in nature.

If you haven’t read her other titles, check them out. How did your relationship with Disney and this book come to be? I’d love to read this with my daughters. And then I tell them about submitting to (and working with) agents, versus submitting directly to publishers. This Week in Diversity: The Pervasiveness of Racism « the open book, Windows/Mirrors Book Review: Each Kindness | L. M. Quraishi, Children's Book Writer, https://aalbc.com/authors/author.php?author_name=Natasha+Anastasia+Tarpley, STEM Read on the Scene: SCBWI Presents “How Children’s Books Will Save Us” – STEM Read, On Becoming Muhammad Ali: A Conversation with Kwame Alexander, 30 Books for Young Readers that Celebrate Black Joy. Your email address will not be published. I was required to produce a book-length manuscript for my thesis, and I submitted these poems to the NEA and the Massachusetts Cultural Council. NT:      I talk about the traditional publishing process of writing a manuscript, and the importance of editing; about how I go through multiple drafts of everything that I write. As an already published author, was it easier to sell these next three? Lewis and winner of a BlackBoard Children’s Book of the Year Award. i’m also grateful for ms. tarpley’s books about appreciating your hair! BBS:   Did you get to screen the movie before writing the book? As a result of experiences she underwent while matriculating, Tarpley changed her major from German (which she had studied since second grade) to African American Studies. I remember the books my parents read, the way they read them. Maybe I Love My Hair, because it was inspired by my relationship with my mom, who is my best friend. BBS:   What is the one thing you’ve learned by doing these visits that you didn’t realize before? Natasha Tarpley; Voonderbar! A former journalist, she is the author of the memoir Girl in the Mirror: Three Generations of Black Women in Motion (1998), and her fiction has been anthologized in Brown Sugar: A Collection of Erotic Black Fiction (2001), edited by Carol Taylor.
NT:      It was still challenging because I had to work with characters and situations that had already been established, and at the same time, be creative. How necessary is it for parents to model the importance of reading and writing to their kids? I established a connection with her, and she asked me to write the book when it was time. BBS:   Thanks so much, Natasha, for visiting with us today! This is why what you all do is so very important. This interview was the most informative information I could find about Natasha on the web. At the age of seven, Natasha Anastasia Tarpley began to write alongside her aspiring writer-mother. Natasha Tarpley; Voonderbar! NT:      I don’t know. (2020), illustrated by E.B. BBS:   Back in 1994, you received a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, as well as a fellowship from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, for a collection of first person narrative poems you wrote. NT:      I always tell young writers, “Be open and creative in the way that you approach your work. For Bippity Bop Barbershop, the publisher asked me to write a companion book to I Love My Hair, based on the success of that book. Media; Blog; News & Events; Workshop; Consulting; Contact; Books. I also love that Ms. Tarpley has written TWO books about hair! BBS:   Natasha, welcome to The Brown Bookshelf. I knew that once Disney made a film, there would also be a book—and I wanted to write it! Thanks, Tameka, for asking great questions. Poet, memoirist, and children’s book author Natasha Anastasia Tarpley grew up in Chicago. BBS:   Your latest book is based on the newest Disney-animated film, The Princess and the Frog. So I met an editor at Disney, who introduced me to the editor who would be working on the Princess book. She lives in Chicago. Educators and parents need to encourage them and to create spaces for them to publish and learn more about their craft. In her writing, she often lingers in the details of daily life, celebrating identity and community. Media; Blog; News & Events; Workshop; Consulting ; Contact; 0 Items. . It was then that she began to write a series of poems which would later garner two fellowships, including the prestigious National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship.

NT:      “How do you get your books published?”.