Kate DiCamillo

BRC: Where did the idea for BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE come from?

Kate DiCamillo: I think it came from longing: longing for home and longing for a dog. I wrote the story during the worst winter on record in Minnesota (brrrrr!) when I was missing Florida (where I grew up); also, my apartment building does not allow dogs. But imaginary dogs aren't against the rules. So I made one up to keep me (and Opal) company.

BRC: When did you decide that you wanted to write/illustrate children's books?

Kate DiCamillo: I've always wanted to write and to tell stories; but I didn't start working on children's books until I got a job at a book warehouse on the children's floor. When I started reading some of the books, I was so impressed and moved that I decided I wanted to try it, too.

BRC: Have you had formal writing training?

Kate DiCamillo: I have a Bachelor's of Art in English, which means I had a lot of formal training in READING. But all that reading has served me well as a writer, I think.

BRC: How do you support yourself (are you writing full-time?)

Kate DiCamillo: I work full-time in a used bookstore.

BRC: What's a typical day like for you?

Kate DiCamillo: I get up. I drink a cup of coffee. I think, ""the last thing I want to do is write,"" then I go to the computer and write. My goal is two pages a day, five days a week. I like that Dorothy Parker quote: ""I hate writing, I love having written."" I never want to write, but I'm always glad that I have done it. After I write, I go to work at the bookstore.

BRC: And what would be your ideal arrangement?

Kate DiCamillo: Ideally, I'd like to work part time at the bookstore. That would give me more time to contend with all the ""office work"" of writing: answering mail, returning phone calls, submitting manuscripts, going to the post office, etc.

BRC: Whose work has influenced you?

Kate DiCamillo: As an adult reading children's books, I have been deeply influenced by Katherine Paterson, Karen Hesse and Patricia MacLachlan.

BRC: What was your favorite book(s) as a kid?

Kate DiCamillo: I read everything I could get my hands on when I was a kid. And I loved it all. Some favorites were: THE TWENTY-ONE BALLOONS, THE SECRET GARDEN, THE YEARLING, RIBSY and a strange little book called SOMEBODY ELSE'S SHOES.

BRC: Were there books you loved as a child that continue to be important to you as either models or inspiration for the work you do now?

Kate DiCamillo: Every well-written book is a light for me. When you write, you use other writers and their books as guides in the wilderness. I am deeply appreciative of all those writers who work hard to tell their stories right and true, thereby showing me the way to tell my own stories.

BRC: What kind of attention have you received for your book (reviews, signings, newspaper articles, school visits, etc.)?

Kate DiCamillo: BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE has gotten a lot of (mostly good) reviews; and I have done quite a few signings at bookstores, libraries and conferences. The local newspaper did a feature article on the book (and me!). And I have received phone calls and letters from people (kids and adults) who liked the book and wanted to let me know.

BRC: Has this changed your life in any way?

Kate DiCamillo: Yes! I am busier now than I ever imagined I would be; but I feel blessed in that I have found what I am supposed to be doing with my life. It's wonderful to tell stories and have people listen to them.

BRC: What has been the biggest thrill about having your first children's book published?

Kate DiCamillo: Hands down, the biggest thrill is to get a letter from a kid saying, "I loved your book. Will you write me another one?"

BRC: What are you working on now?

Kate DiCamillo: Right now, I am working on a collection of short stories for adults and a novel for young adults.

BRC: Do you have any books scheduled for publication?

Kate DiCamillo: THE TIGER RISING, a young adult novel, is scheduled for publication by Candlewick Press in March of 2001.

BRC: What are they about?

Kate DiCamillo: THE TIGER RISING is a book about a boy named Rob Horton who finds a tiger in a cage in the woods and who, on the same day he discovers the tiger, also meets a girl named Sistine Bailey. The story is about what happens when you share your heart with somebody else; and it is also about the danger of keeping things locked up.

--------- Shannon Maughan

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