Interview on NaturalKids

I've got a Friday Feature on the NaturalKids Blog! Here it is:

Friday Feature With Alkelda

Stonewall Hinkleman, Time-Traveler: The Exclusive Interview

In the past, I’ve posted performer interviews on this blog, but decided that I would not do author interviews or book reviews. However, when I found out that Stonewall Hinkleman, THE actual Stonewall Hinkleman, whose time-traveling adventures were documented by Michael Hemphill and Sam Riddleburger in Stonewall Hinkleman and the Battle of Bull Run, was willing to be interviewed for Saints and Spinners, I jumped at the chance. Some of my favorite books of all time have been “time-slip” stories like Fog Magic by Julia L. Sauer and Justice and Her Brothers by Virginia Hamilton. You can read more about other time-slip novels over at Charlotte’s Library through her Timeslip Tuesday feature. The opportunity to speak with someone who actually traveled through time was too good to miss. Sam Riddleburger (who, in the interest of full disclosure, is a blog-friend) set up the meeting.

This interview is part of the Stonewall’s Blog Tour. The master link will guide you to other parts of the tour. You can win prizes courtesy of Dial Books For Young Readers: the Stonewall Hinkleman Prize Pack contains a signed copy of Stonewall Hinkleman & The Battle of Bull Run, a t-shirt just like Stonewall wears on the cover, plus advance copies of other Dial Books for Young Readers titles. To enter, send an email to blogtour@stonewallhinkleman.com and put "Stonewall Contest" in the subject line.

The Exclusive Interview with Time-Traveler Stonewall Hinkelman

Saints and Spinners: Stonewall, thank you for sitting down with me over lunch and answering a few questions about your new memoir, Stonewall Hinkleman and the Battle of Bull Run, as told to Michael Hemphill and Sam Riddleburger. People keep telling me that the book is not a memoir but a fictitious children's book, and that you are not real. And yet, just like Snuffleupagus, here you are. Since we are at a restaurant where you can order anything you want to eat in the whole world, what will you have?

Stonewall Hinkleman: I always like to order Pibb Extreme, because the waitresses always say “You mean, Mr. Pibb?” But, Pibb Extreme IS the real name of it. They changed it. Also, a chicken filet sandwich with just mayo. No lettuce.

S&S: With the release of the book, you’ve been getting your fair share of media attention. By the way of an extraordinary bugle that’s actually a device called a Tempest, you were able to leave the scene of the Civil War reenactment site where your parents drag you every weekend and travel back in time to the Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861. Not only that, you had to deal with the nefarious machinations of another time traveler who tried to change the course of the Civil War so that the South would win. Along the way, you got to meet your great-great-great-great uncle Cyrus. So far, what has been the most challenging part of dealing with your subsequent fame as a result of Hemphill and Riddleburger documenting your adventure?

SH: Everybody comes up to me and is like “Wow, that must have been so cool!” Uh, it's not that cool to have a bunch of maniacs trying to kill you all day long! And it's not cool trying to figure out how to make the South lose when the Yankees are the ones trying to blow your brains out and the Southern guys are your great-great-great-great uncle and his friends. That's like the definition of “not cool.”

S&S: Since the book of your adventures came out, the media has made much of your friendship with Ashby “Ash” Dupree, a girl named after Ashby Turner, another Civil War general. Ash ended up traveling back in time with you as well and sharing your adventures. What does Ash think of the book and her role in it? Has your friendship changed as a result?

SH: I miss Ash so much! I can't believe we only spent one day together and that most of that day we were getting shot at. But I haven't seen her much since we came back, since her father is trying to kill me.

SH: Your parents named you after the Confederate General Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson. Your middle name is Traveler, after Robert E. Lee’s horse. Just out of curiosity, what are your parents’ names?

SH: See that's the thing. My dad was named after Robert E. Lee. So his name is Robert. Why coudn't he have just named me Robert? Or even Jefferson? Then I could be Jeff. My mom's name is Jennifer. They don't have any idea what it's like to have a dumb name.

S&S: What are your words of advice for other would-be time travelers?

SH: Make sure you read Ben Franklin's instructions, which are way in the back of the book.

S&S: Speaking of the back of the book, it has some fascinating end-papers that document other Tempests more powerful than your bugle. Are you tempted at all to find and use them?

Actually, what I'm tempted to do is to throw out the bugle and play some video games. But, if I absolutely have to go back in time again then I sure hope I get something better than that lousy bugle. I want the mighty Hammer!

S&S: What was it like to work with Sam Riddleburger and Michael Hemphill?

SH: They're annoying.

S&S: Do you anticipate any more time-traveling adventures? If so, do you think you will continue to visit the Civil War era or will you journey elsewhere (or should I say, “elsewhen”)?

SH: Well, the Antietam re-enactment is coming up soon.

S&S: Stonewall Hinkleman, thank you so much for taking part in this interview. I wish you much success in all your present and future endeavors.

The roundup of links on Stonewall's blog tour can be found here.

Noodle's Questions

Noodle of Thoughts From My Noodle (not to be confused with the lead guitarist of Gorillaz) sent me some interview questions about storytelling, librarianship, and Brad the Gorilla. Here they are:

What made you decide to take the leap from children's librarian to storyteller?

It wasn’t so much a leap as it was a shuffle to the side. I took a storytelling class in graduate school, and started telling stories immediately with The New York Public Library. NYPL has a long, rich history of storytelling (the annual Storytelling Symposium, storytelling programs at the Hans Christian Andersen statue in Central Park, and monthly storytelling programs run by children’s librarians in the branches), and I knew that I was starting in the right place as a newly-minted librarian. However, it’s worth noting that even back then the parts of librarianship that made me come alive involved story-centered programming. In the year between college and graduate school, I worked in a daycare center for children of homeless parents as a full-time volunteer. The group of children I worked with specifically were in the 1-3 year range, and that experience was invaluable for toddler programs later on.

Do you find that you are expanding your storytelling to accommodate to older ages as your daughter grows up?

I’m actually going backwards in age. The stories I first learned were for older children and teenagers, and as the years passed, I looked for stories to appeal to younger and younger ages. Now that my daughter is four years old, I’m finally discovering the stories for babies! That said, it is now easier to practice stories with my daughter in the room.

What has been your worst experience in your storytelling career? What did you learn from it?

It was my own fault, really.

I had been working professionally as librarian for a year, and had just started a short stint at a new library branch covering for another librarian. The majority of the school visits were so much fun, and I didn’t think much of the matter when someone ran up to me after lunch with a sticky-note filled with lists of mammals and said, “There’s a teacher who wants to come in on this day and wants you to pull books off the shelf for all of these animals.”

I lost track of that sticky-note. The day came when the first grade teacher showed up with her class, and I ushered them into the story-time room. “We’re just here to research animals,” she told me. “Okay, I replied, my mind beginning to make the connection. “I’ll just tell you a couple of stories and bring you out into the children’s room. I began to tell my first story, but the adrenaline from realizing that I hadn’t planned things right kicked in too fast. The teacher interrupted me. “These are young children,” she told me, “You will have to speak more slowly.” Graciously, I stopped, then continued. After two shorts stories, I brought the children out into the room with the books, and began to pull books about specific mammals off the shelf for the children. “Did you get my message about the animals?” the teacher asked. “Yes,” I replied. Even though I embarrassed that I hadn’t been prepared, I felt cross. I thought, “Why did she even bother bringing in the children and setting up a specific class visit?”

What I learned:
1) Not everyone wants what I think they want. When I first got the message, I should have called the teacher back to find out if an official class visit was what she had really wanted rather than just a book pick-up.
2) Don’t punish the children just because I’m peeved with the adults.

Where and why did you begin your library career? How did it evolve over the years and why?

I started out as a page (i.e. shelver of books, periodicals and media materials) my junior year of college, and worked in the circulation department in graduate school (including interlibrary loans) before getting my library degree in Washington D.C. and heading out to New York. I worked 27 months at NYPL and 17 months with King County Library System. I still wonder whether or not it was the wise choice to leave my 30 hour library job in order to have a more flexible schedule and pursue creative outlets. At the time, it seemed brave (albeit scary) to leave my job, but that was with the idea that I’d become a raging success. I’ve noticed that when people make unconventional choices that do work out, everyone says, “Good job! We were behind you all the time! We always said you could do it!” but when the choices don’t work out as planned, then there are mutterings of, “Well, that certainly wasn’t the smart thing to do.”

A few weeks ago, HipWriterMama posted a link to a poem by Marge Piercy called, “For the Young Who Want To.” Here is the first stanza:

Talent is what they say
you have after the novel
is published and favorably
reviewed. Beforehand what
you have is a tedious
delusion, a hobby like knitting.

The last stanza hits home:

The real writer is one
who really writes. Talent
is an invention like phlogiston
after the fact of fire.
Work is its own cure. You have to
like it better than being loved.

For “loved,” I interpret as “other people’s approval.” Unfortunately, other people’s approval is what ultimately drives getting paid for one’s work, but that’s just the way it goes, whether it’s an audition or an interview. I have kept myself awake at night thinking of all of the things I should have done. It’s most unproductive. I try to think of stories and songs instead.

And finally . . . Is Brad the Gorilla ever going to move out?

That’s a good question. He certainly isn’t contributing to the monthly mortgage payments. However, Brad does drive away the door-to-door salespeople by shouting at them and throwing overripe bananas. You just can't pay enough for that kind of service.

Spinning Wheel Part II: Interview with Rob Hampton

Guitar teacher Rob Hampton consulting with some of his students (plus my daughter) before the Spring 2007 Coffee-Shop Jam


This week’s Spinning Wheel features my guitar teacher, Rob Hampton, of Seattle, Washington. Back in September 2004, a friend on my neighborhood listserv recommended a good guitar teacher for children. She said that this guitar teacher had a Masters Degree in Education but had found his true calling teaching guitar.

I thought, “I should talk to this person in case my daughter ever wants to play guitar.” Then, I did a double-take and said, “Wait a minute—I’m the one who wants to take guitar lessons.” I called up Rob, and while I decided that private lessons weren’t what I needed at the moment, Rob was considerate and helpful with resources on how to get started. He said, “I’m impressed that you’re even considering learning to play guitar while you’re raising a young child.”

A year later, after taking group lessons via Nancy Stewart’s Mother Goose Guitar course, I approached Rob again. Rob had to put me on a waiting list (because he’s that good and that much in demand), but soon, I was learning about methods for muscle memory, anchor fingers, chord families and the importance of having fun while practicing. Rob’s site, Heartwood Guitar Instruction, is filled with treasures: over 350 songs with chords and tabs, lessons on how to approach learning songs, videos of his students’ performances and many humorous asides.

You can read a previous interview with Rob on IG BLOG, a guitar site, in which Rob talks about his experiences teaching a seven-year-old AC/DC fan whose picks melt from thrashing it out on the open strings. You won’t want to miss the video of Wild Thing. Rob himself maintains a blog called A Guitar Teacher’s Lesson Notebook. If that weren't enough, twice a year, Rob organizes Coffee Shop Jams, which are low-stress alternatives to traditional music recitals. Family members from different generations often perform together, and many of them dress up for Halloween performances. Of course, Rob has to dress up too:


L-R: (1) Buccaneer (2) Jimi Hendrix (3) Some guitar-smashing dude


****

And now, THE INTERVIEW!


Saints and Spinners: What exactly do you do for a living?

Rob Hampton: I teach private and small group guitar lessons to kids and adults, [from] “Ain’t No Bugs On Me” to “Highway to Hell.”

S & S: How long have you been working in your chosen profession?

RH: I’ve been teaching guitar for four years now. Before that, I taught high school English for three years.

S&S: What prompted you to work with children?

RH: I was a camp counselor for a couple years in college, and served as a “manny” for a three-year-old for a few months, so I knew I liked and was good at working with kids. When I first began teaching, I was open to any and all opportunities to teach, and some of my first students were kids from Seattle Country Day School who worked with me for a half-hour before their parents came to pick them up. At first, I found working with kids a greater challenge, and not as rewarding, as working with adults. But I eventually learned how to help kids be successful on the guitar, like starting by teaching them simple melodies or bass lines on one string. I also changed my expectations. When I realized that a six-year-old will be delighted when they can play the melody to “Mary Had A Little Lamb” (a song I promised myself I wouldn’t teach when I started this career), then I let go of my expectations and just enjoyed their feelings of accomplishment.

S&S: Why do you continue to do it?

RH: I love working with kids for so many reasons. Their willingness to experiment and take musical risks is a nice counterbalance to many of my adult students, who are often concerned with appearing foolish or making mistakes. They require a lot of variety over an hour’s lesson--we might warm up, practice a song, record it, listen to it, learn a new song, sing something, and write a new song all in one session--and I enjoy that variety.

Plus, kids make me laugh. There’s usually this constant stream of banter throughout the lesson.

S&S: Which performers are your inspirations for your work?

RH: My inspirations aren’t children-oriented necessarily--many are just people who are 100% present with their audience, and their love and enthusiasm flows out through their music like a fountain. John Roderick from the Long Winters, Linda Waterfall and many other of my teachers at the Puget Sound Guitar Workshop, the band Arcade Fire...

As far as children’s performers go, both you and Gary Paine are dedicated to your craft and have been great resources for new kid’s songs. My favorite kid’s recordings are by Recess Monkey (a fantastic local band), Dan Zanes, and They Might Be Giants. [Editor's note:I just found out from Jack Forman, Recess Monkey's bassist, that Rob plays guitar in one of the songs featured on Recess Monkey's forthcoming album.]

S&S: What are some of the things you enjoy doing outside of your profession?

RH: Rock climbing and exploring the outdoors, skating around Green Lake, fly fishing for trout and salmon....I bought my first house recently, so I’ve been tapping into a domestic streak I never knew I had. Right now there are 12 square yards of compost and bark sitting in my driveway ready to be spread in my back yard. Yikes!

S&S: What’s one thing that most people don’t know about you?

Some high school friends and I used to joy ride in a neighbor’s BMW in the wee hours of the morning--my buddy had found the keys by the pool of his condo complex. We always returned it, but still...I could have had a felony conviction at 14! I like to think I pay for the sins of my youth by being a kind and gentle role model as an adult.

S&S: Was there ever a time when your audience surprised you? What happened?

Hmm...kids only surprise me when they stay quiet, or even better, sing along or dance during a song. More often then not, they want to talk about the song as you’re singing it.

S&S: What’s in heavy rotation on your stereo/iPod lately?

Sufjan Stevens’ “C’mon Feel The Illinoise” and “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Friends.

S&S: If you could headline a festival with three other performers, who would they be?

RH: With ANYONE? Let’s see...how about Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, and Neil Young? And we all come out at the end and sing “Hey Jude.” Heaven.

The Pivot Questionnaire is a set of questions popularized on “The Actor’s Studio” and have become a vital part of the interview series of the blog Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast. Since 7Imp is my model and inspiration, I pose the questions here:

What is your favorite word?
Hoark


What is your least favorite word?
Who wants to write their least favorite word? Blechh!

What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
My week at Puget Sound Guitar Workshop. That, and women in navy uniforms.

What turns you off?
Cruel, impersonal, jargon-infested corporate culture.

What is your favorite curse word?
Imperio! Yes, I’m a closet Harry Potter fanatic.

What sound or noise do you love?
Mourning dove and robin song.

What sound or noise do you hate?
Synth pop. I must have been forced to eat brussel sprouts while listening to The Pet Shop Boys in a former life.

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
I’m producing a DVD right now. Being a filmmaker is pretty fun so far.

What profession would you not like to do?
Law, politics, big business--anything that puts kindness on the back burner.

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
“I suppose you’ll want to check out our vintage guitar vault before selecting your cloud...”

Speaking of interviews...

... run, don't scamper, over to Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast to read Eisha's and Jules' interview with the mighty Mo Willems (who, despite his protestations, would make a fantastic underwater superhero).

Off to the Blog Prom

Hi all! I'm going to start my regular blog schedule tomorrow, as promised, but first, here's a Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast interview with Minh Le of Bottom Shelf Books I found while catching up on my blog reading. In answer to the "Which blog or site would you take to the prom to show off..." question, Minh replies, "I'm still new to the whole scene, so I'm still scoping things out. Though recently I stumbled upon Saints and Spinners (through a recent interview with 7 Impossible Things) and may be developing a bit of a crush.... her Children's Books that Never Were feature is really cool... add to that the fact that she posts guitar tabs AND has photoshop skills… talk about babe-a-licious!"

Minh, I accept. Saints and Spinners will go to the prom with Bottom Shelf Books. I've even picked out the dress and shoes. Huzzah! The only prom I've ever been to was the recent Stephenie Meyer booksigning in Seattle. The booksigning took place in a high school, and there was a "prom" for everyone who had to wait. I was #16 of hundreds, so I didn't have long to wait. Also, I wasn't wearing silver sandals, so it didn't count.

P.S. Jules of 7Imp just told me that Fuse#8 has our blogs smooching. Who-whee. I'm gone for a week, and look at all of the shenanigans that happen in my absence. By the way, Fuse's mother, the poet Susan Ramsey, hates storytellers... of a certain kind. What do you all think? While I too recoil at the kind of storytellers Ramsey describes in the poem, I realize that in some of the lines, one could easily substitute "poet" for "storyteller." You know what I mean, I think: there's a way some poets will end each line with a certain upward inflection, the proliferation of vests and long skirts, the... oh, I'm teasing now. But still, every profession has the groups of people who embody the craft's stereotype in one way or another. I think there's one key thing that both storytellers and poets can do to avoid the stereotypes and be true to their trades: get out of the way. Move aside the flourishes and affectations, and let the stories and poems stand up for themselves.

Now, I'm off to hunt down a fancy hat for my next gig.