An Interview with Shutta Crum
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Born in Paintsville, Kentucky, Shutta Crum is an award-winning author of three novels and thirteen picture books for younger readers and two chapbooks of poetry for adults: When You Get Here (Kelsay Books, 2020) and The Way to the River (Kelsay Books 2022). She is an educator, story-teller, public speaker and retired librarian and lives with her husband in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Her website is www.shutta.com
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Shutta, I have to begin by asking you about your name. How did it come about and how is it pronounced? An unusual name can be to one’s advantage. In my own case, writers have often said to me ‘your name is a good start’.
My name’s pronounced: shut-ta. It is unusual. It doesn't have any nationality per se. My father's nickname was Shutta. And when I was born, I was the oldest grandchild of all the kids on my mother's side of the family. So, there was a lot of arguing about who to name me after. My father cleared all that up by saying, "We'll name her Shutta." Crum is my maiden name. My husband's last name is Clark. I thought that was just too common to go with Shutta, so I kept my maiden name and I like it a lot. I didn't like my name when I was young, because I wanted a common name like all my friends—a Linda, or a Debbie. But now that I'm older, I like being different. So many younger folks have unusual names these days—it fits right in.
As a former librarian, books have clearly been a large part of your life and yet you did not come from a bookish family. I recall reading somewhere that books were scarce in your parental home. Where do you think your love of books came from?
Precisely because books were scarce they were revered. My father was not a reader. He could only attend school when the weather was bad. Otherwise, he had to help on the farm. He left school by the 4th grade. But he knew what he’d missed, and as an adult insisted that his kids attend school every day and do well. We lived next door to our elementary school which had a library that stayed open all summer long, as there was no public library nearby. I haunted that library, reading—I think—almost every book it had. I remember thinking what a huge, wonderful resource it was. It was wonderful. But a few years ago, I did a school visit to my alma mater and was given a tour. I discovered that that library was now the janitor’s closet. It was small. But, oh, how big and important it was to me!
In 2002 you were awarded the Michigan Library Association Award of Merit as Michigan’s youth librarian of the year. Tell us a little bit about your work as a youth librarian and how this eventually played into your writing.
I was teaching high school English classes. In order to keep my teaching certificate, it was required that I get a Master’s Degree. Because I loved books so much it only made sense that I should study library science and become a librarian. What a great job! Although I spent a good amount of time in library administration, I was also a children’s specialist. I got to do years of storytelling at storytimes, programming for children, and talking to kids at the reference desk. Such fun. And, of course, I read and selected many of the books for the collection. The best training in becoming an author! I learned how to build tension in a plot for a page turn—especially important in picture books. And how to capture and keep the attention of young listeners/readers. I knew that one day I wanted books with my name on them to be in libraries for kids to find and fall in love with. I worked hard on learning my craft. In late 1999 I sold my first book and haven’t looked back. Then in 2020 my first volume of poetry for adults was published. What fun!
I would be interested to hear your take on how libraries have adapted to changing circumstances over the years. Are some libraries in your area under threat of closure or are they managing to survive in the new technological age?
Technology has changed the library field a great deal. It is much easier to find information now. More and more services are able to be accessed from one’s home. I do sometimes feel a little sad at how physical books have not been able to hold onto all their glory. But reading online also has many advantages, so it’s all good. In addition libraries have widened the scope of their holdings. Now you can borrow tools, computers, gardening supplies—even seeds. And wonder of wonders, I know of a couple of programs where you can borrow people! That is, someone to sit and talk with while in the library. What a heartfelt program! What I fear most are the book banners. Those loud voices are unfortunately growing stronger. So, it isn’t technology that looms dreadfully on the library horizon but a burgeoning small-mindedness that leads to hate. It does threaten to close some small libraries what won’t adhere to a Fascist sense of censorship by a few patrons or board members. It makes me very sad.
Writing for young readers from babies to teens requires some degree of flexibility on your part and must bring with it its own challenges. How easy do you find it to slip into the mindset of your readers?
I have a 4-year-old and a 12-year-old living within me, so it’s really not that difficult to slip into one of my “kid” modes. I think people have such strong memories at certain points in their lives that those experiences get writ strong upon the psyche. Other ages, I can hardly remember. I’ve always written poetry—from about the 5th/6th grade. I remember that my first poem was about something dark at the bottom of a staircase. I remember it only because my parents were so proud of my effort that I had to recite it to everyone who visited. I don’t think it ever hurts for parents to be proud of their children. It’s a display of love. But I have to say that poetry is my default. I am often thinking of subjects/metaphors for a poem. (And a new chapbook of poetry will be coming out in 2024.) All poetry is metaphor to some degree. The great Ted Kooser said he always starts with the metaphor and then writes. It’s the way to go.
Tell us about your invitation to read at The White House. How did that come about?
It was a surprise! I got a phone call one morning from my publicist at Knopf and she asked, what are you doing on March 28th? I said “nothing.” She said, “How would you like to read at the White House?” Then I thought the call was a prank and I handed the phone over to my husband and said, “Listen to this. Hah!” Turns out it wasn’t a prank. Laura Bush was the First Lady and she’d been a librarian. Also, the book they wanted me to read was BRAVEST OF THE BRAVE, my book about a brave little skunk making his way through the forest. At that time we were in the middle of the Iraq War and so there was a lot of emphasis on the bravery of our troops. Anyway, I went. Unfortunately, the weather was horrible. Lightning, storms. They had to call off the Easter Egg Roll though some families had spent the night waiting in line. I did get a lovely trip to Washington D.C. out of it, as well as breakfast in the White House, and a number of lovely gifts.
What inspired you to start writing poetry for adults? Am I right in thinking that this has been a relatively new development?
No. As I mentioned above, poetry was my first love. From an early age I’ve written poetry. A lot of young stuff—awfully bad! But, I think it is that way for many writers. It’s the basic love of words, their meanings, and their connotations. From that foundation writers often branch out. I think it is rarely the other way around—I could be wrong. But I’ve talked to many writers who write in a variety of genres, and they all say it started with a poem, or the way words lay on the page. My poems started getting published in the 1970s, and I’ve only occasionally had a period in which I wasn’t submitting and getting published. A great deal of success depends upon how persistently someone submits. The poem, or story, or novel is not going anywhere sitting in a notebook or on a computer. I’m always surprised at how many people fear submitting and rejection. I get rejected all the time. But I’ve found a number of outlets to share my poems. A writer just has to develop a thick skin and keep on keeping on.
The invitation to go Japan in 2010 to speak to children at American military base schools must have been the experience of a lifetime. Tell us something about the highlights of your visit there.
That was another surprise invitation! I simply got an email one day saying: “Do you see Japan in your future?” Well, no, I thought at the time. It turns out a resource teacher for the Dept. of Defense had used one of my teaching articles (I also write a lot of professional articles.) and wanted me to come to Japan to present to students and teachers. I did—my hubby tagged along. What an experience! For a whole month we traveled around the country visiting schools at various bases. 11 or 12 bases in all, if I remember correctly. Evenings and weekends I had off, plus some extra time at the end. (My husband had the whole month to tour freely.) Just lovely.
The kids are all Americans, so no language problems. And their system is great! Because the military knows where everyone is at all times, no child falls between the cracks. No child is “left behind.” And the schools all had state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment. For teachers there was a certain freedom because they did not have to teach to the test—since it is federal and not state-run, there is no state-run testing required. The teachers loved teaching creatively and the students seemed to like being there. I was impressed with how orderly and clean the country was, and how wonderful the schools were.
Two personal highlights: visiting the country’s oldest Kabuki theater where we sat on the floor and didn’t understand a word, but laughed heartily, and luxuriating in a Japanese bath house. Wow! Also, we were there at cherry blossom time. We couldn’t have scheduled it better.
I note that in your spare time you channel your creativity into making quilts and doing mosaics. Tell us something about these hobbies and how they came about.
We’ve always been a “handy” family. I mentioned that my father had a 4th grade education. But he could build anything! From boats to musical instruments. He learned how to work with his hands at an early age. And my mother was a master quilter. So, I learned to do a few things as well, such as quilt, etc. My sister is really the “crafty” one. Wow! I am a firm believer in the fact that if your hands—and your mind—are working together at a project other ideas have the ability to slip into focus. Poem ideas wiggle their way in, even while doing something as mundane as washing dishes. It’s that mentally walking away from anxiety, and feeling the calm that happens when crafting, or cleaning, that lets down barriers.
What projects are you working on at the moment?
I have a new poetry book coming out early in 2024 with Kelsay Books. It’s tentatively titled MEET YOU OUT THERE to go along with my other “traveling” titles WHEN YOU GET HERE, and the book you recently reviewed THE WAY TO THE RIVER. I guess, since so much about life and poetry concerns traveling through our days it makes sense. As far as children’s books go, I have two new picture books that will be out on June 27, 2023. They are GRANDMA HEAVEN and GRANDPA HEAVEN. Silly companion books about grandparents having a ball in the afterlife—all meant to reassure young worriers. Then I have another children’s book about using our imaginations under contract. I’m not sure about the publication date of that one. Information about my books is available at www.shutta.com/books .
And, of course, I continue to write new poems and work on new books for young readers. It’s a passion/obsession and it helps to keep my mind active and youthful. I LOVE all the new ways today’s poets can approach a subject and use the page. BOOM! It’s like one’s mind is exploding with all that is happening in poetry today. It’s just wonderfully exciting!
The following poem, taken from Shutta’s collection ‘The Way To The River’ is reprinted with the author’s permission:
Entwined
A lightness of the heart wakens me.
And I lie, hand on chest, lingering
over each knotted love on the cord of my life.
It is a wondrous thing
to have a life woven of such strong silk—
each turning of the cord so precise,
beloved histories are reclaimed.
Each twist known so intimately,
voices and scents fill me.
Each love there when I need to hold on.
There, when I do not know I need to hold on.
I touch these familiar knots
on my counting cord with reverence.
There is no place, no time,
in which I am: solely one.
All my loves are entwined.
You are here, too. |
