Last week I talked about how I met and why I’m grateful for Carolyn Yoder, founding editor and Editorial Director of Calkins Creek, an imprint of Astra Publishing for Young Readers. This week Carolyn gets to defend…uh…speak for herself.
Below, I opened the gates for others who know Carolyn to speak up, too. Surprise, Carolyn!
Carolyn’s Fan Club
Norma Lewis: Though I don't write the kind of picture books she publishes, her spot-on critiques of three of my manuscripts led to publication by other editors in different houses and I will be forever grateful. I've sometimes referred to her style as tough love combined with nurturing. We all know she's the best!
Robin A. Zimmerman: I feel fortunate to have met Carolyn in California many years ago. My only experience with other editors has been via children’s magazines. However, Carolyn was my first editor both in magazine publication and with my debut PB biography. I can only say how incredibly thrilled and fortunate I am to have crossed paths with her. From my experience, Carolyn’s keen instinct, wealth of knowledge, and ability to guide with heart and a no-nonsense approach has been an amazingly magical combination throughout my writing process and journey to publication.
Joyce Hostetter: Carolyn has patiently led me through countless revisions and nurtured my work into published form. She has a well-earned reputation for being tough which is precisely why I LOVE working with her. She brings out the best in me!
Barbara Walsh: I first met Carolyn at Chautauqua in 2005. She was my Faculty Reader. Seven years later, The Poppy Lady was published. Carolyn’s patience never wavered through the years. She believed in Moina’s story from the start and for that I will be forever grateful.
But knowing Carolyn as I do now, I have to laugh when I think back to that first meeting. My picture book submission was over 5,000 words. Carolyn said that If I whittled it down to 800 words she might consider it for an article in Highlights. Of course, I assured her I could do that. Then I said how I looked forward to working on a picture book about Moina with her afterward.
“You think we’ll work on a picture book together?” she asked.
I was such a novice and so naïve, I chose to ignore the look of disbelief on her face.
Sarah Aronson: Before I ever worked with Carolyn Yoder, I saw her in action at the Highlights Foundation. Her retreat always ended just as the Whole Novel was starting. I always admired her enthusiasm and determination to get the story right.
Her commitment to story has motivated me to reach farther than I've ever reached before. I have loved working with her on my picture book about the former NY Congresswoman and my childhood hero, Bella Abzug. Just like Bella, Carolyn is a passionate perfectionist. She's a trailblazer, too.
What could be more inspiring?
I'm so grateful for her input and direction!!!
Claudia Friddell:
I met Carolyn at a narrative nonfiction Highlights retreat with Deborah Heiligman and Barbara Kerley seven years ago. I was so excited that Carolyn, the nonfiction editor extraordinaire, was going to be joining us for an evening session. Little did I know that watching the extra innings World Series final game with our small group and Carolyn would change my professional future. That win ended the Chicago Cubs’ long drought, and that bonding experience with Carolyn and my fellow writers began a new journey in writing narrative nonfiction books for me. She invited us to join her alumni retreats, and my writing world opened up. I remain amazed at Carolyn’s generosity of time, energy, and wisdom with her writers at her retreats. The experiences I have had working on book projects with her has far surpassed anything I could have dreamed of when we first met. I consider myself truly blessed to have taken so many fulfilling storytelling journeys with her.
Ann Parr: Carolyn challenged me to write my Gordon Parks story in free verse. It’s been my favorite mode of expression since.
Jill Esbaum: Twenty years or so ago, when I was a picture book writing newbie, I heard Carolyn speak at an SCBWI event. She scared me to death — writing nonfiction sounded like real work. Exhaustive research. Precise language. Rigorous review. I remember relaxing, then, thinking: ‘Oh, well. I’m never going to write nonfiction anyway.’ Flash forward 20 years, and she’s one of my favorite editors to work with (never say never). Knowing she requires perfection makes writing anything for her a challenge — something I now embrace. Go figure. She’s an inspiration.
Lindsay H. Metcalf: Carolyn is a legend and I’ve been honored to work with her. She says just the right things to help writers to put forward their very best. Sometimes it’s just a quick note in the margin of a manuscript—“MORE VIVID,” for example—that inspires magic. She always puts words to the problems I knew existed but couldn’t articulate.
Ann Ingalls: I've learned more from Carolyn Yoder than from any other writing instructor ever and that includes Sister Luiza who was one demanding tiny nun who told me I could (and should) write.
Carolyn's relentless determination to nudge students to write their very best has served me well. I had only written one book when I first met her. Now I’ve written over sixty. I am entirely grateful for her friendship, professionalism, and scholarly pursuit.
Mary Morton Cowen: Not everyone gets a chance to work with one of the best nonfiction editors in the field. Meeting Carolyn Yoder changed my writing career. I wrote several articles for her when she was editor at Cobblestone, and when Highlights offered a week-long workshop at Boyds Mills that she was leading, I jumped at the opportunity. Finally meeting her as I walked in to the kitchen at the farmhouse was a happy occasion. And working with her that week was memorable. I had submitted a historical novel, but she told me she loved my nonfiction, so I shifted gears and wrote a biography of Arctic explorer, Donald MacMillan. Thanks to a zillion revisions and much support from Carolyn, Captain Mac won several awards, including a national outdoor book award. Then Carolyn said, “I want another adventure biography from you.” That request became Cyrus Field’s Big Dream, which won a Best STEM award from the National Science Teachers Association. Carolyn is fabulous. She’s tough, and made me work harder than I ever imagined, but she’s supportive and effective, and I am ever so thankful to have been able to work with her. Family health issues have occupied my time lately, but whenever she comes back to Maine, I still know where the best lobster rolls are!
Thanks everyone for contributing. I’m sure there are many more folks who’d like to chime in as well. Feel free to use the comments section if you’d like or email me and pass it along to Carolyn and I’ll add it to this for posterity. :)
Thank you, Carolyn. This time for being such a good sport.
Hugs,
Dale
Thanks Dale. I had such a great time chatting with you!
Thank you, Dale for this lovely visit with Carolyn. I miss her something fierce. Hoping to work with her again some day. Might have to start researching Richard Nixon! And then again...