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Back to Featured Interviews >> MEET EILEEN MORRIS (3/2011)
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| Eileen Morris |
One of my most treasured memories I have from childhood would be “Story-time Theater” in my basement on Leonard Street, with my four siblings. My dad told wonderful stories at bedtime, which we re-enacted in old, odd and assorted Halloween costumes. Tickets sold for a penny a piece to neighborhood friends, and our performances were in front of a makeshift stage consisting of old sheets and blankets thrown over a clothesline.
Did you draw when you were growing up?
Yes! I loved Sunday mornings! After my parents were finished reading the paper, I was given the “funnies,” so I could draw all of my favorite cartoon characters.
At summer camp, my favorite free-time activity was spending time at the art center. We were encouraged to sit outside and sketch trees, running brooks, and bunkhouses from a rock of our choosing.
If you didn’t write as a child, then when did you start writing and what inspired you to start.
As my children grew into toddler-hood, I was forced to grow a sense of humor. It started the morning I was cleaning my sliding glass doors, and my daughter pushed her cute, little, chocolate-covered hands and face against the other side of the “freshly washed” pane to let me know our company arrived! After several of these near-fatal attacks, I armed myself with a pencil in one hand and paper in the other, and began my quest for sanity. Writing and drawing cartoon panels became my obsession. Sending them out to a syndicated cartoonist was an impulsive reaction that landed me a ghost-gag writing position for twenty years. I loved every minute of it!
Was your first book accepted immediately, or did you experience a number of rejections?
I created my first book specifically for Western Publishing, and it was accepted immediately, but not exactly as it was presented. It was a manuscript for their Barbie property, but I was asked to rewrite it for Poochie (their popular dog character). A year later they called and asked for the Barbie script, too.
What gave you the idea for “AND NEXT CAME A ROAR?”
While observing teens on a high school campus, I couldn’t help but notice that the majority of groups sitting around were segregated, by choice. This encouraged me to write a children’s book addressing “inclusion.” My first goal was to design a group of characters that 3-7 year olds would be willing to listen and learn from. After kid-testing many different characters, the Original Shnoozles made it to the top of my list. I was then ready to write a story using Bud, a two-headed monster to help the Shnoozle kids see past their differences, and embrace a new kind of friend.
Have any of your books earned special recognition?
Yes. In 2006, AND NEXT CAME A ROAR book and audio book received the Silver ‘Ben Franklin’ award, and was given Honorable Mention at the Hollywood Book Festival for Audio/Spoken Word.
What are you working on now? When do you expect to start submitting it to publishers?
I often work on a few projects at a time. PAST MOE’S TOAD, the second book of four, in the Shnoozles’ adventure series, will be ready for submission the end of April 2011. I LOVE MY PINK TAILS will be making its rounds by mid March 2011.
When you do school visits, what questions do children ask you most?
What channels are the Shnoozles on? How do you draw the Shnoozles?
Has anyone written you a fan letter that you’d like to share?
Child: I really thank you. You are a great. We love your books. I was so excited on Monday. Because you came to my School. I couldn’t wait for you. It was fun to mak comic strips. And my comic stripe was great.
Teacher: Kids are still fired up. I had 2 boys cry yesterday because they couldn’t find their Shnoozles’ Writers.
(Note: I often leave a bag of Shnoozles’ Writers (Shnoozle pencils) for each classroom, with instructions, “for story writing use, only.” I did send extra pencils to this school to replace lost Writers).