Back to Featured Interviews >>

MEET HOPE ANITA SMITH
by Bonnie O'Brian

What did you most like to do when you were a child?

Hope Anita Smith

When I was a child I loved to read. I always had a book with me everywhere I went.

What books influenced you most when you were growing up?

I loved The Great Brain books and a series about Betsy and Tacey. I also enjoyed all the Judy Bloom books. I also enjoyed the poetry of Maya Angelou, Nikki Giovanni, Edna St. Vincent Millay and Paul Laurence Dunbar.

Did you write stories when you were growing up?

I didn’t write stories but I did write a lot of poetry. I started writing poetry when I was about 8 years old.

When you were a child did you ever have moments when you decided that you were going to be a writer when you grew up?

No. I always believed that I would be a theatre actress. I wanted to do musicals on Broadway. I love to sing.

What audience did you have in mind for your career as a writer - adult or children?

I always believed that my audience would be adult. I started writing for children much later.

When you went to college, were you already pursuing a writing career?

In college, I majored in English. I knew that I loved writing and reading and it seemed like the easiest thing (to major in what I loved).

What was your first job when you graduated from college?

My first job, when I left college was being a Nanny. I loved kids and thought I would get great inspiration from them.

How soon after that was your first book published?

Many years passed before my first book was published.

When was it published?

My first book was published in 2003.

Was your first book accepted immediately?

I was very blessed to get accepted for publication quickly. I had submitted a picture book to another publishing house many years earlier that was rejected.

What are the topics are some of your books?

Most of my books deal with family.

Do you focus on fiction or nonfiction?

I have been focusing on poetry but I will working on some non-fiction projects that I am very excited about along with a novel.

What kinds of things inspire you to write?

I am inspired by just about everything! Words, newspaper articles, magazine articles, pictures, overheard conversations, etc.

Have any of your books earned special recognition?

Yes. My first book, THE WAY A DOOR CLOSES, won the Lee Bennett Hopkins Honor, The Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award, The Claudia Lewis Award from Bank Street College and the Judy Lopez Award from the Women’s National Book Association. It was also chosen as one of the best books of the year by School Library Journal. THE WAY A DOOR CLOSES was part of the 2006, 2007, and 2008 Elementary California Collections and KEEPING THE NIGHT WATCH is in the 2009 Elementary California Collection.

How did your life change when you got married?

I’m still single.

Have any of your fiction stories been about real people or events?

No. My characters come to me and tell me their story and I write it down. They are not real people, but they are very real to me.

Do you enjoy researching or do you prefer working totally from your imagination?

I enjoy researching and using my imagination.

Do you work on more than one book at a time?

Yes, I do work on more than one book at a time. It actually helps me focus more. I also read more than one book at a time.

Which of your books did you most enjoy writing?

The one I am currently working on is usually my favorite.

What are you working on now?

I am working on a straight novel. This is my first book that is not a poetry collection. It is a wonderful new challenge for me.

Do you write every day and do you have set hours that you work?

I try to write everyday, but sometimes I need to read (in order to do research).

When is your next book going to be in book stores?

My next book will be in bookstores in the Spring of ’09.

Do you like to include humor in your stories?

 I very much like to include humor in my writing. My subject matter is usually very serious, so I try to add a laugh or two.

What do you most want the students to get out of your school visits?

I want students to come away with a love of words and also to see that they too can be writers if that is their dream.

Is there anything about yourself that you’d like to share?

I love to sing. I am an avid knitter. I love all things to do with paper. I make journals, cards, stationery and invitations. I also love to bake.