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MEET ANN STALCUP
By Nancy Voils

When did you begin writing ?

Ann Stalcup

Most authors say they wrote stories, poems, and plays as young children. As a child I had no interest in writing. I had only two careers in mind: ballet or art. Naturally, I wanted to be famous at whichever I chose. Instead, I became an unknown elementary teacher, a career choice I have never regretted. And I've always incorporated both dance and art into my teaching. I was twenty-six when I began to write. When I returned home to England after traveling around the world, no one asked me about my three year absence. Being extremely shy, I was unable to volunteer information about my travel experiences, so I began writing about them. It was my way of talking. For the next thirty years I wrote over twenty picture book stories, all of which remain unpublished. However, I don't give up dreams easily and I'm sure that sooner or later......

When was your first book published ?

All seven of my books were published in the Spring of 1998, but my first book almost met with disaster. We lost our home in a November 1993 Malibu brush fire. As my husband left the house that afternoon carrying only a daypack, he noticed my just-completed manuscript: On the Home Front: Growing up in Wartime England. Had he not picked it up, the book would never have become a reality. Everything else I'd written, including considerable nonfiction research, was lost along with our home and all of its contents.

Why did you decide to write about World War ll ?

I had been living in the United States since 1963, and when I was forty, I returned to college to obtain my California Teaching Credential. As part of a history course I wrote about my experiences as a child growing up during World War ll. I discovered that my memories were still very clear, even though I was only four when the war started. Extensive research proved that my memories were accurate. My paper earned an "A" but I didn't know if that meant I was a good writer or a good researcher. Twenty years later I realized that the information I had gathered could make a good book. I was also beginning to realize that I might be a nonfiction writer and not fiction as I had always thought.

What are the topics of your other six books ?

All six are a series on World Crafts that I did for Rosen Press. I had submitted a manuscript on the Mexican Day of the Dead. They weren't interested in publishing it but wanted to find a series for me. When I indicated that I had traveled extensively and had a great interest in the arts, dance, and customs of other cultures, the craft project evolved. It was an challenging assignment since I had a set format to follow: twelve chapters per book, one hundred words per page. I was not permitted to choose the crafts but was delighted with, and proud of, the completed books. Each of them provides a great deal of information about the superstitions, traditions, and history relating to each craft. The photographs provided by the publisher greatly enhanced the books.

Have any of your books earned special recognition ?

In 1998, On the Home Front was selected by the Children's Book Council as an Outstanding Children's Book in the Field of Social Studies. The National Council of Teachers of English also selected it as an Outstanding Nonfiction Choice for 1998. A number of states have included On the Home Front in their recommended reading lists.

hat other types of writing do you do ?

Since 1995 I have been selling articles to children's magazines. Skipping Stones, California Cobblestone, Appleseeds, The Flicker, and Kids' Wall Street News have all published my work. All of the articles were inspired by my travels. I also write for Cobblestone's Faces Magazine almost every month - sometimes just one article but often two or three, as well as related recipes and craft projects. Since Faces features a different culture every month, with my love of travel I find the work particularly satisfying.

What manuscripts have you completed recently ?

I am currently submitting photo essays on three different Mexican festivals. I am also hopeful that two books I have written about Holocaust survivors will some day be published. My war cannot compare with what those survivors experienced. And I'm still submitting picture book manuscripts.

What are you working on now ?

I am writing a biography of Leo Politi, an author and artist whom I admired and loved. I want today's children to know what a talented man he was. His family has very generously given me permission to illustrate the book with Leo's original art. The other book I am working on focuses on festivals of light, more specifically candlelight festivals, from around the world.