I am so excited to share this episode of Getting to the Heart of Why We Write with you featuring author Christine J. Ko! She is a part of Picture Book Peeps with me and appears regularly on our shared podcast, The Curious Compassionate.
Please enjoy hearing about her writing journey and her book, Sound Switch Wonder illustrated by Katie Crumpton, which she co wrote with her son, Owen Whang. So cool!
Some Highlights:
- “I love books and I think books can change the world. They can change people and by changing people, they can change the world.”
- Ideas in Confucianism (shared with Christianity) that have historically kept some narratives from being told.
- Finding gratitude through reading and questioning structures in place.
- “We cannot forget what humanity is capable of–each one of us. I think the remembrance of it will keep that kind of thing from ever happening again. Because we have the capability to be monstrous, sadly.”
- “You’re putting yourself out there, you’re putting yourself on the line to share part of you. And I know I’m not alone in this but I think our stories, whether in picture book form or whatever sort of writing, is so personal that it can really hurt and be un-motivating to get rejections. You do need something really strong to keep you going. For me that’s love and passion for myself and to think that what I do have to say is valuable and there will be rejections but it will be valuable.”
- The spectrum of the human experience.
“Each one of us is unique, you really can’t assume one person’s experience is the same as another even if they maybe have outward characteristics that are similar. I really love the fact that more and more and more you can find more books with different experiences in them.” – Christine J. Ko
I loved sharing love for books with Christine and found our conversation sparking several lightbulbs within my brain. Or as Beth Anderson said in a previous episode, a brain explosion.
There are so many people in the world, and yet, many of us do not have the opportunity to tell our stories. The thought of all those untold stories, unwritten books, weighs on my heart. And so, whenever I have the chance I encourage others to tell their stories. Whether with pictures, words, a combination, or some new format entirely, each one of us is a storyteller. And I cannot wait to hear your story!
Links Mentioned🔗:
Christine’s website, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram
Sound Switch Wonder on Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Turner Publishing, and Amazon
See Hear Feel (Christine’s podcast)
Picture Book Peeps on Instagram and Substack
A recent episode of The Curious Compassionate featuring Christine
The 12×12 Picture Book Challenge
Book Recommendations📚 (and film):
Chinese Comfort Women: Testimonies from Imperial Japan’s Sex Slaves by Peipei Qiu, Su Zhiliang, Chen Lifei
Nia’s Rescue Box by Gina Soldano-Herrle (me!🥲😂) illustrated by Abi Joy Eaton
CODA (movie)
Thank you so much, Christine! And thank you for listening! Stay tuned for next week with author illustrator Ana Velez!💃💃💃
