An interview with Paul Fleischman by Joyce Oroz

Today I would like to introduce you to an incredible story-teller, Paul Fleischman, who has written many wonderful novels and books of poetry. You’ll be tempted to read his words aloud because they sound so good……………….. Welcome, Paul. Please tell us a little bit about yourself and how you became a writer………………………………

I grew up hearing my father, Sid Fleischman, read his books aloud chapter by chapter as they were written--a huge part of my eductation. Without that, I'm not sure the idea of writing or writing for children would have entered my head……………………………….



Paul, how many books have you written and which one is up for the prestigious Han Christian Andersen Award? This is a very great honor...................................

I'm up to 35 books. I started young, while still in college, and many of them are picture books with slim texts. The Hans Christian Andersen Award is given for a body of work……………………………………

What other titles do you recommend?......................................................

Joyful Noise for poetry, Weslandia for picture books, Breakout for novel, Zap for play, and Dateline: Troy for nonfiction would make a good sampler……………………………………

Do you write with a certain age group in mind?.........................................................

I write for all ages, including adults. Variety is one of writing's many benefits…………………………………..

I read The Borning Room. Loved it! The story was great and the words flowed like a poem. Where does your writing style come from?..............................................................

Writers are usually self-taught. The books they've read are their teachers. My style is a blend of all of those influences and is always evolving. …………………………………………

Paul, do you work long hours, or just when you are inspired?..............................................

I've never heard the word "inspiration" come from the mouths of any of my writer friends. Writing is exciting, challenging, serendipitous, but work. I typically write 10 hours a day, five or six days a week. I'm a slow writer. That's what it takes for me to get books written. ………………………………………..

Please tell us where you live and what do you do in your spare time?................................................

I live in Aromas. In my spare time I travel and dabble in music and art……………………………..

Are there any new titles coming soon?....................................................

The next book due out is The Matchbox Diary, a tale of immigration as well as a hymn to boxes, collections, and diary-keeping. It's being illustrated by the very brilliant Bagram Ibatoulline and should be out next year. ……………………………………….Thank you, Sid Fleischman, for sharing your time, information and insight with us.


Paul Fleischman grew up in Santa Monica, California, the son of children's book author and screenwriter, Sid Fleischman. Drawing on history, music, art, and theater, his books have often experimented with multiple viewpoints and performance. He received the Newbery Medal in 1989 for Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices and a Newbery Honor Award for Graven Images. Bull Run, his account of the Civil War battle told from sixteen points of view, received the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction. Breakout, inspired by an all-day traffic jam in Los Angeles, was a finalist for the National Book Award. He spent five years sifting newspapers for present-day articles paralleling the events in the Iliad for the book Dateline: Troy. Seedfolks, his collection of monologues recounting the first year of a community garden in Cleveland, has been used in community reads across the country. For the stage, he's written Mind's Eye, Zap, and Logomaniacs. He lives in Aromas, California. For more information, visit paulfleischman.net.