Anna Kang
Author Interview - Anna Kang
Author of SO-HEE AND LOWY
This is a story about a lonely Korean American girl named So-Hee who lives with her mom in Queens, New York. So-Hee wants nothing more than a pet to hold and love. The problem is, So-Hee is allergic to every furry and feathered pet. One day, she meets Lowy, a gigantic, highlighter yellow Burmese python and her life changes. So-Hee has the chance to give her boundless love to an “unlovable” creature and finally have the best friend she has always dreamed of. But when Lowy goes missing, So-Hee must reach out to her neighbors for help, and in the process, she realizes her community was right under her nose all along.
Author Interview - Anna Kang
Author I draw inspiration from:
This picture book in particular was inspired by the books by Bernard Waber (The House on East 88th Street; Lyle, Lyle Crocodile), William Steig (Sylvester and the Magic Pebble), Norman Bridwell (Clifford the Big Red Dog), and Syd Hoff (Danny and the Dinosaur).
Author Interview - Anna Kang | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
In bed.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
The rock-collecting donkey, Sylvester from SYLVESTER AND THE MAGIC PEBBLE by William Steig. I imagine that sensitive Sylvester and I would panic, comfort each other, then brainstorm ways to get out of the situation until Sylvester realizes he has his magic pebble in his hoof. We'd scream for joy and then he'd make a wish that we were both safe at home. Afterwards, we would meet for tea and cookies to laugh over our adventure.
Author Interview - Anna Kang | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
When I started collecting children's books long after I became an adult.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
I love hardbacks because they are the original edition of a book, the way the author and publisher had intended them to be, but dislike them because they are so heavy and take up a lot of space when you own many books.
I love paperbacks because they are light, slim, and affordable but dislike them because the cover can get warped easily.
I love ebooks because I can get them instantly on my device, highlight passages, increase the lighting or font size for easy reading, and I can have unlimited ebooks in one small, light portable device. I dislike ebooks because I can't smell the pages or touch the smooth cover with my hands, or see the beautiful spine or thoughtfully-designed cover displayed in my house like the work of art that it is.
I love audiobooks because I can "read" while driving, cooking, cleaning, painting, crafting, or trying to fall asleep. I love hearing the perfect voice actor elevate the words and meaning with their lyricism and interpretation. I dislike audiobooks when the voice actor's performance or interpretation doesn't seem right and distracts me from the story.
The last book I read:
The picture book, My Heart by Corinna Luyken. I thought the quiet gray and white watercolor illustrations were so moving and beautiful, and the spectrum of feelings within our heart perfectly captured.
Author Interview - Anna Kang | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
For years I wrote with a fine point, rollerball blue pen and small, spiral notebook in the kitchen, next to the sink, while sitting on a wooden stool. Now I mostly jot down initial ideas or thoughts on my laptop because I find that typing at a computer is better at keeping up with my quick, sporadic bursts of thinking than a pen. Unlike many writers, I don't usually go to a coffee shop or library to write, though I probably should. I usually like to stick close to home and write, while playing either spa-type music in the background or classical music. Lyric-less music serves as white noise and helps me to focus.
When I'm in a pinch or experiencing a block, I rely on candy that sits on my desk or in my desk drawer. Sour patch kids, Jelly Belly jelly beans, Hi-Chews, or Nerds clusters. They are the best. And if I'm really stuck, mini-Snickers as well. However, I have to be careful not to overdo it -- there's a tipping point from feeling motivated to feeling sick.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
Liesel Meminger of THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak. Liesel is my hero. Though she is defensive, impulsive, and headstrong, she has a pure moral center and an innate sense of justice at such a young age. She is curious and has a passion for learning and understanding others. She risks everything in her quest for knowledge and empowers herself through books and critical thinking. And as she learns and matures, she channels her pain by becoming a voice for the voiceless. She loves deeply and intensely, and is loyal to the end. Though I am no Liesel, I immediately identified with her and saw myself in her when I was a child.
Author Interview - Anna Kang | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
Animal rescue volunteer.
Favorite decade in fashion history:
The 1920's - androgynous, simple, practical, and comfortable, yet still glamorous. A modern, liberating era of what it meant to dress like a woman or look "feminine."
Place I’d most like to travel:
Anywhere in Africa. Because I have never been to this continent.
My signature drink:
Coffee in the morning and mint, chamomile, or green tea in the afternoon.
Favorite artist:
Of the moment and off the top of my head: Taylor Swift. Because of her immense generosity to her employees and fans and her ability to connect so many people within families and across the world. And in addition to all that, her writing is poetic and exquisite.
Number one on my bucket list:
Taking my teenaged kids to Korea so they finally can see where they come from and meet their many relatives.
Anything else you'd like to add:
Things I love: dogs, pickles, books. In my next life, I would love to run an indie bookstore/animal shelter while selling homemade pickles.
Find more from the author:
Facebook: @Anna Kang - Author
Instagram: @annakangbooks
Bluesky: @annakangbooks.bsky.social
YouTube: @annakangbooks2873
Website: www.annakang.com
About Anna Kang:
Author Interview - Anna Kang
Anna Kang won the 2015 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for her debut picture book, You Are (Not) Small and has since published five more books in that series, as well as Christopher Award winner Eraser, and several others. Her picture books have sold a half-million copies worldwide. Kang, along with her illustrator-husband, Christopher Weyant, was the 2022 NJASL Author-Illustrator of the Year. She received her M.F.A. from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and has won several screenwriting awards and fellowships, including the Sundance Institute’s Screenwriters Lab and Film Independent Lab. When Anna isn't writing, you'll find her at the public library. Visit her at www.annakang.com.
