Meet Troupe 21’s Anitra Rowe Schulte
Meet Troupe member Anitra Rowe Schulte! Anitra grew up in rural Illinois, playing with her two sisters and writing constantly - from poems and snail mail to songs and stories. Her desire to write every day led her to journalism then, ultimately, back to her first love - picture books! Her debut, DANCING WITH DADDY, illustrated by Ziyue Chen (Two Lions), publishes in October 2021.
Anitra’s picture book debut is inspired by her oldest daughter, who has the rare chromosome disorder Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome. Out of a deep desire to see a girl who uses a communication book and a wheelchair at the center of her own story, Anitra wrote DANCING WITH DADDY. Here’s the announcement in Publishers Weekly!
Want to learn more about Anitra and her journey to publication?
Check out the Q&A below!
Get to know Anitra!
What is your earliest picture book memory?
The hallway bookshelf in my childhood home was filled with Little Golden Books. I adored those gentle, lively classic-feeling tales. Pulling the foil binding off the shelf felt like taking a hold of something magic, and I loved that the endpapers invited you to write your name and take ownership of the story. THE POKY LITTLE PUPPY is close to my heart because that’s what my parents called me, as a nickname. I was always (and often still am) the last to arrive and the last to leave. You can typically find me traipsing behind everyone else, capturing details, sights and sounds in my memory. But my very favorite book as a child was THE MONSTER AT THE END OF THIS BOOK. It pulls you right into the action, fills your ear with sound, builds anticipation, and resolves with such a lovely discovery. Ah, the power of picture books!
What picture book authors and illustrators inspire you?
Goodness—so, so many. I read everything that Kelly DiPucchio, Beth Ferry, Ame Dyckman and Pat Zietlow Miller write. Their stories sing with humor and heart, and dang do they make this very difficult craft look easy. Books illustrated by Marla Frazee, Carson Ellis, Sophie Blackall and Corinna Luyken more-or-less jump off of the shelf and into my hands. These creators astound me with their mind-blowing marks and creativity. Extra close to my heart are books by Margarita Engle, Kelly Starling Lyons, Beatrice Alemagna and Kyo Maclear, likely because their storytelling represents what I want to do in my own work — use rich, precise words to sing stories that illuminate worlds and connect people in unexpected ways.
What are your favorite writing snacks?
In the mornings and afternoons, it’s definitely coffee. I used to be a big brew pot coffee gal. We’re talking 6 to 8 cups a day (I’m not proud). My husband got me a Nespresso maker last year, to help me temper my intake. It sort of worked... I love the Costa Rica and Melozio pods in the a.m., and espresso (or green tea, if I’m being good) in the afternoon. But if it’s after 8 p.m., there is but one snack—a peanut butter spoon, topped with mini M&Ms. It powers my every key stroke.
What themes and ideas will readers find in your stories?
I have a degree in magazine journalism, with an emphasis in theater, from the University of Missouri-Columbia and worked as a general assignment reporter for five years. That job appealed to me in a million ways, but especially because it asked me to draw near to my world, follow my curiosity, and carry the heart of a story all the way through to the end, no matter how many inches the final piece needed to be. Bringing people into the emotion, feeling and gravity of a moment is really important to me, so readers of my stories can expect to find lots of sensory details. I also think connection is a through-line, whether that’s connecting with siblings and parents (DANCING WITH DADDY, illustrated by Ziyue Chen, Two Lions/Fall 2021) or friends and community (WILLOW AND BUNNY, illustrated by Christopher Denise, Two Lions/Spring 2022). Details hold the key to the universal. That’s a tenet of journalism. It’s the little things that tie us to others. They lead to hope and understanding.
What advice do you have for pre-published authors and illustrators?
When I think back to when the journey of making picture books began to feel really real to me, it was not when I got an agent or when I sold a book. (I expected those to be the moments! And oh my, were those amazing, unforgettable moments!) The ah-ha came when I realized that I had inadvertently placed myself in self-guided picture book master’s program. My days filled with learning: Interviewing favorite authors on my blog and picking their brains. Voraciously studying books by picture book masters. Grabbing a dozen new titles from the library each week. Listening to podcasts about writing life, project inspiration and the publishing industry. Attending conferences to absorb everything I could and meet awesome peers. No one made me do any of these things. (And heaven help anybody who tried to stop me!) Being an enthusiast of the craft and community exercises every muscle in my writerly life. It enriches and sustains me as I travel a path that’s often filled with waiting and wonder—doing this daily (unassigned, ungraded) homework alongside people who share my passion for children’s books.
Anitra’s picture book debut DANCING WITH DADDY will be published in October 2021. Want to be among the first to see the cover and pre-order details?
Follow Anitra on Twitter at @anitraschulte
Connect with Anitra on Instagram at @anitraroweschulte
Come back to PB Debut Troupe 21 soon for Anitra’s cover spotlight!
Until then, happy reading!
