Interview with Phillip Hoose Celebrating the Release of CLAUDETTE COLVIN: I WANT FREEDOM NOW!

This is your first picture book in some time. How did you feel about jumping back into
the genre?
I’m thrilled to make Claudette’s heroic story available to a new generation of
readers. And I’m amazed by Beatrice Jackson’s illustrations. I can’t wait for readers to
see them.

What are the differences between writing a YA book and a picture book about the same
topic?
I had only 40 pages to work with in I Want Freedom now! compared to 150
pages in Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice. So I had to leave some some
episodes out, or compress them. Claudette helped me decide what to leave in and
what to take out.

Have you learned anything new about Claudette Colvin between 2009 and now that
affected your writing/research?
I learned more about Montgomery. It was really a tough town for Black people. It was tightly controlled. The Klan was quite active there. It made me appreciate all the more how courageous Claudette was to stand tall.

What effect did the first book have on Claudette Colvin’s life? What has changed for her
since the first book was published
The success of Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice put Claudette in the public eye as a Civil Rights heroine. Before that book, there had been very little written about her, and next to nothing in her voice. She allowed me to interview her many times, and at length. The book introduced the world to a teen who challenged the humiliating Jim Crow laws that were meant to discourage Black people.

What particular elements of Claudette Colvin’s life and story do you find the most
inspiring?
That’s a tough question. So much of what she did inspires me. I was particularly impressed by her willingness to become a plaintiff in the Brower v. Gayle lawsuit challenging the Constitutionality of the bus segregation policies. She stood up, raised her right hand, and delivered blistering testimony against racial segregation on the busses.

You and Claudette Colvin have become good friends. Do you have any stories or
anecdotes about her that you’d like to share?
I was surprised to learn that she knew so many songs by white singers such as Hank Williams. She explained that there were no Black radio stations in Montgomery when she was growing up. She loved music, and learned the songs that were available to her. We still sing “Jambalaya” over the phone.

I WANT FREEDOM NOW is illustrated by Bea Jackson. How do her illustrations bring a
new perspective to Claudette Colvin’s story?
I am amazed by Beatrice’s work. Claudette is too. What Bea did with light and color, with facial expressions and body language, is just brilliant. She delivered a beautiful portrait of the life and times of the Civil Rights icon Claudette Colvin.