Today we are very excited to share an interview with Author Alicia D. Williams (Mid Air)!
Meet the Author: Alicia D. Williams
Alicia D. Williams is the author of Genesis Begins Again, which received Newbery and Kirkus Prize honors, was a William C. Morris Award finalist, and for which she won the Coretta Scott King – John Steptoe Award for New Talent; and picture books Jump at the Sun and The Talk which was also a Coretta Scott King Honor book. An oral storyteller in the African American tradition, she lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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About the Book: Mid Air
A tender-souled boy reeling from the death of his best friend struggles to fit into a world that wants him to grow up tough and unfeeling in this stunning middle grade novel in verse from the Newbery Honor–winning author of Genesis Begins Again.
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~Author Chat~
YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
Pinpointing inspiration is so tricky. At least, for me. After the success of my debut novel, Genesis Begins Again, there was an intense need to write another story and even more so, to prove to myself that I could. That was probably my first inspiration.
In 2021, I, like so many others, tucked away my grief and pretended to move on from 2020. Grief from the pandemic. Grief from the losses. Grief from the social justice unrest. And in that November, for NaNoWriMo, I committed to complete a rough-sloppy-I-don’t-care-what-it-looks-like-yet first draft. I was determined to just sit down and write. That was my only goal. Still, I suppose my buried ball of emotional angst was still simmering under the surface. Because each day I faced the computer, I typed away trying to make sense of the world.
What came out was a straight-forward story that I couldn’t use. It held so much anger. So much in-your-face-preaching. And tackled way too many subjects. But I wrote a novel, nonetheless! And when I began to deconstruct the story, that’s when my second inspiration began.
I discovered I wanted to explore why boys are not encouraged to defy gender norms. How they are held to a standard of toughness and, most times, toxic masculinity. And how they have to hide parts of themselves to fit in the narrowly defined “boy” category.
YABC: Who is your favorite character in the book?
Grady! I loved writing him. His energy and voice flowed freely. With his non-stop questions, he is the epitome of youthful innocence. Grady has no filter. Most kids don’t until we teach them to behave in certain ways. He’s funny too, without having to try. Yet, when he’s teased for his incessant talking, it didn’t stop him. Grady is purely boy joy.
YABC: What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?
Are you asking me to choose favorites? Please do not tell the other scenes, or they might get jealous. No, seriously. I am proud of so many parts of this book. Even the scenes that were cut. But if I were to select one, it would be when Isaiah admits to his parents what had happened.
In the early drafts, I avoided this moment. Perhaps I was not ready to face the confrontation. Perhaps I was not ready to delve into the emotional ranges that the scene had offer. But during each rewrite, I knew the moment needed to be included.
I’m proud because Isaiah faces what he fears and doesn’t “choke.” And in this moment, he is extremely vulnerable. Combine this energy with both his parent’s reactions—which Mom’s is totally different from Dad’s. Writing this interaction felt like an emotional rollercoaster as each parent mentally grasped, in those few minutes, the gravity of what occurred to their son. As they realized the possibility of what could’ve happened as well as would could still potentially happen in the future. And lastly, having a tough Dad, a strong dad—whose story parallels Isaiah’s–offer emotion and vulnerability too—it was a heart wrenching scene to write. But this scene moved me to a prideful moment. Still does.
YABC: What research did you do for this book?
Where to start? I researched everything, including content that I felt pretty confident writing about.
I love plants. I have them in my home. Yet, there are so many details I don’t know to comfortably write about them. Same with gardening and small farming. Docuseries and books were my go-to for this information.
Isaiah is a geek. There is a type of geek I wanted him to be, especially for the sake of representation. So that means, he needs to have a certain nerdy knowledge background (he was into Dungeons & Dragons, but the scene was sadly cut). So, I delved into the culture of skateboarding, Guiness World Records, and collecting vintage tees. For language, voice, and the discovery of all things Black geek, I read and loved Black Nerd Problems, a book of essays, by Omar Holman and William Evans.
And my research didn’t even end there. I researched the verse genre. I read so so many novels-in-verse to figure out the rules, only to learn there are no rules. But the readings enabled me to set my own.
YABC: What do you like most about the cover of the book?
I absolutely love how the cover captures the essence of Mid-Air. The colors and lightness hints to the joy. The abstractness of Isaiah offers enough to glean a description, but avoids locking him into one, as well. Readers can easily substitute their own imagination or themselves on the cover. And lastly, oh how he soars! The airy openness offers freedom and potential for Isaiah. Without having the ground beneath him or the horizon in the background, the illustration can serve as a metaphor that people can interpret for themselves. For me, it says, There are no limitations. No bounds. So just be!
YABC: Which was the most difficult or emotional scene to narrate?
It is important for me to present my characters as authentic as I can possibly write. Knowing this, the scene when Isaiah and Drew go back to do the wheelies for the World Record was the most challenging. It was difficult to write for several reasons.
Isaiah would not feel comfortable back in that community. I initially wrote the scene with him experiencing a panic attack, which would justify him not being attentive. That scenario would be indeed authentic, but my editor kept saying, “This is not believable. How would he not see the car.” So, I really had to get into Isaiah’s mindset, not just at that moment, but all the moments before. What would really happen? How would he feel and think? What does he sense? I had to make him, and myself, inhale all of these different sensory details and mental shifts at one time. So, on the page I really had to impress on the reader this overload, or near meltdown, that Isaiah was experiencing.
Then there was the fight between the Isaiah and Drew. The exchange was probably a long time coming, but the words spoken, as well as the unspoken language, did not feel justified. Why would Isaiah finally say what he says at that moment and not before? Why would Drew hold back when he’s angry? These questions were under the dialogue begging to be answered. So, uncovering the layers of their friendship up to this blow out wasn’t a simple task. It’s like this: how many times do we find ourselves angry or irritated with someone, only to later realize that what we thought we were angry about wasn’t the true reason, but something else? Finding the true reasons takes time, reflection, and honesty. And that’s how writing this scene was for me.
YABC: Which character gave you the most trouble when writing your latest book?
Drew was my problem child. I had to understand him. I’d ask, Why would you remain in a friendship with Isaiah? He’s so different with his tough boy Detroit attitude. He joined Isaiah’s and Darius’s friend group, which was totally opposite of who he was. So why remain, especially after Darius was gone?
I realized that Isaiah offered him a sense of calm and stability. Drew didn’t have to put on airs with Isaiah, and he could escape into an innocent, young, silly acting world of boy joy. Drew struggled with outgrowing Isaiah, yet wanting his calm. Drew represents the reality of life: his Dad’s situation, his brother’s sickle cell, and his mother managing it all. While, Isaiah offered a bubble of ease. Yes, my problem child had inner conflicts going on through the entire book, but like all kids, he did his best managing them as adults expect from children. I realize now, that he wasn’t a problem, just a kid who needed to be understood.
YABC: What is the main message or lesson you would like your reader to remember from this book?
I want my readers to dare to be themselves.
The world will tell you who to be. We see this through advertising and social media, hear it from family and friends. You don’t have to listen to the world. You can define you for yourself. Find what makes you happy, whether anyone else likes it or not.
If we think about it, those “definers” are really saying: “Don’t be like that, it makes me uncomfortable; instead, be the way I need you to be. You’re selfish to not accept my wants on how you should be.” And really, that’s pretty selfish of them to say, right? Truthfully, you’ll never be able to please everyone, so have the courage to please yourself.
YABC: What’s up next for you?
I love reading folktales and folklore as much as I love performing them. I challenged myself to create a new folktale to add to this genre. I’m excited to add to the cannon of African American folktales with a picture book called Nani and the Lion, illustrated by Anna Cunha, published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
YABC: Is there an organization or cause that is close to your heart?
I have a big space in my heart for organizations that fight book bans. And an equally big space for those who get books into the hands of young people, especially those in underserved and marginalized communities. And I have an even bigger space—yes, I guess my heart is pretty large—for those small grassroots organizations and individuals with little resources. I am admiring a young woman I discovered on Instagram, Storybook Maze (@storbookmaze). She is self-defined as a “radical street librarian.” Storybook Maze saw a need in her Baltimore neighborhood and did something. She, like many others, are in the arena, doing the work. I think of them as our unsung heroes in the kid lit and YA community.
YABC: What advice do you have for new writers?
Write the story that is gifted to you. Write it.
There is a story inside of you that will connect, save, and entertain a young person. So be brave and face the page. No, it won’t come out perfectly. Even after revising, it still may need work. Be patient with yourself. Show yourself grace. And whatever you do, stay the course because you need to write the story as much as a reader needs to read it. Come to your writing space open. Know that every single journey in your life, every single experience, every relationship, chance meeting, opportunities you’ve taken and ones you haven’t, your regrets and triumphs too is not only for you—but for a young person. A young person that is waiting to read your story.
The world needs your voice. And remember, every book you write has the capacity to leave this world better than you found it, leave readers in a better state of mind—leave us and them better.
Title: Mid Air
Author: Alicia D. Williams
Illustrator: Danica Novgorodoff
Release Date: April 23, 2024
Publisher: S&S Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
Genre: Fiction
Age Range: Grades 5+
