A photograph of Little Thoughts Press Issue Eight: Pride with a sneak peek of "Nonbinary Me" by Sarah Steinbacher.
Sarah Steinbacher (she/they) is a disabled nonbinary author who lives in South Carolina, with her husband, three children, three cats, and a tortoise. A former national curriculum writer with an Ed.D. in education, she enjoys writing children’s books and poems that don’t shy away from life’s ups and downs. She’s a 2023 PB Rising Stars Honorable Mention and a 2023 #KidLitZombieWeek winner. Her poems can also be found at PaperBound, The Dirigible Balloon, Paper Lanterns, Parakeet, and Tyger Tyger Magazine. She is represented by Joyce Sweeney at The Seymour Agency. Follow Sarah on Twitter @SarahSteinbac11 and on Instagram @SarahSteinbacherWrites.
Little Thoughts Press: Your poem, "Self Portrait," showcases a vulnerable and brave moment in Frida Kahlo's lifelong journey of self-actualization and how that translated into her art. In your author's note, you included this quote by Kahlo, "I am the person I know best. I paint my own reality."
It seems creativity and learning to trust in your self-knowledge are intertwined. What has been your experience with that? In what ways have your creative pursuits helped you better know yourself? How have your writing and the kinds of creative risks you're willing to take changed as your own self-knowledge has grown?
Sarah Steinbacher: Frida Kahlo first tried painting as a way to process her experiences with disability and pain following a traumatic bus accident. Later, she was inspired to explore other aspects of her identity through her artwork, because "I am my own muse. I am the subject I know best. The subject I want to know better." In many ways, my own creative journey has followed Kahlo's. After experiencing disability and chronic pain, I began reflecting on various aspects of my identity and my childhood experiences with parental absenteeism and addiction, kinship care, homelessness, and food insecurity. I started writing poems and stories for my child-self, which has been both therapeutic and liberating. Now I also write for other children who have similar identities and experiences, to be a voice for them—the voice I needed when I was young. And the more I embrace my child-self, the louder my voice gets for children like me.
Little Thoughts Press: Building on the themes of "Self Portrait," you also gave us "Nonbinary Me." The speaker of this poem moves from being an "outside girl, inside boy" to a "united we." What advice would you give to LGBTQ+ kids and their grown-ups on utilizing art's power to find and express one's identity?
Sarah Steinbacher: LGBTQIA+ folx, especially trans and nonbinary folx, often experience pushback from others who don't understand their identity. Similar to Kahlo, I use my creative outlet as a way to share experiences related to my identity with others. My hope is that not only will it help others know me, but that perhaps it will help some readers understand a lived experience outside their own. And I hope readers of all ages never stop exploring themselves. Like Kahlo, I uncovered parts of my identity later in life, parts that in hindsight I can trace back to childhood. It's never too late to know yourself better. And writing has been one of the most powerful tools for me to do that. So keep searching within and be your muse!
Little Thoughts Press: Book bans have been with us since there have been books, but these last couple of years, we’ve seen a meteoric rise in the number of them, especially in school libraries. Your poem, "You Say" is told from a kid’s point of view, which unfortunately is often missing in the discussion. Was there a banned book that made a difference in your life as a kid? Is there a more recent addition to the banned book list that you think is a critical piece of literature for young readers to be able to access?
Sarah Steinbacher: Thank you for raising awareness on this issue and how important it is that we consider the impact of book bans upon children, especially marginalized children. Two frequently banned books from my childhood instantly come to mind because of the long-lasting impact they made in my life: My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok, and The Giver by Lois Lowry. Both stories feature strong main characters who struggle to fit within their strict communities, but eventually they find a way to be true to themselves, even if it means breaking away from tradition and expectation. I have several more recent titles to recommend as well. For MG/YA readers: The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, The Beautiful Something Else by Ash Van Otterloo, I am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika S. Sánchez, and All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson. For PB readers/listeners: When Aidan Became a Brother by Kyle Lukoff and illustrated by Kaylani Jaunita, Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Peña and illustrated by Christian Robinson, Separate is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh, and Worm Loves Worm by J. J. Austrian and illustrated by Mike Curato.
Little Thoughts Press: Issue 8: Pride is about celebrating the LGBTQ+ community. Are they any LGBTQ+ organizations or programs that you would like to shout out, either that you work with directly, or whose work and contributions you'd like to draw more attention to?
Sarah Steinbacher: Shout out to: The Trevor Project, Pflag, and Queer Med.
Little Thoughts Press: How did you get started writing kid-lit and what do you find most challenging and rewarding about writing for kids?
Sarah Steinbacher: I love reading and writing kidlit! I've been writing off and on since childhood, but I got serious about kidlit in February of 2023. Then last October I signed with my agent, Joyce Sweeney of The Seymour Agency. I love how kidlit stories can help readers of all ages process the world around us. Sometimes it can be challenging to find the right voice to tell the story within. When that happens, I try writing it several different ways until I find the version that feels most true to me.
Little Thoughts Press: What advice would you give to young writers?
Sarah Steinbacher: Write for your inner self. You are your most important audience. Then if you decide to pursue publication, read a lot, learn all you can about writing, and surround yourself with other writers. But never forget your 'why.'
Little Thoughts Press: Is there anything else you wish I had asked? Any upcoming projects, publications, or other news you'd like to share?
Sarah Steinbacher: I'm currently on submission with two LGBTQIA+ picture books and I have a chapter book series in the works that features a disabled nonbinary child.
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