It’s All in the Details: Talking Poetry with A.L. Sonnichsen, Author of Red Butterfly

Why did you decide to write Red Butterfly in verse?
I originally wrote Red Butterfly in prose—a whole first draft in prose!—and it was an utter failure. I’d recently been introduced to novels in verse, and when I tried to write my main character Kara’s voice in verse instead, everything flowed so much better. After that, there was no turning back. I was hooked.
How is writing in verse different than writing in prose?
I’ve always loved writing about details, which tends to turn prose purple (read: overwritten!), but works well in poetry. That’s what makes novels in verse so alluring for me. I get to tell a whole story in details. When I write prose, I write in chronological order, but I found when writing verse that I had so much more freedom. Even after the poems were written, I could play with the order, and then add in another detail here or there if the story needed it. I found that way of working to be very liberating, not to mention fun.
You grew up in Hong Kong and worked in China. How did those experiences inspire you as a writer?
Growing up in Hong Kong (the best city in the world!) definitely shaped me, and I miss being there when I’m away. That’s one of the reasons I moved back to China as an adult—I wanted to be back in Asia. That experience of living in China, volunteering at our local orphanage, and adopting our daughter were all inspirations for Red Butterfly. I would not have had this idea, nor felt confident enough to write this story, if I hadn’t experienced life in China.
How does where you live or the space you write in inspire you now?
Where we live in Washington State is semi-arid, so it looks a lot like parts of New Mexico, with yellow hills, sagebrush and tumbleweed. I know, not what you think of when someone says Washington State! I love the sunsets, the blue skies in summer, the cherry orchards in bloom in the spring, and the gorgeous snow-laden mountains, Adams and Rainier, that we can see from our valley on clear days. I’m working on a new novel that is partly a historical. It’s set in this area. It’s been fascinating to dig into the past of the region.
Tell us about a specific poet or poem that you love.
I will do better than that. I will write down a poem I love!
Six little mice sat down to spin,
Pussy passed by and she peeped in.
“What are you doing, my little men?”
“Weaving coats for gentlemen.”
“Can I come in and cut off your threads?”
“Oh no, Mistress Pussy, you’d bite off our heads!”
“Oh no, I’ll not. I’ll help you to spin.”
“That may be so, but you don’t come in!”
I grew up reading poems like this children’s classic, and now I read them to my children. This is actually my four-year-old’s favorite poem. We say it aloud from memory quite often, and she giggles over it every time.

What are some of your favorite memories writing and reading as a kid?
I gobbled up the Anne of Green Gables series in one summer. I will never forget that summer. So idyllic!
As far as writing goes, my mom saved most of my childhood writings. I’ve counted about twenty first chapters of a novel called Greena, named after the book’s main character. (Yes, I made up that name myself as a seven or eight year old.) First chapters were always the most fun to write. Finishing novels was harder. I’m not sure I legitimately finished a novel until I was in college.

What do you think makes a good poem?
Magic?
It’s something about stirring emotion through an encounter with brief and beautiful language.
What are some of your favorite novels in verse for young people?
The first I read was Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse. I was also touched by Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai, May B. by Caroline Starr Rose (I’m reading her new novel, Blue Birds, with my daughter right now and we love it!), and Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate.
What are your favorite children’s books written in verse?