Photo by Kathleen Coffler
Welcome back to "Three Questions With," the series where subscribers and friends of PJ Library get to know a different author, illustrator, musician, or other creative professional who helps bring the stories you love to life. Today we're chatting with author Sarah Kapit, the author of the multi-award-winning PJ Our Way selection, Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen! We're delighted that Sarah took the time to answer our usual three questions, plus two more as a bonus.
What are you working on right now?
I am working on a chapter book series inspired by Ramona Quimby - but Jewish!
Of all of the characters you've created, who is your favorite?
This is such a hard question because I love them all - but I always will have a soft spot for Vivy in GET A GRIP, VIVY COHEN! Not only is she the main star of my first book, but she is just such a cool girl. She is kind, tenacious, and so many other things that I admire greatly.
When did you know that you wanted to be an author?
I knew that I wanted to be an author since I was about seven or eight, but I didn't finish a book until I was in my late 20s. I wish I would have started writing sooner!
What are the elements of a good story?
To me, it'll always be great characters. I'll read anything if I love the characters.
What books, music, or art inspired you when you were young?
I loved so many different books, but my favorite series was the Animorphs books by K.A. Applegate, and those books are still incredibly dear to me. Other favorites were A Wrinkle in Time and The Phantom Tollbooth.
About Sarah Kapit
Sarah Kapit lives in Santa Barbara, California with her husband and their goofy orange cat. She earned a Ph.D. in history from the University of California in Los Angeles. She's always happy to talk about the history of women, medicine, and any other history geek topic. She has a longstanding involvement in the disability rights and neurodiversity movements, and serves as chairperson of the Association for Autistic Community. GET A GRIP, VIVY COHEN! is her first novel.
Sarah can be found on both Twitter and Instagram at @SarahKapit.
July 16, 2022