
Author Lesa Cline-Ransome is known for her picture book biographies of poets, anti-slavery crusaders, musicians, athletes, and mathematicians. Her novel Finding Langston received a Scott O’Dell Historical Fiction Award and a Coretta Scott King Author Honor. We impatiently waited for the companion novel, Leaving Lymon, which was published in early 2020. Lesa is a wonderful storyteller and a stellar nonfiction researcher and author. We’re glad she’s Skinny Dipping with us!
One green thing I wish everyone would do: Recycle
The book I wish everyone would read: Isabel Wilkerson’s The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration. It will forever change the way in which you see history, race and inequality in this country.
The best way to stay fit: Walk. Every single day.
What keeps me up at night: The current state of politics, divisiveness, and partisanship.
Proudest moment in my career: Completing my first middle grade novel (Finding Langston) after years of writing picture books.
I don’t believe in: Limitations
My mom was right about: Nearly everything, but when I was young, she told me to always focus more energy on grooming my interior than my exterior and I would grow into a woman I could be proud of.
I tell myself every day: To trust myself.
The bravest thing I’ve ever done: Become a mother to four children. There is no instruction manual and yet every day requires a different skill set, hard work, energy, humor and resourcefulness.
If I could give you a piece of advice, it would be this: Be a reader.
The food I can’t resist: Chocolate layer cake (warm, with a little scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side)
What I do when I want to feel joy: Surround myself with friends and family, good music and great food.
Congratulations on your successes.… Your work is awesome.
What to do in a pandemic? Find an invigorating interview with Lesa Cline-Ransome and take heart about reading, writing, walking, listening to our mothers, being brave. Thanks to her for writing her resonant books, and to Winding Oak for bringing her strengthening presence into this unsteady time.
What wise advice from your mother!
I love your mom’s advice! Congratulations on your new book!