BY MAUREEN HURLEY
To be a poet, is to listen to the call of the wild, and slowly starve to death. Not a practical way to raise a family. In our culture, to be an artist is to take a vow of poverty; to become a poet is plain foolish if it’s fame and fortune (&/or money) you’re after. More is definately better when it comes to getting your words worth.
Graton resident Jonathan London, a semi-skilled laborer by day and poet by night, began to sell poems and stories to major children’s book publishers by accident—all because he wanted to make his son go to sleep. London who has published hundreds of adult poems and short stories in numerous publications, estimates he’s earned less than $300 from his writing in 20 years, just sold 15 children’s book manuscripts—and is currently making a living at it.
“It all began three years ago when my youngest son, Sean was two. I made up a lullabye poem and it put him to sleep. . It worked. I wrote it down and read it to him the next night. The following night he wanted to hear it again, and again and again.”
The 45 year-old London did test market an earlier story, “Old Mr. Snake and the Cherry Tree” on his oldest son Aaron, who is eight, but it didn’t resonate. He sent the story out, and it never sold, “so I let it slide, but somehow another story, the first story he sold, “The Owl Who Became the Moon ” really took off with Sean. The story is scheduled for publication early next year. The idea came from an earlier published poem I’d written in 1970; out of a 20 year incubus.”
“Children’s stories typically run 3-400 words; but it’s gotta be the right words at the right time.” You could slave over them for years and not get them right. London, whose work-related back injury prompted a change in career, was warned no one makes a living at writing children’s stories, but he persevered. “It was a whole new way of looking at the world, I was still using my writing skills, but seeing it through the eyes of a child. The kid in me was always present, I capitalized on it and let the kid in me be my mentor. I didn’t change my writing style. I don’t write down to kids. Many ideas come to me out of dreams or old poems. Hip cat came from God-knows-where. He was a hip cat, a hap cat, an oobie-doer who tries to make it as a jazz musician. I saw the humor of it: a sax-playing cat. I knew I had a story.”
London aimed for the stars, sending manuscripts to the major houses of children’s publishers, “Farrar Strauss, E.P Dutton, and Harper Row, because they seemed to be putting out the best books.” With two chidren of his own, London feels he has become somewhat of a conniseur of children’s books.
Breaking into the children’s publishing market is tough. After selling his first manuscript, he didn’t sell another for 15 months. He estimates he received 60-70 rejection slips during that time. The poem, “The Grey Fox” was rejected eight times. The editors said the theme was too adult because the fox dies. . .and wanted me to change it. No waay! Viking finally accepted the manuscript. There’s perserverance for you!”
A chance meeting with a children’s author Daniel San Souci, led to a contract with an agent in Manhattan. “It was a gruelling six months. Nibbles, but no bites. Then in August, all hell broke loose. Within a week Viking made a bid on ‘The Grey Fox’ and ‘Into This Night We are Rising’—a poem written on the back of an envelope in 20 minutes while sitting in someone’s livingroom. And two other houses made an offer on ‘The Grey Fox.’ All the books sold as first books.”
London’s own chapbooks of poetry “The Season of Birds” and “Between the Sun and the Moon” from “defunct New York presses,” are out of print. But “The Grey Fox” came from a poem in “Between the Sun and the Moon.”
The fifth manuscript London sold to Philomel Books, “Thirteen Moons on Turtle’s Back” a collection of poems for the Native American names of moons, is officially his first book. It sold out 20,000 copies before it was released in May, and is already in its second printing. Hearthsong of Sebastopol placed a big order, and featured the book in their spring catalog. “Thirteen Moons on Turtle’s Back” is not limited to the kiddie set; it’s being marketed as folklore for all ages.
“The idea for the book came out of a dream poem. I wrote two phrases: the moon of joyful roundness, and the moon of hazy sorrow. There were other moons in the dream: the moon when wolves run together, maple sugar moon. I saw it as a picture book based on the Turtle Island myth. A theme of culture as an extension of the landscape. The poems are rooted in the landscape of each tribe.” Thirteen tribes are represented in “Thirteen Moons on Turtle’s Back.” London said “I realized I was in over my depth,”so he collaborated with Native American storyteller and founder of “Greenfield Review,” Joseph Bruchac, who London met through his adult poetry connections. Research required countless hours in the library researching and gleaning Native American moon myths.
London, a self-proclaimed navy brat, landed in California when his dad retired here. Wit a vague desite to be a high school or college teacher, he majored in history and the social sciences at San Jose State—where English was his only “C” in college—and became a poet instead.
“The Lion Who Had Asthma” billed as London’s second book, actually came out first. It was written for Sean who has severe asthma.
“The Lion Who Had Asthma” will be featured on “Read me a Story” on a PBS television station in Chicago. There is talk of possible syndication rights as well. “Froggy Gets Dressed” (Viking) illustrated by Guerneville artist Frank Remkiewicz, a book of the month club main selection, will be released this September. Meanwhile, London says the book went international, and was sold to Penguin in United Kingdom, Austrailia, and New Zealand. Not bad for a poet who barely made it through college English.
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JONATHAN LONDON: A POET’S CALLING
BY MAUREEN HURLEY
To be a poet, is to listen to the call of the wild, and slowly starve to death. To be a poet is plain foolish if it’s fame and fortune (&/or money) you’re after. Not a practical way to raise a family. “More” is definitely better when it comes to getting your words worth, and poets skimp with words. But perserverance furthers.
Jonathan London (no relation to Jack, but the moon, not the valley, plays a central role), a semi-skilled laborer by day and poet by night, began to sell poems and stories to major children’s book publishers by accident—all because he wanted to make his son go to sleep. “It all began three years ago when my youngest son, Sean was two. I made up a lullaby poem and it put him to sleep. It worked. I wrote it down and read it to him the next night. The following night he wanted to hear it again, and again and again.”
London knew he was onto something more lucrative than snark hunting, sent out “The Owl Who Became the Moon” and other manuscripts to major children’s publishers, Farrar Strauss, E.P Dutton, and Harper Row, “because they seemed to be putting out the best books.” With two children of his own, London feels he is a connoisseur of children’s books. The story is scheduled for publication early next year. London says, “The idea came from an earlier published poem I’d written back in 1970; a 20 year incubus.”
London, a self-proclaimed navy brat, landed in California when his father retired here. With a vague desire to be a high school or college teacher, he majored in history and the social sciences at San Jose State—where his only “C” in college was in English—and promptly became a poet. The 45 year-old Graton resident London who lives with his wife Maureen Weisenberger, their two sons Aaron and Sean, and assorted pets, says he has published hundreds of adult poems and short stories in numerous publications. He estimates he’s earned less than $300 from his writing career of 20 years, but he’s just sold 15 children’s book manuscripts—most within the past year.
London, whose work-related back injury prompted a change in career, was warned that no one makes a living at writing children’s stories, but he persevered. “It was a whole new way of looking at the world, I was still using my writing skills, but seeing it through the eyes of a child. The kid in me was always present, I capitalized on it and let the kid in me be my mentor. I didn’t change my writing style. I don’t write down to kids. I write a book an adult would like to read.”
“Children’s stories typically run 300-400 words; but it’s gotta be the right words at the right time. Don’t assume kid’s books are easy. There’s a disguised simplicity to them.” After selling his first manuscript, he didn’t sell another for 15 months. He estimates he received 60-70 rejection slips during that time. He said a poem, “The Grey Fox” was rejected eight times. The editors said the theme was too adult because the fox dies. . . and they wanted me to change it. No wa-a-y! But Viking finally accepted the manuscript”
A chance meeting with children’s author Daniel San Souci, led to a contract with an agent in Manhattan. “It was a gruelling six months. Nibbles, but no bites. Then in August 1991, all hell broke loose. Within a week Viking made a bid on ‘The Grey Fox,’ and ‘Into This Night We are Rising’—a poem written on the back of an envelope in 20 minutes while sitting in someone’s livingroom. Two other houses also made an offer on ‘The Grey Fox.’ And all the books sold as first books.”
London’s own chapbooks of poetry “The Season of Birds” and “Between the Sun and the Moon” from “defunct New York presses,” are out of print. “The Grey Fox” came from a poem in “Between the Sun and the Moon.”
London sold his fifth manuscript to Philomel Books (a division of Dutton). “Thirteen Moons on Turtle’s Back” a collection of poems for the Native American names of moons, officially his first book, sold out 20,000 copies before it was released in May, and is already in its second printing. Hearthsong of Sebastopol placed a big order, and featured the book in their spring catalogue.
“Thirteen Moons on Turtle’s Back” is not limited to the kiddie set; it’s being marketed as folklore for all ages. “The idea for the book came out of a dream poem. I wrote two phrases: the moon of joyful roundness, and the moon of hazy sorrow. There were other moons in the dream: the moon when wolves run together, maple sugar moon. I saw it as a picture book based on the Turtle Island myth. A theme of culture as an extension of the landscape. The poems are rooted in the landscape of each tribe.” Thirteen tribes are represented in “Thirteen Moons on Turtle’s Back.”
London collaborated with Native American storyteller and editor of “Greenfield Review,” Joseph Bruchac, who London met through his adult poetry connections. Research for the book required countless hours in the library gleaning Native American moon myths.
London can barely keep up with his own sweet success story. Written for son Sean who has severe asthma, “The Lion Who Had Asthma” will be featured on “Read me a Story” on a PBS television station in Chicago—with possible syndication. “The Lion Who Had Asthma” billed as London’s second book, was actually released first (also in May).
“Froggy Gets Dressed” (Viking) illustrated by Guerneville artist Frank Remkiewicz, already a book of the month club main selection, will be released this September. Meanwhile, London says “the book went international, and was sold to Penguin to be released in United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.” Not bad for a poet who barely made it through college English. He doesn’t plan to write for adults any time soon,; he’s having too much fun. Look for his titles in the kiddie section of the bookstore.
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