Tiny Treasury

It’s our first ever dual Friday Fifteen! Our participants today are husband and wife Mary Jane and Herm Auch - and they work together!

First up, Mary Jane…

1. Where are you now?
On a plane over Pennsylvania, flying to visit our daughter in San Francisco.

2. What were your favorite books as a kid?
My mother taught me to read, so when I got to school I was bored silly by the Dick and Jane books. My understanding teacher let me read all of the WIZARD OF OZ books instead, which I loved. I read A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN in fifth grade, and was hooked on reading for life.

3. What are you reading now?
THE HOUSE BY THE SEA by May Sarton and RAT LIFE by Tedd Arnold.

4. Do you have kids?
Yes, a daughter, Kat, and a son, Ian. They’re both graphic artists and both in publishing. Kat is a magazine designer and Ian is a newspaper and web designer.

5. What projects are you working on now?
I’m writing a midgrade novel with canine characters and a YA novel about a boy who loves guitars. Herm and I are doing illustrations for our next picture book, THE PLOT CHICKENS. We have also been attending recording sessions for Full Cast Audio’s CD of ONE-HANDED CATCH, the novel I wrote based on Herm’s childhood accident.

6. What is your biggest writing or illustrating luxury?
Our art studio! Herm built a two-story addition on our house with a cathedral ceiling, a balcony, and lots of windows. His computer and photography studio is upstairs and my painting, sewing and sculpting space is downstairs. My drawing board is right next to the woodstove, which is very cozy for our dog and me during our long upstate NY winters.

7. Coffee or tea?
Green tea and chai.

8. Name five artists on your iPod (or mp3 player).
Angel Band, Robin and Linda Williams, Steve Greene, Spider John Koerner, and CHESTER AND LESTER – an album with unbelievable guitar duets by Chet Atkins and Les Paul

9. What would I be surprised to know about you?
I love to play the guitar and just started taking fiddle lessons.

10. What college did you attend (in what subject)?
Skidmore College as an art major, then Columbia University Medical School for Occupational Therapy.

11. If you weren’t working with kids’ books, what would your dream job be?
Backup singer, luthier (guitar maker)

12. What’s the best thing on TV right now?
I’m hooked on Idol for the moment, but after that, not much.

13. How did you get your “big break” into the field?
I took a weeklong course from Natalie Babbitt and another the next year from Patty MacLachlan. They both encouraged me until I made my first sale — after two years of rejections.

14. Which celeb would you want most to meet?
I’d love to meet Kyra Sedgwick. I admire her work, especially in the projects she has done with her husband, Kevin Bacon. She has an amazing ability to show both the strength and weakness in her characters, and has an incredibly expressive face. I enjoy creating multi-layered characters and pictured her as Lila when I was writing WING NUT.

15. Who is the best book character EVER?
Rabble Starkey from Lois Lowry’s book of the same name

And now, Herm:

1. Where are you now?
35,000 feet over Ohio. Same plane as MJ – just a little farther along on the trip.

2. What were your favorite books as a kid?
THE RED PONY and HANS BRINKER AND THE SILVER SKATES

3. What are you reading now?
ARROGANCE by Bernard Goldberg

4. Do you have kids?
Yep. The same two as MJ.

5. What projects are you working on now?
Illustrating THE PLOT CHICKENS, designing brochures and publicity for the Heritage Square Museum in Ontario, NY, our home town.

6. What is your biggest writing or illustrating luxury?
My Cintiq.

7. Coffee or tea?
Coffee

8. Name five artists on your iPod (or mp3 player).
Alison Kraus, Tish Hinojosa, Diana Krall, Leonard Cohen, Roy Orbison

9. What would I be surprised to know about you?
I played the accordion as a kid, even though I only have one hand.

10. What college did you attend (in what subject)?
Rochester Institute of Technology — illustration major

11. If you weren’t working with kids’ books, what would your dream job be?
Cabinetmaker

12. What’s the best thing on TV right now?
NBA playoffs, 24

13. How did you get your “big break” into the field?
Started by illustrating MJ’s Third Grade Science series. It didn’t help that I was married to the author. They made me send in a lot of samples for approval.

14. Which celeb would you want most to meet?
David Robinson, former Spurs player

15. Who is the best book character EVER?
Huw Morgan from HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY

Thanks Mary Jane and Herm!

You can see more about them on their website.