'Twas the Night Before Pride by Joanna McClintick

You said, in regards to creating a story that would tell children the history of Pride, “I didn’t want to have the heroic bravery of the queer ancestors to get lost in the rainbows.” What does it mean to you to be a teller of their story?

This book would be nothing without those illustrations, and I feel so fortunate that queer families can see themselves thanks to Juana's amazing work. When I got the first draft of the pictures, I burst out crying. I have lots of creative projects often cooking in my mind, but this is the first time that I got to work alongside other professionals to make it as wonderful as 'Twas became. Then the whole process really took off - I got to work with the amazing people at Candlewick, talk with editors about how to make the work stronger, and have a professional illustrator begin work on it. She wrote back to me right away, I was in my office practically jumping up and down. I knew once I had a newborn I wouldn't have time for this! And they all said no, except one! I remember exactly where I was when I got that email. Then, right before I was going to be a mom, I sent it to almost 30 agents, hoping to get a bite. It seemed like a long shot, but I would have bursts of inspiration to keep going between it just sitting in my email drafts. I looked up how to write query letters, agents that took rhyming picture books, and consulted with those I knew that were published authors. We took turns reading lines from it, and the positive response I got made me pursue how to get it published.

I wrote it quickly and not during Pride, but felt excited to share it with my community at our annual pride gathering once that rolled around. This idea was brewing for a while in my mind, and I would come it on the subway (where I often write songs, poems, or other ideas) and then suddenly took shape in late 2017. Then, in response to the children’s request, you found a way to add pictures and thus created the book! What did the steps of this process feel like for you - from the realization that children needed context to the creation of the poem to the fully realized picture book itself? In order to give children some of this history and context, you created a poem that would eventually become the book. You have said that the inspiration for the concept came from seeing Pride celebrations through the eyes of children - and knowing that you wanted them to see beyond the glitter and dancing and into the bravery, resistance, and resilience that created Pride. ‘Twas the Night Before Pride was the culmination of many steps.

'Twas the Night Before Pride by Joanna McClintick