Interview with the Author
Hear from Barbara Klett, the brilliant author behind Think Ink’s latest release, A Message Across Time.
Think Ink Books welcomes author Barbara Klett to chat with us about her latest publication, A Message Across Time. As we visit, we are sitting watching a remarkably lovely sunset in Central Oregon, one of Mrs. Klett’s favorite places. Thanks so much for chatting with me, Barbara. To start us off: What makes Central and Eastern Oregon so special to you?
Central Oregon is a high desert with freshwater lakes, rivers, and streams. I love to be on my stand-up paddle board and getting to do that in the lap of natural beauty that is Central Oregon is a special gift. There are dramatic mountain ranges with steep cliffs and snowcapped summits, there is opportunity to go spelunking in lava tubes, and the hiking is limitless.
Eastern Oregon, where Weston is located, feels like “home” to me. The landscape is wide and open with wheat fields and productive land surrounding you. One gets the sense that in this land you are to be busy contributing to the cultivation of crops, whether it is wheat, peas, or grapes. The mountain range in Weston contrasts Central Oregon’s Cascade Range. The Blue Mountains are a rolling and tame presence on the horizon. In Eastern Oregon, running through fields, scaring up pheasants, and lying on your back identifying characters in the cloud formations allows one’s imagination to blossom.
Imagination is a very important trait for you. Why is that?
When I was growing up and times of boredom presented themselves, I would express these feelings to my mother. I quickly learned to make myself busy with my imagination and playing outdoors with my friends, or else my mother would rapidly assign me tasks to complete. Her favorite assignments to give included washing fingerprints off the walls in our house, or polishing the silverware, or ironing pillowcases and sheets.
Ah, I can see how that would motivate you to not complain about being bored! Was one strategy to ward off boredom the luxury of being able to find a quiet place to read at?
Unfortunately, no. I did not read for pleasure. I read only when I had no other choice, except for reading comic books, which I loved—and continue to love—reading.
Well, if you don’t mind me asking…why didn’t you learn to read?
I wish I had a good answer to that question. I was highly motivated to read. I deeply wanted to read. All others around me seemed to pick up the ability to read without any struggle. For me, it was nothing but struggle. I wasn’t interested in the reading assigned in class. I did not understand the “secret code” that seemed to be hidden in the words on the page. It was a secret torment to me, hiding my inability from those around me and pretending that I was able to read what they clearly had been able to read. Again, my imagination came to the rescue, and I learned ways of coping, which only left me further behind my peers in this area.
What finally changed for you? How did you learn to read?
The ability to read came s-l-o-w-l-y to me.
I think that learning how to type was a massive help in advancing my ability to read. I loved typing, and I was naturally successful at expertly navigating the keyboard. I seemed to be able to type as fast as my eyes could track what was in the typing book for me to replicate on the page. So, maybe it was seeing those characters put together in words that I wanted my fingers to present on the page that made the difference.
Since I was such a success at typing, I wanted to do it more and more. I was able to earn money typing so rapidly, which also motivated me. Eventually, I was reading. I am not a fast reader, but I take great enjoyment in reading. It is a wonderful gift to be able to read.
Are you—or were you—embarrassed that you were so slow to read?
Oh, I used to be humiliated because of this, and I kept it a massive secret. One of the reasons I became a schoolteacher was because I wanted to help kids like me find their way out of this secret prison before they reached fourth grade. As those certain students entered my classroom in shame, I knew how to diagnose their issues, and we would set about, together, to conquer the seemingly elusive beast of reading.
As success came to these students, joy filled our hearts, and the richness of reading kid-friendly content brought its own reward.
Is this why you wrote A Message Across Time?
No, but if this book helps encourage kids to read, then that would be a bonus for me. I think A Message Across Time is a great book for parents, grandparents, or teachers to read aloud to children and then discuss the issues presented within the chapters.
I wrote this book to help kids remember what it is like to play outside, explore the safety of their neighborhood, and be with friends who are exceptional. I’ve seen so many people sequester themselves indoors with their computers or other screens, choosing loneliness over companionship.
I’ve also observed the need for social skill building to be more fully developed in people. For many people, making friends is just natural. For others, it is a challenge, and gaining negative attention seems the only way to get any attention at all. So, I wanted to share stories from my childhood to help kids secure friendship skills.
What do you think kids will enjoy most about this book?
I believe the mix of the illustrations with the text is attractive to readers. As we learn to read, we move from picture books to no-pictures in books. It is an abrupt and shocking change. Books start to look like work to read, not pleasure. A Message Across Time bridges that huge divide.
Thankfully, I was most fortunate to find Alana Wilson, the illustrator of the book, who captured the characters and the setting so accurately. Her drawings served to inspire me to refine the manuscript, which I had written over a year before meeting her. When I found Alana, I recruited her as my illustrator, presenting her with an extremely rough draft of the book. She was able to visualize all things Weston, enabling others to see the magic of this town and of the community of people from Eastern Oregon. As she drew each image, I worked to improve the storyline, using Alana’s drawings as a dream board as I worked. Below is a picture of my (messy) office, with the drawings doing their job to breathe life into the story.
