 Today we feature Lisa D. Brathwaite and her new picture book, Miles of Style: Eunice Johnson and the Ebony Fashion Fair, illustrations by Lynn Gaines. KLiC: What was your inspiration for Miles of Style: Eunice Johnson and the Ebony Fashion Fair? LB: My Ebony magazine-impressed childhood, an enchanting museum exhibition about the Ebony Fashion Fair and a first grade fashionista named Kellie who was looking for a Black history book to captivate her inspired me to research and chronicle the stylish life and legacy of Eunice W. Johnson. KLiC: Please tell us about your writing process. What kind of research did you do for your book? How long did it take you to write and sell this book? LB: I started broad research in January 2015. Google Books was a helpful online resource. I gathered a goldmine of information by searching its scanned Ebony magazine issues from the era of my focus. I love research and the more I did, the more deeply I got enamored. That September I learned about the call for submissions from Lee and Low Books for their New Voices Award and decided to get serious about writing. I asked my director for a week off from my job to buckle down and write the original manuscript that evolved into Miles of Style. In that week, bookended by two weekends and three additional nights of prep and polishing, it was done and off to the post office. After receiving word that December I’d won the award and publishing deal, I leaned into more focused research with the refining that comes in the revision process. That led me to inquiries, connections, personal interviews and travel for which I’ll forever be grateful.  KLiC: What are your favorite illustrations in the book? LB: Whew! That’s a tough question, as I love Lynn’s work throughout. The spread with the models majestically coming down the runway depicting the start of the Ebony Fashion Fair “Americana” tour is one of them. I also love Mrs. Johnson at the Parisian fashion house entrance, meeting the resistance of a gatekeeper with resilience and an “Admit One” ticket. She knew as a Black woman once she gained entry, she’d make room and space for others. Finally, I adore the spread with the little girls and their mothers, grandmothers and aunties at the last stop of the tour. There’s a girl in a lilac shirt dress posing with her hand on her hip like an Ebony Fashion Fair model. Lynn had no way of knowing, but this is how I posed and pretended when I was a girl thumbing through the pages of Ebony magazine, so I see Little Lisa in this illustration. I hope children see themselves represented in her beaming beauty too as they go through the book.  KLiC: Do you have any tips for pre-published authors? LB: Join a writers community specific to the genre of your current project and if you’re able, another without a direct correlation, for a slightly different craft influence. Related, go to the movies. Go see live theatre. Go to an art gallery opening. Put yourself in position to absorb storytelling through varying disciplines. Surprising ideas or inspiration may emerge to augment your writing approach. Lastly, ask yourself, “If I had to yield 10 years of my life to bringing this writing project to fruition, would I do it?” If the answer is “No”, choose another subject/topic. You have to love it. Mine took nine years from ideation to publication. It was a road with a lot of curves. I’d still say “Yes”. KLIC: Is there anything you want readers to know about you or your book? LB: Time and again I’ve heard adults say “I was familiar with Ebony magazine, but I had no idea about the Ebony Fashion Fair or Eunice Johnson.” I welcome anyone to learn alongside young readers, and let the discovery spark a self-styled, intergenerational conversation. It’s my humble honor to provide Miles of Style as the vehicle.  Lisa D. Brathwaite is a purveyor of creative self-expression. She loves playing dress-up
(still!), her family, finding herself in art spaces, and writing whatever suits her in a given moment. Miles of Style: Eunice W. Johnson and the EBONY Fashion Fair is her debut children's book. Lisa studied family and community development at the University of Maryland at College Park, graduating with a degree in Community Studies and a concentration in public policy and the Black community. She is a New Jersey native and has been designing her adult life in Atlanta, GA. Find out more at lisadbrathwaite.com To learn more about Lisa, please visit: Website: https://www.lisadbrathwaite.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisa_d_brat/ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/lisabrathwaite Comments are closed.
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