Patricia J. Murphy
Patricia J. Murphy is an award-winning writer, author, and poet for children and adults. When she’s not writing, she loves to visit schools, libraries, and bookstores to inspire young readers and writers to read, to write, and to tell their stories. She often tells them, “The world needs your stories!” Visit her at www.patriciajmurphy.com
Interview
What was your favorite book when you were a child?
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
What’s your favorite line from a book?
“and it was still hot!”—Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Who are your top three favorite authors or illustrators?
TO NAME A FEW (1) AUTHORS: Richard Peck, Walter Dean Myers, Jandy Nelson, Joan Bauer, Kate DiCamillo, Judy Blume, and Beverly Cleary, (2) Illustrators: Floyd Cooper, Arnold Lobel, Ezra Jack Keats, James Marshall, Peter Brown, and David Diaz.
Why did you want to become an author or illustrator?
My dear mother was always reading to my sisters and me, told us stories of her wild adventures growing up in Chicago, and took us to the library every chance she had. From her, I learned the love of language and story. I started with poems, stories, and plays that my sisters and I put on in our backyard for the whole neighborhood. It wasn’t long until I was hooked.
Do you have any advice for future authors or illustrators?
Tell the stories only YOU can tell, and give them your very best. Your readers deserve nothing less.
