Garvey's Choice by Nikki Grimes

An Interview with Nikki Grimes
    Q: Garvey loves astronomy, science fiction, chess, and music. But it’s through music that he gains confidence, and he muses that “chorus might be a way to fill in the puzzle of me.” When developing Garvey’s character, did you intentionally choose these four subjects because they’re interrelated somehow? Are these things you love as well?
    A: I gave only a passing thought to the way astronomy and science fiction were related. I knew that Garvey was a reader, and it only made sense that his love of the stars would be reflected in his choice of books. Music was the key to connect Garvey and his dad, of course. As for chess, it provided a way for Garvey’s mother to highlight her son’s intellectual capacity and, in the process, counter some of the father’s negative messages about Garvey’s perceived lack of athletic skills.
    And, yes, I have an appreciation for all four subjects myself, though not to an equal degree. My father was a violinist and composer, and so I come by my love of music naturally. I enjoy science fiction and have read the occasional sci-fi novel. I’m fascinated by the solar system, and I admire anyone who can play chess!
    Q: Garvey and Manny both struggle because the things that they’re passionate about—singing and cooking—are not considered manly activities, at least by some significant adults in their lives. How important is it to pursue your dreams even if doing so will make you stand out for being different?
    A: No matter what anyone says or thinks about your dreams, you must always pursue them. Usually, when you’re successful, the naysayers come around. But even if they don’t, you owe it to yourself to follow your heart and to make use of whatever gifts you were given. The talents God gave you are your gifts to the world.
    Q: Manny and Garvey are often the objects of bullying in school, and Manny’s response to his albinism gives Garvey courage to defend himself. What would you tell kids who witness someone being bullied?
    A: Stand up for kids who are being bullied. No one deserves to be bullied, but unless someone stands up for that person, the victim might start to believe that he or she does deserve it, and that would be a shame.
    Q: Garvey loves food and is overweight partly because he uses it for comfort. Did you, from the beginning, plan for Manny to dream of being a chef in order to give Garvey different ways of thinking about food? Or did this unfold as you developed your characters?
    A: So much of what happens in a novel is surprising and organic. I had no idea Manny would harbor dreams of being a chef. I wanted Manny to have a passion of his own, though, and I’m not surprised my mind went in this direction. I’m obsessed with cooking shows. In addition, I have a friend whose teen daughter, Eliana, is a rising star in the culinary world, so the notion of a young person dreaming of a career as a chef wasn’t much of a leap for me. That Manny’s passion allowed me to explore ways Garvey might wake up to the idea of healthy eating, and food as fuel rather than comfort, was a bonus.
    Q: You chose to tell Garvey’s story in tanka poems. What made you want to write a whole novel using one poetic form? What do you like about tankas?
    A: The novel actually grew out of a question I asked myself one day. I wondered if it was possible to write a novel entirely in tanka poems. The first draft of this book was my attempt to do so.
    I always like to challenge myself, to push my boundaries as an artist and writer. There’s something about the inherent limits of a tightly structured form like tanka that draws me to it. I wanted to look for ways to bend it to my use, to force emotional truth within the limits of those five lines—a nearly impossible task, which is what made it irresistible to me. I simply had to give it a try.