Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Marie Jette.
Sarah Marie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I applied to several MFA creative writing programs my senior year of college. I didn’t get into any of them. When I look at where I am now, I am very happy with my life, with the path I have taken. I turned those rejections into opportunities.
I learned to speak fluent Mongolian while serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mongolia, I worked at three different non profits in the Boston area, I earned a Masters Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Boston University and a Masters Degree in Education through the Boston Teacher Residency Program. I counseled women at Boston’s largest day shelter, I volunteered as a Big Sister, I began teaching in Arlington. All the while, I kept on writing.
And then, I met an extraordinary boy. For two years, on Sunday mornings, I babysat a little boy who was diagnosed with epilepsy when he was a few months old. We snuggled and played music together, I administered medication and soothed him through seizures. I stopped babysitting when I became pregnant with my son, and shortly after, his parents called to tell me that he had become a big brother. I visited the new baby, spent time with his big brother and on my drive back home, the idea for my book, What the Wind Can Tell You, came to me. I knew I had to write it, a story about the power of love between siblings, a story about possibilities and resilience.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My primary writing obstacle has been time.
I started writing What the Wind Can Tell You when my son was almost a year old. At that point in my life, I was learning how to balance motherhood with teaching full time. Earlier that year, my principal coached me on ways to balance lesson planning and grading with mothering. I am grateful to have had a strong mentor at such a critical point in my life. With her guidance, I made better use of my time. I tightened up my lessons, leaned on colleagues, and my work/life balance improved. When my son napped or went to sleep for the night, I finished school work and wrote. I realize that it only takes a dirty diaper, teething, and countless other known or unknown factors to interrupt a nap… however, this routine continued as my family grew. Now, that naps are nonexistent, my three children build with Legos, read books to each other, or dress up in costumes and imagine games while I step away to a quiet(ish) part of the house to write.
One other time obstacle I realized is that it can be very easy to talk yourself out of doing something because there isn’t a lot of available time or you’re tired. You’ve only got 20 minutes before the next thing, or it’s late and you know you’ve got only about 15 minutes before you fall asleep. I’ve learned to take advantage of small pockets of time. I take my writing with me and work while my3-year-old has her swimming lesson. I might only get to six pages, but when you’re revising, those six pages are significant! Don’t get me wrong, I also need solid chunks of uninterrupted time. If I am able to stay awake after my children go to bed, I can get in an hour or two of writing. But, I’ve also learned to make the most of these small moments.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about your business – what should we know?
My book, What the Wind Can Tell You, was released by Islandport Press on May 15, 2018. I am incredibly proud of this book. It is a middle-grade story for children. The main characters are Isabelle and Julian Perez. Julian has a severe form of epilepsy, much like the boy I used to babysit. The story opens with Julian having a very large seizure and he is rushed to the hospital. When he returns, Isabelle is granted access to a magical world Julian travels to each night. Through their nightly explorations, the concepts of ability and impairment, limitations and possibilities are explored. My characters are Mexican American, like me. Diversity is necessary in children’s books, though it isn’t always present. My 4th grade classroom is filled with students with different family structures, abilities, languages, and nationalities. It is import that they find mirrors of themselves and their lives in the books they read.
Do you feel like there was something about the experiences you had growing up that played an outsized role in setting you up for success later in life?
My mother grew up in southern California. My father grew up in Lewiston, Maine. They met on the airplane heading to Hawaii for Peace Corps training. Ten weeks later, they were married at the swearing-in ceremony. In the Peace Corps, my parents lived in the Philippines and taught English to adult learners.
As a child, this was a familiar story, told again and again. It was a fairy tale. But beyond the romance, when my parents returned home, they dedicated their lives to public schools and the students they taught. They worked to make sure every one of their students felt valued and challenged, cared for and respected. My mother taught first grade in my elementary school. I remember sitting in her classroom after school, reading the picture books she purchased for her library. My father taught 8th-grade math. He dyed his hair rainbow colors as a way to connect with his students.
I joined the Peace Corps at the end of my senior year in college. I taught English to 5th and 6th-grade Mongolian children. However, it took another four years before I switched careers from nonprofit work to public school teaching. When I did, it felt like home. Teaching gives me such joy. My students amaze me with their resilience, their endless effort, and their kindness. They are constantly pushing themselves further, and because they do, so do I.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sarahmariejette.wordpress.com/
- Twitter: @smaliber
Image Credit:
Sarah Marie Jette
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