Debut You is an interview feature on Our Stories Matter blog. Debut authors, who have released or have upcoming releases in 2023, are given six questions to answer about themselves and their book. Currently, the questions are the same for all authors. We hope you enjoy getting to know Melvina Noel and can offer your support. Go here for past Debut You features.
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Describe yourself in five words then expound on one of them.
The five words I would use to describe myself are joyful, creative, kind, student, and writer.
Many years ago, I bought a 24-piece word puzzle, and only after putting it together would you know what it said. It read, Your happiness comes through education—learn something new each day. That’s me. I absolutely love learning! The proof. I have invested in formal and self-taught learning through earning five degrees in different areas (one is a doctorate) and two yoga teaching certificates (one for children); studying five languages (I am only fluent in English, lol), art, piano; and on and on. Writing Chef Edna: Queen of Southern Cooking, Edna Lewis required a serious investment in learning about her life. What can I say? The love of learning is in my blood.
Explain your book’s journey—how long did it take—from idea to publication?
Never give up! In November 2018, after writing quite a few fiction books for Black children (still not published), I had this grand idea of writing 12 picture book biographies, one a month, of lesser-known Black Americans who had a positive impact on society. I googled and bumped into Edna Lewis, first drawn to her smile, then her story. I read a ton of articles and bought all seven books about her, with four of them being cookbooks she authored. Of course, I quickly realized it would take more than a month to write her story (lol)—to write anybody’s story, for that matter.
I finished Chef Edna: Queen of Southern Cooking, Edna Lewis by March 2019, only to experience months of rejections from many publishers. (I sent Chef Edna to publishers who allowed simultaneous submissions, so it was out to several publishers at a time.) In November 2019, Cameron Kids took an interest in what was then titled Edna’s Biscuits. This original title is a hint of how much this book evolved. After more than a year of editing and more than a year of illustrating by Cozbi Cabrera, there was more editing and verification before Chef Edna was off to the printer, and voilà! A beautiful Chef Edna: Queen of Southern Cooking, Edna Lewis published on April 18, 2023.
Belief in oneself is essential, but besides you, who has been your cheerleader(s) throughout this process?
My siblings have been very supportive. They are really good at telling me exactly what they think about whatever sentence or passage I send them, and they respond almost immediately. Melvern reads all my stories, sometimes more than once, providing invaluable comments. I also have to mention my editor, Amy Novesky, who worked kindly and patiently with me on the many rewrites while making sure I did not lose my voice.
Understanding your audience is essential. What do you know for sure about the audience you are writing for?
Chef Edna was basically written for four- to eight-year-olds. What I know for sure is that this age group is smart, inquisitive, and funny. They love picture books, whether they can read them or not. I know for sure that Black children need to see as many Black people on the cover of books as we can produce. I also know for sure that children who are not Black need to see as many Black people on the cover of books as we can produce. My goal is to get Chef Edna: Queen of Southern Cooking, Edna Lewis into the hands of all children because it adds one more positive Black image to their knowledge.
Tell us about your book.
Chef Edna: Queen of Southern Cooking, Edna Lewis is about Edna Regina Lewis (1916–2006), who was born in Freetown, Virginia, founded by her grandfather and two other formerly enslaved people after the emancipation of 1865. The story begins with her childhood, where she learns how to prepare and cook fresh, seasonal ingredients straight from the farm. It continues chronicling her life in New York, where she introduces delicious Southern meals to New Yorkers and becomes part owner of a restaurant and an award-winning chef. Cozbi A. Cabrera, a Caldecott and Coretta Scott King Honoree, beautifully illustrates family gatherings, food preparation, and other aspects of Chef Edna’s life. The back matter includes the author’s notes, select sources, and one of Chef Edna’s biscuit recipes.
What must be noted is although Chef Edna spent her life teaching and writing about the traditions of Southern cooking, she was not widely known by the general public, making her life story all the more important to share.
YOU did it! Your story is going to be read by children or teens, educators, parents, librarians, and book bloggers, congratulations! How do you feel, and are there any other projects in the works—that you can discuss?
I feel such joy and gratitude every time I look at Chef Edna: Queen of Southern Cooking, Edna Lewis. I get a bit emotional when I see the wonderful displays people have created around the book on Instagram. Chef Edna is a hard-earned dream.
I do have another picture book titled Mama’s Library Summers coming out in 2024 through Cameron Kids. It is about my mama taking my sister and me to the library back in the day to only check out books about Black people. Her goal was to fill the void left by the lack of teaching Black history in public schools.
As for other projects, I continue to work on my goal of writing at least 12 children’s picture book biographies of lesser-known Black Americans. Now that Chef Edna has been published, I am working on getting two finished biographies published while finishing another biography that my editor has shown an interest in. That means four written and eight to go. Besides biographies, I continue to write fiction picture books with Black children as the main characters and anthropomorphic picture books with messages of love, hope, and joy. For now, I am a prolific writer, as opposed to being a prolific published writer. Never give up!
Chef Edna: Queen of Southern Cooking, Edna Lewis
Melvina Noel | Cozbi A. Cabrera | Cameron Kids | April 18, 2023 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop
Melvina Noel is a college educator and a certified children’s yoga instructor who loves reading and writing above everything. Her favorite places to be are libraries and bookstores. She enjoys baking, playing the piano, playing chess, and watercolor painting. Connect with Melvina Noel on Instagram.
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