Anne: Hello, Stephan! Your latest comic novel comes out tomorrow—October 10—from Aladdin/Simon & Schuster, and it’s a great read. I really enjoyed Looking Up.
Stephan: Thank you very much, Anne!
Anne: Would you please give readers a brief summary of the action?
Stephan: Sure! Looking Up is about a little girl who sees everything in her neighborhood changing. Houses being torn down, people moving out, unfamiliar people moving in. And when her favorite toy store disappears, she decides to fight back. So she enlists the help of Chance, the little boy across the street, and together they hatch a plan to save the neighborhood they love.
Anne: The two of them make for some great comic moments! On the cover, we see Saint holding her pet turtle and gazing at the stars. I love the part where you tell us that when we look up, we’re seeing the past because light from the stars takes years to reach the earth. When you started writing, did you plan to include this theme—that the past is always with us? What scene did you write first?
Stephan: Ooh, that’s a good question. I think the first chapter was the very first thing I wrote, but I discovered that star idea as I was writing, and I really liked it.
But in a larger context, the first inkling of the book was that idea about Saint’s unique friendship with Chance, but if I say any more, I’ll ruin the ending!
Anne: Good. Stop there! No spoilers. How did you decide on the title, Looking Up?
Stephan: Well, it was originally called Saint, but I think the publisher was worried that buyers would get confused as to whether or not it was religious in nature (it’s not; she’s named for the pro football team, the New Orleans Saints). When I talk to people, I still slip and sometimes call it Saint. Looking Up was chosen because of the star theme and because it was hopeful.
Anne: The star theme really works. There’s a moment when Saint worries the sky could fall and Mom gives her an umbrella, but not for rain. Mom says it’s for… “The stars. They’ll hit it and just bounce off.”
Too funny. And there are lots of funny moments, but beneath them we feel Saint’s loneliness. She’s falling in love with Chance, who’s distracted and uninterested. What about you? Growing up, did you suffer the sorrows of unrequited love?
Stephan: I think we probably all do. Me included.
Anne: Yeah. And as for Chance, a.k.a. Daniel—he loves to draw. I especially liked learning that he draws a new character every time he feels sad or hurt or lonely. How much of this Daniel character is you? Are any parts of the story autobiographical?
Stephan: Oh, man, everything I write is autobiographical to some extent. And yes, there’s a lot of Daniel in me. In fact, many of the things he has drawn on his wall are my characters (hidden in there, but you can see them).
Anne: Oooh, I didn’t realize you’d hidden some of your other characters in there. I’ll have to reread that part.
Back to Saint: her approach to problem-solving is… let’s just say, different. Creative. Unique. I laughed at the ways she tries to dissuade “latte-sippers” from buying beloved old properties. You don’t use the word “gentrification,” but I got the idea, and MG readers will, too. What made you want to write a story in which gentrification plays a big role?
Stephan: Probably because I spend so much time in New Orleans and it’s happening in all of their neighborhoods. It’s really changing the character and spirit of a lot of the town.
Anne: Yes. And of many towns.
Before writing MG books, including your two series Timmy Failure and Trubble Town, you became known for your nationally syndicated comic strip, Pearls Before Swine. How is the writing process different—comic strip versus kids’ books—and which process do you enjoy most?
Stephan: I enjoy both! But they’re totally different things. The books are much, much harder because the canvas is so large. You have to keep track of multiple characters over a period of time, and sometimes I lose track of who is where.
Anne: Nice. Finally, where can readers go to learn more about you and your work?
Stephan: I’m on Twitter @stephanpastis, and Instagram @stephanpastis.
Anne: Excellent. Thank you so much for chatting with us at MG Book Village!
Stephan: Thank you. Great to be here!
STEPHAN PASTIS (he/him/his) is the creator of the syndicated comic strip Pearls Before Swine, which appears in over 800 newspapers. He is also the creator of the Timmy Failure and Trubble Town book series and the cowriter of the Disney+ movie Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made. He lives in Northern California with his wife and two kids.
Anne (A.B.) Westrick (she/her) is the author of the older-MG novel Brotherhood. You can learn more about Anne at the MG Book Village “About” page.
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