Catching up with Jamie Sumner
Lucky us, I discovered the writing of Jamie Sumner in September when I read about her new middle grade release Tune It Out. In Tune It Out, we follow the journey of 12 year old Lou Montgomery who has the voice of an angel, Sensory Processing Disorder and a rocky home life that lands her moving in with her aunt and uncle and attending a new school in Nashville, Tennessee. The book was one of our favorites. We loved it so much, we picked up Roll With It, Jamie’s first middle grade novel which is about middle schooler Ellie who has cerebral palsy, a dream to become a professional baker and a home life that is changing with a move to a new town.
Jamie also has written two parenting books - Unbound and Eat, Sleep, Save the World: Words of Encouragement for the Special Needs Parent, and many beautiful essays that have appeared in The New York Times and Washington Post. She is writing her next middle grade novel with a male protagonist called One Kid’s Trash which comes out October 2021. Jamie lives with her family in Nashville, Tennessee, and she loves stories that celebrate the grit & beauty in all kids. You can read more about Jamie in our interview below and at her web site www.jamie-sumner.com where you can contact her for school visits to talk about what it’s like to write books for kids. Thank you Jamie for taking the time out of your busy writing schedule to answer questions for @mommylovesbooks.
Congratulations on the success of Tune It Out. Lou is a beautiful character and it is such a heartwarming story. What was your inspiration for writing about a character with a sensory disorder?
Lou’s Sensory Processing Disorder was inspired by my own son who also has SPD. It’s an invisible disability that is extremely common, but often misunderstood. Certain textures of clothing, sounds, sudden touches or noises can overload the senses like a traffic jam in your head or the world’s worst set of fireworks. It is both terrifying and all-consuming when it happens. But from the outside, it seems as if nothing’s wrong.
I wanted to tell Lou’s story to give a voice to kids like my son who often struggle to explain what it feels like. My hope is that as awareness grows, more people will be able to empathize and recognize it for what it is – a part, but not the whole of a person.
How did you come up with the characters like Well, Mrs. Nicky, Geneva and the others. Were any of them inspired by people in your life?
Well came out of nowhere. Truly. But his voice was clear from the start. He is unapologetically himself, even as he struggles to make his father see him how he wants to be seen. To use his term, he is a “thespian extraordinaire,” and he has style and flair and he is exactly what Lou needs to inspire her to be brave enough to own who she is.
Mrs. Nicky was inspired by my own theatre teacher in high school. She is a colorful burst of energy and inspiration that you can’t help but love and be energized by! She helped me come out of my shell and nurtured my talents as a writer from the start. What other human would hand over the reins to an eighteen-year-old to write, direct, and put on a one-act play for the entire school?! She is a brave, brave woman. The book is dedicated to her.
Music is obviously such a big part of the book. What are your top favorite songs? Are any of them “We’re Going To Be Friends” by The White Stripes or “Crazy” by Patsy Cline from the book?
I think music is how we best express our emotions when we can’t find the words. It’s why we have love songs and break-up songs and songs that remind us of a particular place or season of life.
Though the name isn’t mentioned, the very first song Lou sings in the coffee shop in Tahoe is “Heavenly Day” by Patty Griffin and that was the song my husband and I danced to at our wedding. Also, “Castle on the Hill” by Ed Sheeran is one of my favorites as it deals with coming home again after a long absence. And of course, being from Nashville, anything by Dolly Parton is a win in my book! Same with The White Stripes. Jack White lives here in town and I love every single thing he does. He is truly a renaissance man.
Lou befriends the theatre kids in her new school. I have learned that theatre was a big part of your childhood. Do you have a favorite role?
I was more of a behind-the-scenes, boss-everyone-around kind of gal, BUT when I lived in New York, my favorite role I saw on Broadway was Elphaba in “Wicked”. And who doesn’t love every single role in “Hamilton”?
Do you have plans for a third middle grade book?
Yes and four more after that! It is going to be a busy few years. My next middle grade novel, ONE KID’S TRASH, comes out October of 2021 and it’s my first with a male protagonist!
Here’s a teaser from the book jacket:
“Hugo O’Donnell is not happy about being dragged hallway across the state of Colorado just because his dad had a midlife crisis and decided to be a ski instructor. It’d be different if Hugo wasn’t so tiny, if girls didn’t think he was adorable, like a puppy in a purse, and guys didn’t call him “leprechaun”—or worse. The bullying was bad enough at his old school. Hugo hopes it won’t be worse at his new one.
At least he has his cousin Vijay to show him the ropes. Vij is effortlessly cool, something Hugo only dreams of being. But then his fellow students discover his remarkable talent for Garbology, the science of studying a person’ trash to uncover their deepest wishes and secrets. Suddenly, Hugo is the cool kid for the first time in his life. But what happens when it all goes to his head?”
Where is your favorite spot to write?
I don’t have a desk (if you can believe that!), so I typically write wherever I can. My favorite spot is a big oversized chair in front of our picture window in the living room. But I have also written in my car, the bed, at the kitchen counter and in the bathtub!
Do you play the guitar?
Ha. NOPE. But a girl can dream
Thank you again to Jamie Sumner. Looking forward to reading more of your beautiful books.
