Ted Anderson, author of The Spy Who Raised Me, illustrated by Gianna Meola
Young Adult Literature Category, sponsored by Expedition Credit Union
Each week leading up to the 34th annual Minnesota Book Awards Ceremony, we are featuring exclusive interviews with our 36 finalists. You can also watch the authors in conversation with their fellow category finalists here.
Would you tell us one or two things about your finalist book that you are particularly proud of, and why?
There’s a lot of hidden nods to other stories about brainwashing and mind-controlled secret agents in the book. For example, when Baldy suggests to JB that she play some solitaire to pass the time, that’s a reference to the classic novel and film The Manchurian Candidate. Even the name “Baldy” is a play on a character from a famous spy-thriller story. I enjoyed trying to find as many ways to sneak in easter eggs as possible—I’d love to know if people think they’ve spotted some!
What do you hope that your audience learns or takes away from your book?
This isn’t a particularly new lesson, but: parents aren’t allowed to be in control of your life. (Or, if you are a parent, you aren’t allowed to be in control of your child’s life.) You need to find the things you like, the work that interests you, the people you enjoy being around. Your parents might have your best interests in mind—and it’s a good idea to listen to them—but ultimately it’s your life, and you deserve to choose the things that make you happy.
What advice would you give to an aspiring writer with an interest in your category?
If you’re not actually a teenager right now, it can be very easy to forget what it’s like to be one. Every day is the most important day of your life. Every emotion is the biggest emotion you’ve felt. As adults, we may look back on our teenage years and laugh at how silly or short-sighted we were, but as teenagers, those years were often our most crucial and formative. Don’t condescend to your readers—their struggles are the hardest they’ve ever experienced, their challenges are the most dramatic. Remember how it felt to be young, with infinite potential but also surrounded by authority, and try to live in that space as best you can.
Tell us something about yourself that is not widely known.
I got my start in comics as one of the writers on the official My Little Pony comics! I was a big fan of the show, and was able to get in touch with the editor through a friend of mine. It was such a great experience, getting to work on a franchise I enjoy and honing my writing skills, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Minnesota enjoys a reputation as a place that values literature and reading. If this sentiment rings true for you, what about our home state makes it such a welcoming and conducive place for writers?
The winter. I think being forced to spend six months indoors turns a lot of people into writers and readers—you have to vacation somewhere, even if it’s only inside your head! I think the weather here turns many of us into introverts, and stories help satisfy our need for connection. At the same time, there’s no substitute for the real thing; everybody needs some human contact. That’s why us writers also get together occasionally to discuss our writing projects over hot drinks.
Since the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, virtually everything about our lives has changed in some way. Has COVID-19 (and its fallout) impacted your writing habits and preferences? Has the unique zeitgeist of the past two years influenced your writing output in any other ways that you can pinpoint?
I found I was able to cope with lockdowns fairly well, in part because I had my writing to focus on. Writing is already a pretty solitary pursuit; I spend most of my time indoors, in front of a screen. So the lockdowns didn’t change much of anything.
The pandemic has changed my tastes and interests somewhat—for instance, it ensured that I’ll probably never want to consume another pandemic fiction again! More generally, it made me keenly aware of the importance of community and the necessity of positivity, particularly in the stories I read. I’m a depressive, introverted sort, and I need some cheerfulness to balance that out, you know?
Ted Anderson is a librarian, educator, and comics writer. He has written licensed and creator-owned comics for multiple publishers, including BOOM! Studios, IDW Publishing, and Aftershock Comics.