Interview With Author - Mary Batten
Name: Mary Batten
Website: www.marybatten.com
Contact: Barbara Markowitz - Literary Agent
Questions:
Q: Where are you originally from?
A: Smithfield, VA
Q: Can you tell us your latest book news?
A: My newest book is WHO HAS A BELLY BUTTON? Published by Peachtree Publishers, Ltd., 2004. This book was written to explain to young children why they and all mammals have belly buttons. This book is recommended by the National Science Teachers Association.
Here are some critical comments about the book:
“Belly buttons are just the starting point for a fascinating look at how mammals develop… An especially wonderful book to share with youngsters awaiting the birth of a sibling, and a great addition to the nonfiction library collection.” –Kirkus Reviews
“An informative and interesting look at how belly buttons are formed and how they differ on people and the animals that have them.” –School Library Journal
I also have a new article called “Perfect Partners,” in the May/June 2005 issue of Ask, the children’s science magazine. The article is about the intriguing coevolution of plants and their pollinators.
Q: How old were you when you first started writing?
A: Around seven or eight years old.
Q: When did you first realize you had the potential to be a writer?
A; I wanted to be a writer from childhood. I knew I had the potential when I got paid for a poem that was published in the Beta Club magazine when I was in high school. My father had always worried about my ambition to be a writer. He was afraid I wouldn’t be able to earn a living. When I received the check in the mail for my poem, I waved it in his face. “See,” I said, “I can make money writing!” It was a very small check but I felt vindicated. My father, who was a farmer, was surprised that anybody would pay me for a poem but he knew I was happy and he was proud that my poem was published.
Q: What was your inspiration to write your first novel?
A: I don’t write fiction. I write nonfiction for adults and children. My inspiration is life itself, from bacteria to stars. Biology is the basic science of life and is endlessly fascinating. I find that the complex relationships between animals and plants in the real world are more wondrous than anything science fiction writers can possibly imagine.
Q: Is there anyone or anything that inspired you to write?
A: There is no one person or event that inspired me to write. I have always been curious and asked questions about everything. My first visit to a tropical rainforest triggered my interest biology.
Q: How has your environment/upbringing colored your writing?
A: I was born and grew up on a farm and I regard that as my first biological field station. It gave me a lifelong interest in animals, plants, and the forces of nature.
Q: Do you have a specific writing style?
A: No. It depends on whether I’m writing a television film, a magazine article, or a book and the age and education level of the intended audience.
Q: What genre are you most comfortable writing?
A: I enjoy several genres: television, magazine articles, adult nonfiction and children’s nonfiction. I would be unhappy if I could only write in one form.
Q: How do you come up with the title(s) for your book(s)?
A: Sometimes I think of the titles and sometimes my editor or publisher comes up with the title. One of my favorite titles that I came up with is ALIENS FROM EARTH, which is about invasive species and their impact on ecosystems.
Q: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
A: The message in my nonfiction is that everyone should become scientifically literate. Evolutionary biology is the basic science of who we are, how we evolved, what we share with other animals, and how all life on Earth is connected. I regard evolutionary biology as important as language and math in the curriculum. The religious fundamentalists’ opposition to teaching biological evolution in the schools is extremely destructive. At a time when global technology demands informed, scientifically literate adults, the fundamentalists are encouraging scientific illiteracy and trying to take us backwards to an anti-scientific, medieval mentality.
Q: How much of the novel is realistic? (not relevant)
A: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your life? (not relevant)
Q: What books have most influenced your life?
A: Fiction by Flannery O’Connor and nonfiction by Stephen Jay Gould and Edward O. Wilson.
Q: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
A: There are several writers who have influenced me: Flannery O’Connor, Stephen Jay Gould, Edward O. Wilson, Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, Truman Capote, and Tennessee Williams.
Q: What are you reading now?
A: IMPERIAL AMERICA by Gore Vidal.
Q: What new author has grasped your interest?
A: I have been doing so much medical and science writing in recent years that I haven’t had the time to catch up with new authors.
Q: Is there anything additional you would like to share with your readers?
A: Read my books. They speak for themselves.
Contact: Barbara Markowitz
Literary Agent
P.O. Box 41709
Los Angeles, CA 90041-0709
Phone: 323-257-6188