Interview with J.J. Austrian, Author of “Worm Loves Worm”

What was the inspiration for writing the book?

The idea came to me several years ago—after having dinner at the home of good friends and former neighbors, two women who had been a couple for more than twenty years. My son, who was four years old at the time, had assumed that Pam and Leanora were married, since, like mommy and daddy, they lived together and loved each other. When my son asked me if Pam and Leanora were married, I tried to explain to him that, at that time, women couldn’t marry women and men couldn’t marry men. When my son asked, “Why not?” I said that some people thought it was only “natural” for men and women to marry each other. My son thought about this for a moment and said, “That’s dumb. Pam and Leanora love each other.” I agreed and wondered why other adults couldn’t see the truth that was so obvious to my son. How such love be anything but natural? Nature doesn’t care about gender. Look at earthworms!

Four years later, while earning my MFA in Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults at Hamline University, I was asked by one of my advisors, the children’s author Claire Rudolph Murphy, to write a picture book. Thinking back to the conversation I had with my son, I decided to write Worm Loves Worm.

Also, I’m delighted to report that in 2014 my son and daughter were part of Pam and Leanora’s wedding.

What was your favorite children’s book growing up and why?

“The Hobbit.” When I was eight years old, I heard my older brother’s friend telling him all about this amazing book with magic swords, giant spiders, and little people with furry feet called hobbits. My brother wasn’t interested in it, but I begged my mother to take me to the public library and checked out a copy that very day. At first, I was disappointed that there weren’t any illustrations; there were the maps, though, which made my nine-year-old mind dizzy with excitement. Even the Narnia books, which I still love, had taken place with a connection to our world, but “The Hobbit” was a world all to itself. It was the book that really opened my eyes to the fact that nothing is impossible for a writer, if they have enough imagination.

What has the response been to the book so far?

It’s been incredibly positive. I’m delighted, and honored, that it’s become a staple of Drag Queen Story Hour. It didn’t hurt that I had a very supportive editor, Alessandra Balzer, of Balzer+Bray, who not only championed the book, but also suggested that Mike Curato illustrate it. I cannot say enough great things about Mike. He brought his amazing artistic and storytelling talents to the project, and he did a fantastic job in getting the word out about Worm Loves Worm’s message.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned while writing the book?

I was amazed at how changing just one word in the story altered the tone and meaning of the entire book. Originally, I had cricket, beetle, and the spiders saying, "No, you have to have someone marry you," and "No, you have to have a best beetle,” but it was also pointed out to me, in a workshop at Hamline led by the writers Gary Schmidt and Marsha Chall, that the other insects seemed very negative, which wasn’t what I wanted at all. I didn’t want the insects to be mean or nasty—just set in their ways and clueless. So, I changed the word “No” to “Wait” in order to show that the insects wanted to both plan and participate in the wedding—but a “traditional” one. 

Also, I was incredibly fortunate to receive a Shabo Award from the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis, which allowed me to work with author and illustrator Nancy Carlson. It was Nancy who helped me figure to out the refrain, “That’s how it always been done,” which made the ending come together.

What can you tell us about what you’re working on now? Are there other books on the horizon?

I have several new stories in the works, including a new picture book. So, please stay tuned!