Summer '21 Series E05: Vanessa Brantley Newton

Vanessa Brantley Newton was born during the Civil Rights movement and attended school in Newark, New Jersey. She was part of a diverse, tight-knit community and learned the importance of acceptance and empowerment at early age.

As an illustrator, Vanessa includes children of all ethnic backgrounds in her stories and artwork. She wants all children to see their unique experiences reflected in the books they read, so they can feel the same sense of empowerment and recognition she experienced as a young reader.

Vanessa celebrates self-love and acceptance of all cultures through her work, and hopes to inspire young readers to find their own voices.

In this episode, guest-host Vesper Stamper talks with Vanessa about her background as an illustrator as well as topics such as synesthesia, prayer and the significance of our names.

Patrons of the podcast can enjoy an additional interview segment with Vanessa on diversity and race in our current cultural climate. Visit http://www.patreon.com/makersandmystics to learn more.

black artists, Creative Process, designer, Guest Hosts, illustration, storytelling, visual artStephen RoachAugust 17, 2021illustration, illustrator, childrens books, Vanessa Brantley Newton, Vesper Stamper, doll maker, clothing designer

S3 E12: What The Night Sings with Vesper Stamper

Vesper Stamper is an illustrator and author who was born in Nuremberg, Germany and raised in New York City. Her family was an eclectic mix of engineers, musicians and artists who didn't think Voltaire too tough for bedtime reading, Chopin Valses too loud for wake-up calls, or precision slide rules too fragile as playthings. She married filmmaker Ben Stamper right out of college, and together they have two wildly creative children. When Vesper earned her MFA in Illustration from School of Visual Arts, Ben gave her an orange tree. She illustrates and writes under its leaves and blossoms at her grandfather 's old drafting table, in the pine woods of the Northeast.

In this episode, Stephen talks with Vesper about her debut, young-adult historical novel, What The Night Sings. The two discuss Vesper’s creative process in writing and illustrating the book and how her interest in the Holocaust led her on a search for redemption in the midst of unimaginable circumstances.

authors, Process, illustrationStephen RoachMarch 21, 2018Vesper Stamper, Holocaust, young-adult fiction, illustration