Pivoting to younger readers
Houston author J. Elle shares a tale about family, food and magic in new book
Jess Elle made an immediate impression when she created a fantasy world that was linked to Houston’s Third Ward. As J. Elle, the author wanted to create a young-adult narrative that might find a readership she felt was under-served. She called her novel, “Wings of Ebony,” a “love letter to Black kids in Houston.”
The series began with that novel in 2021 and concluded with “Ashes of Gold” earlier this year. Elle last month offered “A Taste of Magic,” a new novel for middle-grade readers. Some attributes are the same and some are different. Where Elle’s “Wings” series was designed as a fantasy with contemporary social commentary set in Houston, “A Taste of Magic” has a lighter touch for younger readers. Her Kyana Turner isn’t forced into situations as dire as those faced by Rue, her YA protagonist. Nevertheless, there’s a lot to consider about family, food and life in “A Taste of Magic.”
Elle responded to a few questions about her latest book and writing for a different audience.
Q: There’s phrase, I think it’s in the acknowledgments: “canonized memory.” Which is interesting because we so rarely consider memory as faulty, when in actuality it can be pretty faulty. But I also like the idea of memory prioritizing what is canonized and what is not.
A: I wanted to capture with language this essence … where the older I get the more I think about childhood. I think about the legacies and things that leave intangible marks on our hearts and lives. I think about memories of my grandmother. And they’re in this book. That legacy exists, not just in my home and heart. But in these pages, they’ll live on forever.
Q: Your grandmother clearly inspired this book. But it’s not exactly an ode. Family is huge in the story, but there’s more to it.
A: Yes, ode isn’t it. It’s not quite a tribute. It’s an expression of love in artistic form, that’s how I see it. It’s an outpouring of adoration. This book is an acknowledgement of the impact she had on me.
Q: Memaw’s aloe vera plant resonated. Our house has my wife’s grandmother’s aloe plant in it.
A: Those things leave memories. People like that, they leave fingerprints all over your life. Or footprints. I have a lily on the table here, it’s from her funeral in January. It’s thriving and beautiful. There are turns of phrase from when I was 8 years old that I picked up from my grandmother. She taught me how to catch the crumbs off the table. Little things like that, they meant a lot to her. I still bake with her recipes. I cook with her pots. I look through my closets and find things she’s left.
Q: This is your third book that has been released during the pandemic. I know these things don’t happen overnight. Was there a long leadup to getting them done?
A: Not initially with this one. This poured out in nine days. I had no idea what was happening, I just knew I could not stop writing. That was my first draft. And then I hit a wall. In reality, as my grandmother’s illness got worse, I kept thinking of this symbolism and these metaphors that were metaphors for her. So I was finishing the book when I was most worried about her health. My brain put up this wall. The cool thing is, I found my stride then. I could fit in the good stuff — these positive memories — by writing them. It was emotionally taxing, but also really endearing. And I could write whatever I wanted. So I did. Memaw lives on forever in this book.
Q: In your first two books, food was a big deal. It was a focal point of communion between characters. Here, it feels even more central.
A: Food is very tied into this magic system. That tangible love that you pass down through teaching and recipes. Kyana is part of a generation that doesn’t always receive those things. But she has a role to play in keeping them around. She couldn’t just be passively receiving them. She had to be actively engaged. That’s part of her legacy. She gets to carry that on.
Q: I assume you found the process of writing this one very different. Unlike your first two books, you have to get to the magic pretty early. There’s not time to set up a scene.
A: Exactly. I put a lot of nuance and symbolism in my YA books. There are more plot threads and twists. That’s a process of figuring out how to go deeper, not wide. The thing about middle-grade books for me, you want it to be lighthearted and fun. I hope reading “A Taste of Magic” is like eating a warm chocolate chip cookie. I want readers to be engaged, I also want them to laugh out loud. I hope the book brings them joy. There’s not as much social commentary here, which leaves more room to explore the humor. To look at love in a different way.