I am excited to welcome Jan Milusich to The Interview. Jan recently won a Schneider Family Book Award Honor for I HEAR THE SNOW, I SMELL THE SEA (Penguin/Random House, 2025), which is also a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection.
Welcome, Jan. I first have to ask if you attended the ALA ceremony and what it’s like having a book up for a major award and, of course, winning it?
Thank you for the warm welcome, Debbie.
I’m eagerly looking forward to the ALA Conference and the award ceremony. The ceremony itself is scheduled for Sunday, June 28, which works out perfectly as the school term ends the Friday before.
To be honest, I didn’t realize that Anne Schwartz Books had nominated I HEAR THE SNOW, I SMELL THE SEA for the Schneider Family Honor Award until I received the phone call on a wintry Sunday in January. It was fantastic news to hear.
Having I HEAR THE SNOW, I SMELL THE SEA recognized as a Schneider Family Honor Book has been incredible. I’ve been a TVI, teacher for the visually impaired and blind, for many years. For the last seventeen years, I’ve been working with preschool-aged children with visual impairments and other disabilities, so to have this book be acknowledged for its artistic expression of the disability experience fills me with immense gratitude.
Oh, so the really fun part hasn’t happened yet. Enjoy every moment of the celebration. Let’s back up. How did you get started with writing and with this book in particular?
Although I wasn’t pursuing publication, after teaching for several years, I began writing stories for my students.
The idea for I HEAR THE SNOW, I SMELL THE SEA came from my experiences encouraging my students’ concept development through the use of their available senses. I began writing the story when I was about five years into my present job.
This book is close to my heart for many reasons, but one in particular is that my sensitivity reader, and the first person I contacted when I was asked to change its POV from third person to first person, was one of my very first students. I contacted her after writing the story to get her feedback on how she felt about me, a sighted teacher for the visually impaired and blind, writing from the POV of a blind child. My former student, now a talented poet, is blind. She supported my writing of the story, taking into consideration my experience as a TVI and my desire and effort to create an authentic depiction of a blind child’s experience.
You must be so proud of each other. Can you share a little about your writing process?
Like many of us, my time is divided; I’ve learned to write wherever and whenever I can. I don’t write every day. I wish I did, but life frequently gets in the way. My process, I’m sure, is similar to many: pre-writing, first draft, revision, critique group sharing, revision, rinse, and repeat.
I HEAR THE SNOW, I SMELL THE SEA’s path to publication has been a long one. My agent at the time, Erica Christiansen of Metamorphosis Literary, submitted my manuscript to Anne Schwartz in 2019. Anne was interested in it if I could change its POV to first person. I ran the idea by my former student, who gave me the thumbs up. Then it was up to me to make the changes and hope Anne liked what I’d done. Anne is a fantastic editor, and working with her was a great experience.
You have an SCBWI member badge on your website. How has SCBWI helped your career?
SCBWI has been a reliable resource that has helped me develop my writing. I’ve participated in the diverse webinar offerings and events of various regional chapters over the years. I’ve also enjoyed the support and camaraderie of other writers at the regional and national conferences I’ve attended.
Do you have any advice for other authors?
The best advice I can offer is to keep writing and working to hone your craft and to get involved in critique groups, which will help you develop, refine, and expand your skills.
Is there anything else you want to share?
I’m excited to announce that a dual vision (print and braille) version of I HEAR THE SNOW, I SMELL THE SEA became available this June from National Braille Press. In that format, a clear plastic overlay of braille is placed on top of the printed page, allowing both visually impaired and sighted readers to share in the reading experience.
Thank you for the opportunity to share my good news, Debbie. I appreciate it.
That’s fantastic! Thank you for joining us. To learn more about Jan, visit her website at https://www.janmilusich.com/index.htm.