How do you say your name?
Cuh-LISS-tuh.
Where do you live?
New York City! It’s nice here. Have you been? You should come visit. There are a lot of tugboats in the river and a lot of possums at night, if you know where to look.
You seem really into possums.
I am. I like their grabby little hands and their big black eyes.
Do you have any pets?
Yes, I have a cat named Mister Tron. He is very old and a little smelly. I like him a lot.
Do you do events and school visits?
Yes! And I also attend a few comics shows for my job as an editor at First Second. I’m not hard to find.
You’re an editor too? How do you balance your writing and your day job?
It’s hard! But they’re both very important to me, so I find ways.
Which is more fun, writing or editing?
They’re both terrifying. Writing is scary because you’re worried what your editor will say about what you wrote. Editing is scary because you’re worried about what your author will think about what you have to say about what they wrote.
Why do you do it, if it’s so scary?
Because when it works, it’s soooooo satisfying.