Interview With Kidlit Agent Susan Hawk Of The Bent Agency

I’ve bumped into Susan Hawk a few times lately, which is  easy for me, since I walk with a cane and my balance stinks! *rimshot* Knowing I have blog followers who are eager to snag a picture book agent, I sat down with Susan (after we bumpedâ€"yesâ€"right there on the floor) and asked her some questions about picture books, agenting, and the surreal softness of the carpet. Was it Turkish cotton? Or do they only use that for robes and towels? (Um, scratch those last couple questions.) Susan, what led to your decision to become a kidlit agent? Can you tell us about your professional background? I’m lucky to have worn a number of hats within the children’s book world. I’ve been a bookseller; I have a degree in Library Science and have worked in an elementary school library as well as the Brooklyn Public Library; I acquired a few book projects for Dutton Children’s Books. But most of my background is in Children’s Book Marketing, gathered at Penguin, Henry Holt and North-South Books. All of that led to my decision to make the jump to agenting three years ago, which feels like the perfect way to put these experiences to work. But, really, I think it all began with this: I’m a reader. I love reading books, I love meeting new characters and going new places in the pages of a book, and that’s always been true for me. What are some of your all-time favorite picture books? Ah, a great question. It’s hard to stop! What about those books make them special? Three things: character, humor, and each of these is a very satisfying book. In most of them, the main character is someone I love. Like, obsessively love. ME, JANEâ€"I already think Jane Goodall is