This interview originally appeared in the November/December 2024 Horn Book Magazine as part of the Publishers’ Previews: Picture Books and Graphic Novels, an advertising supplement that allows participating publishers a chance to each highlight a book from its current list. They choose the books; we ask the questions.

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In the graphic novel Very Bad at Math, kind and popular eighth-grader Verity ("Very") is class president (for the third year running), but she has a secret that might ruin everything.

Photo: Leea Gorell.

1. Were you very bad at math?

Terrible! In high school, I was put into a math class for kids who were failing. It wasn’t until adulthood that I realized I had dyscalculia, and that’s when everything made sense — not just failing algebra tests and transposing digits like Very does, but also struggling to follow dance moves and having a poor sense of direction. This information has allowed me to accept that my brain works a little differently, and my struggles with math aren’t a reflection of how smart I am.

2. Where did you find yourself in the middle-school ­hierarchy?

I started in the middle of the pack, socially, and gradually sank toward the bottom. In seventh grade everyone got interested in how popular they were, and I tapped into this while writing Very, who relishes climbing the social ladder but generally tries to win people over and gain popularity in a positive way.

3. Very’s nemesis, podcaster Nate, embodies Joan Didion’s observation that “writers are always selling somebody out.” Do you agree?

Writers are usually selling themselves out. When I write villains (aside from superhero-type villains angling to destroy Earth), I try to tap into the worst aspects of myself.

4. Is asking for help difficult for you?

I’m in my early forties now, and I’m much more accepting of when I need help. But I have perfectionistic tendencies, and it’s hard to let others see me struggle. Sometimes, like Very, I’d rather fail at a task than ask for help.

5. What can a graphic novel do that straight prose cannot?

Comics have several superpowers. One of my favorites is their ability to visually deliver information to kids who can’t connect with prose alone — reluctant readers and kids with processing differences. I hope readers who consider themselves “very bad” at anything, or who are under pressure to be perfect, pick up Very Bad at Math and see themselves. I want those readers to know they aren’t alone, and it’s going to be okay.

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