'Amazing Grapes' was Pulitzer-winning illustrator Jules Feiffer's final book

Summary

NPR's Book of the Day: "Amazing Grapes" by Jules Pfeiffer

Release Date: January 22, 2025

Introduction

In the January 22, 2025 episode of NPR's "Book of the Day," host Scott Simon delves into "Amazing Grapes," the final book by the late Jules Pfeiffer. Pfeiffer, a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist and beloved illustrator known for his work on Norton Juster's classic novel, "The Phantom Tollbooth," ventured into new territory with his first graphic novel aimed at middle school readers. At 95 years old, Pfeiffer remained a creative force, inspiring listeners with his insights on creativity, aging, and the enduring power of playfulness.

Overview of "Amazing Grapes"

"Amazing Grapes" marks Jules Pfeiffer's foray into middle-grade graphic novels, blending whimsical illustrations with a heartfelt narrative. The story begins with a poignant family moment: the father leaves the wife and their three children—Shirley, Pearly, and Curly. This event propels the family into a series of fantastical adventures across different universes, emphasizing themes of resilience, exploration, and maintaining a sense of wonder.

Creative Process and Inspiration

Pfeiffer discusses his creative process with Scott Simon, highlighting his intuitive approach to storytelling.

"I sit down at a table and I make notes and scroll things down and suddenly as a result of scrolling, a notion hits me and I scribble that and then another notion and another notion and suddenly I'm on a track somewhere. The one thing I don't want to know ever is where I'm going before I get there."
— Jules Pfeiffer [02:17]

This spontaneity allows Pfeiffer to follow the narrative's natural progression, ensuring that each story element emerges organically.

Themes of Play and Adventure

Central to "Amazing Grapes" is the theme of playfulness. Pfeiffer emphasizes the importance of embracing one's sense of adventure and surprise, especially as one grows older.

"Go where your sense of adventure takes you, Go where your sense of surprise takes you. And don't ever lose your sense of play."
— Jules Pfeiffer [03:07]

He reflects on how play has become more integral to his life in his later years, offering solace and joy amidst life's challenges, including health issues like acute macular degeneration and past heart attacks.

Personal Reflections and Family Dynamics

Pfeiffer opens up about his relationship with his mother, providing a personal backstory that adds depth to his storytelling. He shares insights into his mother's struggles during the Great Depression and their complicated relationship, which ultimately influenced his creative legacy.

"The only thing wrong with my mother was like a nice Jewish girl. She did what her family told her to do, which was get married when she didn't want to and have a family, which she didn't want and she wasn't any good at. So the irony of all that is it worked out to my good fortune, to my benefit."
— Jules Pfeiffer [05:18]

This candid reflection underscores the generational impacts on creativity and personal fulfillment.

Connection to Current Events

An intriguing aspect of "Amazing Grapes" stems from an event where former President Obama sang "Amazing Grace" at a funeral, which deeply moved Pfeiffer and inspired the book's titular song. This moment of unexpected beauty and unity amidst grief became the seed for his creative endeavor.

"The naturalness, the beauty of it, its connectedness to us all, whoever us all were. And somewhere, all these years later, when I was looking for an idea to turn into a book, the Amazing Grapes Song of Obama came through."
— Jules Pfeiffer [06:35]

Future Projects and Legacy

Despite his advanced age, Pfeiffer remains prolific, already contemplating his next project—a memoir illustrated with large-scale drawings to accommodate his vision impairment. He expresses contentment with his life's work, his loving marriage, and the legacy he leaves behind.

"I'm happier now than I ever have been doing the work I love. Having a wife I'm crazy about and living this wonderful life to the end where I can say things and do things and my work has been accepted so that I can get away with it."
— Jules Pfeiffer [07:33]

Conclusion

Jules Pfeiffer's "Amazing Grapes" stands as a testament to a lifetime of creativity, resilience, and the enduring importance of maintaining a playful spirit. In his final book, Pfeiffer seamlessly blends personal history with imaginative storytelling, offering middle-grade readers a rich and engaging narrative. His reflections during the NPR interview provide a profound insight into the mind of an artist who, even at 95, continues to inspire and create meaningful work.

Notable Quotes

• "Go where your sense of adventure takes you, Go where your sense of surprise takes you. And don't ever lose your sense of play." — Jules Pfeiffer [03:07]
• "The only thing wrong with my mother was like a nice Jewish girl..." — Jules Pfeiffer [05:18]
• "The naturalness, the beauty of it, its connectedness to us all..." — Jules Pfeiffer [06:35]
• "I'm happier now than I ever have been doing the work I love..." — Jules Pfeiffer [07:33]

Final Thoughts

"Amazing Grapes" encapsulates Jules Pfeiffer's lifelong dedication to storytelling and illustration. His ability to infuse profound life lessons with playful adventure makes this graphic novel a standout addition to middle-grade literature. Pfeiffer's legacy lives on through his work, continuing to inspire readers and fellow artists alike.

Transcript

[Andrew Limbong]

Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbong. I remember being in elementary school when my teacher assigned the class Norton Juster's 1961 classic novel the Phantom Tollbooth. And I remember thinking the COVID was so weird, like what was the deal with this big dog with a clock on him? And I'm flipping through the book and there are all these other weird and strange illustrations. It turns out the book was weird, but what made it stand out were those illustrations by Jules Pfeiffer, who died last week in his home in upstate New York. He was 95 years old. NPR Scott Simon actually spoke with him last year about his book Amazing Grapes, his first graphic novel for middle school readers. Think about that. He was 95 and still doing firsts. Pfeiffer talks about what was keeping him inspired at such an advanced age. Now for the break.

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[Scott Simon]

Let's begin with a song. Amazing grapes, how sweet to eat one.

[Jules Pfeiffer]

Bite, how can it be, Ooh, that.

[Scott Simon]

Song, sung better to be sure, is at the center of a new graphic novel for middle grade readers. Amazing Grapes is by the great Jules Pfeiffer, Pulitzer Prize winning editorial cartoonist and illustrator of the Phantom Toll Booth. Jules Pfeiffer has been drawing and writing for a living since he was 17 years old. He is now 95 and joins us from his home in upstate New York. Jules, thanks so much for being with us.

[Jules Pfeiffer]

It's my pleasure.

[Scott Simon]

Why write a story for this age group when you're in this current age group?

[Jules Pfeiffer]

It's what I do. I sit down at a table and I make notes and scroll things down and suddenly as a result of scrolling, a notion hits me and I scribble that and then another notion and another notion and suddenly I'm on a track somewhere. The one thing I don't want to know ever is where I'm going before I get there. I follow the orders of the book. The book tells me where it wants to go and I write my drawer accordingly.

[Scott Simon]

The Story begins with a pretty sad event. The father of a family walks out on his wife and three children, Shirley, Pearly and Curly.

[Jules Pfeiffer]

That's right. He's not a night sky, apparently.

[Scott Simon]

Yeah.

[Jules Pfeiffer]

But everything that happens as a result of that leads his family into adventures and into universes. That's an infinite improvement on the home they've been living in and the life they've been living in. And if there's a point to the book, and I don't know that there is a point to the book, it's go where your sense of adventure takes you, Go where your sense of surprise takes you. And don't ever lose your sense of play. Because the book is full of a sense of play. And I found as I got older, over the years, my sense of play has gotten more relevant in a sense to my daily life. If it's not all, in some way or another, a formal play, I don't want to do it.

[Scott Simon]

Wow. So you make more room for play in your life now than you did.

[Jules Pfeiffer]

My sense of play makes room for me. It lets me in. When I was a young man and a middle aged man, I did the work I loved and I always did the work I loved, but I worried it a lot and I troubled over it a lot. But as I got older and things got more fixed and I couldn't do anything about them and I had health problems, a couple of heart attacks, long hospital stays, this, that, the other, when things get settled like that, you make a deal or you don't. And that is to use your remaining time to be as productive as you can and to have as good a time as you can. That's how I'm trying to live these years.

[Scott Simon]

So a two headed duck or swan enters the story.

[Jules Pfeiffer]

Yes. And the two headed swan is kind of the master ceremonies of the book. There were three children and two out of the three he takes on these adventures.

[Scott Simon]

The children go into another dimension.

[Jules Pfeiffer]

Yes.

[Scott Simon]

And meet their mother. I don't want to tell too much, but it reminded me that I wish we could meet our parents when they were children, when they were younger.

[Jules Pfeiffer]

Well, in a way, I think we do know our parents when they're younger. We may have forgotten, but my mother, who lives a very hard life, she was the sole source of income during the years of the Great Depression. I was born in 1929 and she was a fashion designer and she had a terrible life and she and I had a terrible relationship. But before that terrible relationship, she had a sense of playfulness and she sang songs and I realized that the only thing wrong with my mother was like a nice Jewish girl. She did what her family told her to do, which was get married when she didn't want to and have a family, which she didn't want and she wasn't any good at. So the irony of all that is it worked out to my good fortune, to my benefit. What she was not allowed to do, what she was robbed of, I was gifted with. And the older I get, the less forgetful that I am and the more it becomes the point of my continued existence.

[Scott Simon]

Yeah. Did I get the song right?

[Jules Pfeiffer]

Amazing Grapes. You did great.

[Scott Simon]

Thank you.

[Jules Pfeiffer]

The idea of Amazing Grapes. Years ago, Obama was at the funeral in the south doing a memorial.

[Scott Simon]

Yeah, I remember.

[Jules Pfeiffer]

I think everybody remembers. And out of nowhere, suddenly he stops and starts singing Amazing Grace. There probably wasn't a dry eye in the Western world. It so took me. The naturalness, the beauty of it, its connectedness to us all, whoever us all were. And somewhere, all these years later, when I was looking for an idea to turn into a book, the Amazing Grapes Song of Obama came through. Because it's a children's book, I had to play with it and I turned it into Amazing Grapes and I had my story.

[Scott Simon]

Are you on to the next project already?

[Jules Pfeiffer]

Of course. What a foolish question. Of course. When my wife Joan found this house, which is a thing of great beauty, surrounded by great beauty, my earliest thought was that I have to find a way to make myself worthy of this, you know, to pay this off, the privilege of this being my day to day experience. And so I started fooling both with drawing and text, which is drawn on 18 by 24 sheets of watercolor paper. Because I, among other things, am suffering from acute macular degeneration. I have to work big, big, big, big, big to see what I'm doing. And I'm letting the book tell the story in memoir form of my life from the time I was a baby to the time I am an old man. But I'm happier now than I ever have been doing the work I love. Having a wife I'm crazy about and living this wonderful life to the end where I can say things and do things and my work has been accepted so that I can get away with it. Getting away with it is a very important deal.

[Scott Simon]

Jules Schreiffer, his new book, latest thing he's gotten away with, his first for middle grade readers. Amazing Grapes. Thank you so much for being with us.

[Jules Pfeiffer]

This has been a great pleasure. As you know, I've followed you for years.

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