Joining me today is my friend Lisa Tolin, author of fiction and nonfiction for children. Her latest work is the picture book, Can You Imagine? The Art and Life of Yoko Ono.

Lisa and I go way back. We met in New York when I worked at SPY and she worked at another magazine in the same office. She was a student at Barnard College at the time, and I lived not far away in Morningside Heights so we often hung out at Tom’s Diner and the Hungarian Pastry Shop. I’ve been quite impressed with her success over the years. She’s worked at the Associated Press and was Head of Special Projects for TODAY Digital. She’s now Editorial Director at PEN America.

In 2005, Lisa interviewed Yoko Ono at her home in the Dakota apartment building (famous for its appearance in Rosemary’s Baby but unfortunately also for John Lennon’s tragic shooting death outside in 1980).

It was a delight to catch up with Lisa and discuss her book, which you can purchase at the usual online locations but I highly recommend visiting your local bookstore for this one. Portland, Oregon, artist Yas Imamura is a perfect match for Lisa’s moving prose.

You will hear:

• The inspiration for Lisa’s books
• Why Yoko Ono?
• Yoko’s influence and contributions that were completely separate from The Beatles and John Lennon
• How women, particularly foreign or POC, are often blamed for “taking the man away” from whatever - and how damaging that narrative is
• The process of picture book creation and how it differs from other forms, like comic books, where you don’t necessarily know or interact with the illustrator on the project
• Banned books and influential authors like Judy Blume and the difference in book banning from the moral majority to actual laws
• And more!

Guest Info:

Lisa Tolin is an experienced editorial director, journalist, and content strategist who is passionate about storytelling in all its forms. Currently the editorial director of the literary and free expression nonprofit PEN America, Lisa has led teams covering arts and entertainment, lifestyles, health and breaking news for major news organizations. At NBC, she was Head of Special Projects for TODAY Digital, focusing on content strategy

Lisa was inspired by her family to pursue a longtime dream of writing fiction and nonfiction for children. Her debut picture book, How to Be a Rock Star, was illustrated by Daniel Duncan, and published in 2022 with G.P. Putnam’s Sons. Her second picture book, Can You Imagine? The Life and Art of Yoko Ono comes out in 2025 and is illustrated by Yas Imamura and will be published with the Atheneum imprint of Simon & Schuster.

Links:

Lisa’s Website: https://www.lisatolin.com/

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