For the Love of Autumn

Born Patricia Ann Barber in Lansing, Michigan, Patricia Polacco grew up in both California and Michigan, spending school years in Oakland and summers in her beloved Michigan. Her family, of Russian, Ukrainian, and Irish descent, were marvelous storytellers. She cherishes memories of family gatherings filled with stories about their homelands and past.

Patricia Polacco pursued her education in the United States and Australia, earning an M.F.A. and a Ph.D. in art history with a specialization in Russian and Greek painting and iconographic history. She has served as a museum consultant for the restoration of icons.

A participant in numerous exchange programs for writers and illustrators, she has traveled extensively in Russia and other former Soviet republics. She remains actively involved in programs that foster Russo-American friendships and understanding. Additionally, she dedicates her time to inner-city projects in the U.S. that promote conflict resolution and support art and literacy initiatives.

Polacco is the mother of a grown son and daughter. She currently resides in Michigan on a historic farm established during the time of Lincoln.

She did not begin writing children’s books until the age of 41, though art had always been a significant part of her life. Her talent for drawing, painting, and sculpture has been evident since childhood, with one of the symptoms of her academic learning disability being a strong ability to draw. This artistic inclination, combined with her background in oral storytelling from her diverse family heritage, led her to begin writing and illustrating her own stories.

Polacco overcame significant challenges in her early education due to dyslexia, not learning to read until nearly age 14. This experience profoundly influenced her work, and she often features young protagonists interacting with elderly characters, reflecting the value she places on intergenerational relationships. She emphasizes that learning disabilities do not equate to a lack of intelligence, but rather a different way of learning, and many with learning disabilities are, in her view, geniuses.

Her imagination, which she describes as fertile, is attributed in part to growing up without a television, which encouraged her to listen to her inner voice and develop her storytelling abilities. She advocates for children and aspiring writers to listen to their inner voice and minimize distractions from electronic screens.

Polacco’s career as a children’s book author and illustrator has been successful, a path she never anticipated given her early academic struggles. She draws inspiration from her imagination and her rich storytelling heritage.

Currently, she is focused on opening her home and community in Union City, Michigan, to host writing seminars, storytelling festivals, literature conferences, and events celebrating children’s literature.

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