'My Mother Was a Nanny'

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David: If you've spent time in the playgrounds of New York City, you have most likely seen nannies watching over their warts. They are a New York City staple, pushing strollers through the parks and grocery stores, doing drop-offs, pick-ups, or dragging kids from one activity to the next. A new children's book looks to give a peek behind the curtain, a look at the life of a nanny that we don't always see, their lives at home with their own children and families.

My Mother Was a Nanny is written and illustrated by Bronx-based Laura James as a tribute to her own mother who came from Antigua, settled in Brooklyn, was a nanny, along with having several other jobs. Laura has contributed art to children's books including Anna Carries Water, and her illustrations have been published in hundreds of publications and exhibitions. She is the founder and director of BX200 Visual Art Directory, and she is here with us today. Laura, welcome to All Of It.

Laura: Thank you for having me. Thank you so much.

David: Listeners, have you worked as a nanny, or are you a child whose mother was a nanny or a caregiver? We'd like to hear about your experience, something you'd like others to know about the job. Give us a call. That number is 212-433-WNYC. That's 212-433-9692, or you can also contact us on social media @allofitwnyc. Laura, this book follows a series of paintings that you did called The Nanny Series. What inspired that project?

Laura: Yes, it did. That project was also inspired by my mother and growing up. I am a painter and I like to tell stories. I like to paint in series. I was thinking, what can I paint about back in, I guess, 2000, a while ago now. I said, "Hey, let me paint about nannies." I like to paint about women and their story, so I thought this was a good fit. That had been an ongoing series. I have about 13 to 15 paintings in that series.

David: What made you decide to then take this next step and create this book now about your mom, especially focusing on your mom as a worker and caregiver?

Laura: What happened was I was approached by Groundwood Books. They asked if I wanted to illustrate a different manuscript. I said no, I really couldn't at the time, but a couple of weeks later, the editor emailed me and asked, she said that they were looking at my website and saw The Nanny Series and wanted to know if I wanted to illustrate and write a book about a nanny. I said, "Yes, I do." That's how this book came to be.

David: It's such a personal project, obviously, and you can really feel that, and feel your love in the gorgeous artwork that you've done for this project.

Laura: Yes. Actually, it was a dream that I didn't know that I had, I guess, until they asked one of the things that I wanted to do with the paintings was to give a face to the nanny, someone that perhaps people don't look at, maybe try even not to look at, maybe try to avoid even, perhaps. It was my pleasure to show the nanny. Then in the paintings, in the series, more often, I have a child, the nanny's child. She's behind the wall or in the floor or something like that.

Being able to take that series and make it into this children's book, something that is for children, the paintings, they're kind of, I wouldn't say dark, but I try to tell the true story. It's not always fun. It was, I don't know, cathartic. It was a healing even for me to be able to do this book and to, I don't know, come to terms with my childhood. Even though the book-- it turns out great in the end, mother is busy, this is a parent, and it's the truth. My mother was always so busy doing lots of things. Looking back at it, I got an appreciation for it.

In fact, I'm very busy too because I like to do a lot of things and to be involved in a lot of things. I realized doing this book that I said, "Wait a minute, this is mommy here just running around in a whirlwind."

David: You're feeling the connection with her in your business.

Laura: Definitely.

David: One of the running themes in the book is you feeling like it was hard to get your mom's attention, she was busy, as you say. Also, you were around her a lot when she was on the clock when she was working. You're watching a lot of other people getting attention.

Laura: Exactly.

David: How did that feel and how did you want to work on that in this book?

Laura: Honestly, it didn't feel so great as a child, I must admit. I had other sisters. I actually have nine sisters altogether, so that was a big family. My older sisters, they did a lot with us. They took us out to Lincoln Center, and to the library, and all over the place. We just went all over. I don't know. I definitely did miss the affection, let's say, but now, I can appreciate it.

David: Now, you can appreciate. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but as you suggested earlier, things work out in the end of the book.

Laura: Yes.

David: One of the things I really love about the book is that your mother is not defined by one thing. She is a nanny, she is a friend, baker, dressmaker, office cleaner, teacher, sister, and lots of times, we're reduced in the eyes of so many people to this one thing that we do.

Laura: Right. Yes, there's a box in the category, but most people do many things so it's really not that unusual. I was happy to be able to show all the different things that she did. Of course, I didn't show everything. One thing was I showed the book in advance to some of my relatives and they were just so happy to see because my mother passed away. She also had a stroke. In the last 10 years of her life, she was very much diminished. They were just so happy to see her alive and just vibrant in the book.

David: Doing so many things.

Laura: Doing so many things that she used to do, talking on the telephone, and all of this.

David: How old were you when you were aware of your mom's job as a caregiver?

Laura: I guess I would say about five or so. My mother took care of children that were our teacher's children. My older sisters because I hadn't gone to school yet, we lived across the street from the school, PS9 on Dean Street. Not on Dean Street. We lived on Dean Street and we went to PS9. One of the teachers asked my mother if she could watch her child after she had the child because she had to work. My mother said, "Yes, I will watch your child." Then over the years, one child, I guess, went to five children or so.

We had a very good relationship with the teachers and we still do, actually. My mother, she was somebody that was reliable, and that you could count on, and that would support you. I think many different kinds of people felt that about her. She was much loved.

David: This was this swap that your family had-

Laura: Yes, the swap.

David: -where your mom watched the school teacher's kids and they took your sister to school. Was there any awkwardness to that arrangement or did it just work out great?

Laura: I think it actually just worked out. I don't know. I don't know what it is. People want us to just be separate, "Oh, we can't talk to that one," and we have to stay over here, and we can't be friends, but that's just not true. I watched as my mother became very good friends with these women over the years. Actually, not too long ago, one of them-- she was actually kind of sad and she said, "I'm sorry that we took your mother away from you after all these years." Yes, it was deep. I said, "Don't feel badly about it." I made a joke that this gave me some material for my artwork, which is true, but it's just the way it is. It's just life.

David: Material for your artwork. Your illustrations are so vivid and celebratory. When did you first develop an interest in art?

Laura: That was, I guess, I was about 18 or so. I was just walking in the street in Brooklyn and I saw a book called Ethiopian Magic Scrolls, which has Ethiopian Christian art. Having gone to church all my life with the family and seeing these black angels and I was like, "Wow." The artwork is typically outlined with black lines and I thought, "Hmm, maybe I could do this." I bought this book and I went home and I practiced and that is how I started painting. Because I didn't just want to paint religious themes, I started painting women.

Actually, the Brooklyn Public Library, I like to say that I learned a lot of things there and I got books about painting and photography books and books about how to paint and also with paintings. That's where I learned actually a lot about painting.

David: At one point in the book, you mentioned that your mother was an office cleaner and had to go to Manhattan to clean Mr. Walter's office, he was a graphic designer and at one point was throwing away a bunch of art supplies that you were able to bring home.

Laura: Yes, that's it.

David: Was that based on a true event?

Laura: 100%.

David: Wow.

Laura: It's not just once. This was actually one of the reasons I wanted to go with her. One reason was because that this Saturday morning was our time together and then also, I knew that there was going to be a lot of art supplies.

David: Wow, that's so cool. I want to mention, you have some exhibitions coming up of your work, right? There's a Brooklyn Public Library exhibition coming this fall, is that right?

Laura: Yes, with all the paintings from this book and a couple of pieces from the nanny series that will be in the children's wing of the library. I'm looking so far to it. That was my library, that's the library up Underhill Avenue that my parents used to let us go to, the only place we could go, actually. We would spend many hours at the Brooklyn Public Library. I'm beyond thrilled I guess to say to be able to have an exhibit of this work there.

David: You get to see how children react to it now.

Laura: Yes, exactly, and the nannies, I cannot wait.

David: That's amazing. What would you like to see kids and families take away from this book? Obviously, to enjoy the story and the beautiful artwork but--

Laura: Well, just to start a conversation. I'm sure children will say, "Oh, where's your family from or how many--?" Maybe they know already but maybe they'll ask more in-depth questions about what do you like to do when you're not at work with me, just to give more depth let's say to this person who's taking care, who is working for you, who is essentially making your life better.

David: Like we said in the intro, you are the founder and executive director of the BX200 Visual Artist Directory. Tell us about that and the mission.

Laura: That was started back in 2014 with Valeri Larko and other artists. Well, actually, I wanted to have a party. I wanted to have a party, I had just moved to the Bronx. I knew many, many artists in Brooklyn but I didn't really know any of the Bronx and I was like, "Hmm, I don't know any artists." I asked Valeri Larko, who was one artist that I knew. She actually lived in New Rochelle. She knew many artists in the Bronx. Long story short, we compiled this list that turned into a website with 200 portfolios of Bronx-based artists.

Really, it's just so that people can go and find art, get direct contact information, see websites, see pictures. I'm really pleased that the site has been very well received and many artists have actually gotten commissions, exhibitions, all kinds of things that happen through that site. In fact, I actually got a pretty nice commission myself there on the site.

David: Congratulations.

Laura: Thank you. I know that it works, let's just say.

David: Well, it's a gorgeous, beautiful new book. It is called My Mother Was a Nanny. I'm holding it up right next to the microphone here as if that's going to help. You'll have to take a look. It's a beautiful book.

Laura: Thank you so much.

David: Laura James, again, the new children's book is My Mother Was a Nanny. Thank you for joining us on All Of It today.

Laura: Thank you.

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