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 YUMI AND MONSTER A Book And A Bridge For Disability Exclusive Interview with & Reading by Kam Redlawsk Featured in 'Innerviews' Hosted by Allié McGuire Beyond a book, ‘Yumi and Monster’ is a story that serves as a bridge between ability and disability. In the transition of former versions of ourselves to present versions, where we meet our monsters where they’re at, not in confrontation but in companionship, this tale is one that brings new levels of comfort and compassion with bold advocacy and brilliant artistry from the one and only Kam Redlawsk. ALLIÉ: First of all, Kam, I am incredibly honored to have you read your book, Yumi and Monster for AwareNow. It’s a story that means so much to me and to many. Before you read, I’d love to learn a bit more about how this book came to be. How long has this been in the making? KAM: About seven years—from concept stage to the final book on the shelves. ALLIÉ: Seven years… wow. And the artwork is just as brilliant as the storyline—absolutely stunning. Even the red in Yumi’s hair feels like a signature of you. I keep searching for the right words to explain how much this book means to me and how much it’s already meaning to so many others. Because we all have a monster of some kind in our lives, something we can’t quite outrun or ignore. And somehow, you’ve turned that reality into a story that invites us to see the softness inside the struggle. What you’ve created is beautiful… and deeply needed. I can’t thank you enough for the gift this book is and for the gift you are. KAM: Oh, thank you. Yeah. I mean, obviously this was supposed to be about disability, but it was really important that it was inclusive enough that it actually included everyone. And it was kind of a struggle for a while because, from the beginning, it was called Monster and Me, and I worried that people would think I was calling disability a monster or struggle itself a monster. That’s why I tried to make him as cute as possible. I wanted people to love him, and I didn’t want kids to be confused, like, “She seems so distraught with this guy around. I’m scared of this guy that’s named Monster.” So that’s why I designed him to be super cute. I really wanted Monster to feel accessible so we’re not viewing our situations only as adversaries. Even though they’re difficult, it doesn’t mean we don’t still struggle with them, but it is easier to work with it when you realize it’s a relationship. It’s really a relationship with yourself. That’s also why it was really important to me to keep it just the two of them. They wanted to add more characters, and I wanted it to be just Yumi and Monster, because really it’s just Yumi. Monster is a metaphor. So yes, it was important that everyone could understand this as a relationship. Ultimately, Yumi has empathy for Monster at the end. And that’s really empathy for herself, and empathy for her situation. You might have known that this came about in 2012 when I had fallen. I imagined him. I saw him in the doorway. His foot was kind of stuck out of the doorway after I’d just fallen, and I was putting it together and thought, “Oh. He’s the one. He’s the reason for all my falls.” And that’s kind of how it happened.  ALLIÉ: It’s wild… out of a fall came a story that so many people are going to fall in love with. And what you just shared (the idea that it’s a relationship) lands so deeply. Because in these pages, you can actually feel that relationship evolving. And that’s exactly what it’s like to live with a disability or any kind of adversity. It becomes this living, shifting relationship you navigate. There are moments of frustration and moments of grace, and you show all of that. The good, the hard, the human. So now that the book is out… what’s next? Where do you go from here? KAM: Well, now that it’s out, I want to pitch it as an animation, because that’s how I saw it originally. The animation I see differently. I made this book very cute. But for animation, I’m a big Tim Burton and Coraline person. I’m really into dark fairy tales like Pan’s Labyrinth and things like that. So I see it as much darker, but still loving, hopeful, and, you know, tender—just with character designs that are a little more… intense. So, pitching it as an animation is one thing. Since finishing this book, which I actually finished it in 2023, I don’t know if you heard, but I had a bit of publishing drama. As soon as I finished the book, in December 2023 and January, the publisher dropped the book because they’d let go of my editor. So it actually came out a year later. It ended up working out, though, because my editor took my book with her to her next publisher. She’s been an amazing support, and she took it with her. So, long story short, I’d finished drawing this a while ago.  KAM: Since then, I can’t hold a pen anymore. Now I’ve been practicing drawing with my finger. I want to return to my personal surreal art and develop that, maybe doing more finger illustrations instead of illustrating another whole book. I keep saying I’m probably not going to illustrate another book… although I did just post a Shel Silverstein–inspired sketch yesterday and thought, “Hmm, maybe it would be cool to do a Shel Silverstein type book based on disability and life.” It could be poems and illustrations… maybe an MS character, showing something specific about how they move through life; or someone with migraines, constantly dealing with headaches; someone with whatever their “monster” is so you get a glimpse of how they do it. I could really see a book like that. With the time and function I have left, I want to go back to my personal surreal art and develop that, and maybe do some finger illustrations. I’m also being encouraged to write a memoir. I have a ton of novel-to-film ideas. I’m really interested in storytelling now, and I’ve been consulting on some film scripts. I’d love to get into film—who knows? Maybe doing novels-to-film is the pathway there. And of course, I’ll write more picture books. Lots of plans. I want to do installation art as well, built around disability and the human condition. We’ll see. As you know with your body, we can only do what we can. So… we’ll see what happens. ∎
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