This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
This past winter, Academy student Ava Baldassari released her first published literary work: The Adventures of Bobbeta the Bookmark. You may recognize her from her recent feature on Fox32 Chicago! A senior in Musical Theatre, Ava speaks on how her art transcends the boundaries of standard artistic categories. Her time at The Academy, as well as working as an artist with dyslexia, greatly influences how she navigates the specifics of her work.
Read along to hear about her perspective:
How did your personal experience with dyslexia influence the type of story that you wanted to create?
Ava: I was always interested in adventures and mysteries when I was little. That was my favorite genre of books. And I used to read a lot because the best way for me to learn and catch up and really comprehend was just to practice. That's the best way to do anything: practice. And when writing the book, I didn't want it to be about dyslexia, because it was almost an escape from that, as well– proving to myself that I could do it. I can write. I can read. I can do all of these things, and it wouldn't matter if I was dyslexic or not. So it was just a really, really fun activity to learn, to teach myself– to prove to myself, and to hopefully one day prove to others, that people with dyslexia or other learning disabilities can do it just as well as anyone else.
What type of audience do you want your work to reach? What type of person do you feel is most important to relay this story to, if any?
Ava: Well, it's ages 9 to 12 for this book. It's lighthearted. It's fun. It introduces kids to people like William Shakespeare as well, because I put quotes in there from him– quotes that I really, really admire and love. I want it to be just a fun way to read, something that's interesting for these kids who are learning to read. Just fun for them. In the future, if I'm writing more, it's more screenwriting stuff– definitely different than this book. But I love writing, and I want people to be touched by everything that I write. I want people to experience it, see it, hear it, feel it, smell it– everything. Truly, I want my writing to get into people's souls and make it memorable and something enjoyable.
I know that you create other forms of art, especially studying Musical Theatre at The Academy. What inspired you to use a literary format to express this story, as opposed to demonstrating your intentions through any other art form?
Ava: I've always been a performer, starting ballet at the age of four. I was always doing something on the stage. And I think that’s why [I chose literature]. Being a storyteller– the way that I show myself and tell the stories through myself– I wanted to step back a little bit and see what I could do with directing other people. Showing other people how I feel, not just how a character feels. How a story in my life can be portrayed through someone else. And I think that being involved in theater and performance– live theater, film, television, all that– will help me in the future when writing, when directing, when working on a camera, all those types of things. Because I know what it feels like to be on the other side of the camera or on the stage, versus behind them.
Is there anything else you wanted to share about the story or about your personal experiences? Or anything else you’d like readers to know?
Ava: How I said in the Fox interview about people with dyslexia superpowers. I truly think that people with learning disabilities have had to learn how to connect with people in different ways. So I think that we are incredibly empathetic. We are problem solvers to the core. And I think that that's why there are so many people in the arts world who are dyslexic and who have learning disabilities because this is an outlet. This is a way to express yourself.
I'm not going to become a scientist or a math person. It's not my thing. But I found a way to express myself and learn. I learn every day here at The Academy. I love it here. It's the best place on earth for someone like me who needs art to truly be whole. It's a special place here. And I hope that people know that they should write what they're feeling, like keeping a journal. Write something, write anything, because it could turn into anything. If you're passionate about it, write it down. If you want to show something, film it. Do it. Do the thing. Don't just sit there and sit with it in you. Show it to someone. Every thought and every art piece is special and should be seen.
The Academy community is incredibly proud of Ava, and is excited to see what she does next! Check out her interview with Fox32 here.
