About Lois Lowry

Lois Lowry is a beloved American author. She has written more than 50 books throughout her career and has twice been awarded the Newbery Medals for “the most distinguished contributions to American literature for children." She won for her books Number the Stars in 1990 and The Giver in 1994. She talks about both of these books amongst others in this episode of Along The Seam. Lois’ books vary in content and style yet deal with many of the same general themes including the importance of human connections. They tell stories about the effects of loss on a family and the role that we humans play in the lives of our fellow beings.

This conversation between Rachael and Lois was recorded on March 4, 2022 in Lois' home in Falmouth, Maine. Lois shares stories about her life as the daughter of a career military officer in the midst of World War II, the experience of losing her son at a young age, and the profound impact her stories have had on people from around the world. Grief as a place of deep connection, including in the classroom, is present in this episode.

An edited version of this conversation was originally published as the first episode of the first season in 2022 and an unedited version was released in 2024 to kick off the second season of the podcast. To read how this conversation has grown in relevance for Rachael over the two years since it was recorded, you can find an essay published on the Along The Seam newsletter.

During her adult years, Lois has split her time between living in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Maine, and now spends her winters down in Florida. She is now a grandmother and hopes that through writing, she can convey her “passionate awareness that we live intertwined on this planet and that our future depends upon our caring more, and doing more, for one another."

“I’m sorry, sir. I don’t understand exactly. Maybe I’m not smart enough. I don’t know what you mean when you say ‘the whole world’ or ‘generations before him.’ I thought there was only us. I thought there was only now.” “There’s much more. There’s all that goes beyond – all that is Elsewhere – and all that goes back, and back, and back. I received all of those, when I was selected. And here in this room, all alone, I re-experience them again and again. It’s how wisdom comes. And how we shape our future.”
— The Giver