Author-illustrators Susan Fang and Peter Brown smile with their son Calvin. The two moved to Newcastle in 2022 and continue to write and draw from their home. (Photo courtesy Kelsey Grossman)
In a quiet stretch of North Newcastle, a couple of author-illustrators live with their young son.
Susan Fang and Peter Brown moved to Maine after saying they “hit a wall” while living in New York City and Philadelphia.
Fang is known for her books “Dim Sum Palace” and “We Are Definitely Human,” the latter of which was recently named the winner of the Ezra Jack Keats Best New Illustrator Award, among many others.
Brown is the author-illustrator of New York Times bestselling illustrated middle grade novel “The Wild Robot,” which was published in 2016 and adapted into film in 2024. Brown has released two sequels, “The Wild Robot Escapes” in 2018 and “The Wild Robot Protects” in 2023.
Their son, Calvin, may not be able to read or write yet, but he can for sure play the xylophone.
“He’s the closest ‘Mainer’ of this family,” Fang said.
Fang was born in Taiwan and raised in Georgia. Her undergraduate years were spent at the University of Georgia and she received her MFA at the University of Pennsylvania. She met Brown in Brooklyn, and then the two moved to Philadelphia together.
Brown grew up in New Jersey and went to art school in California at the Art Center College of Design.
They met on a dating app, Bumble, where they realized they had a mutual friend. The friend, Martha, was someone Brown had known during his undergraduate studies and then Fang met while she was pursuing her master’s degree.
“Martha claims that she’s always wanted to set us up,” Fang said.
After living and meeting in Brooklyn, where Brown said his career “got off the ground,” the couple moved to Philadelphia for a few years. Then the two started looking for houses in Maine.
“We were coming to Maine kind of when we didn’t know where else to go,” Brown said. “I was finding myself really wanting more nature in my life, and so after living in Los Angeles, and then New York, and then Philadelphia, I was kind of over it.”
The couple moved to Newcastle in 2022, the COVID-19 pandemic pushing them to take the leap, Brown said. At the time, he said they didn’t have a specific town in mind, but knew they wanted to live somewhere in the Midcoast. After what Brown called a very long search due to the small housing market during the pandemic, the two “got lucky” when they found the house they live in today.
What was originally a bright blue building now blends into nature beyond it. Brown said when he and Fang first bought the property it was definitely a “fixer-upper.” Even years later, they continue to complete renovations, such as the barn they are working on converting into a studio.
“It was a bit of an adventure for us, because we didn’t really know the area that well,” Brown said.
Finding childcare and proper schooling was not part of the plan when the two first moved here, but when Fang found out she was pregnant with Calvin, the couple said they were relieved with the options they had in the area.
Beyond family and childcare, Fang said living in Newcastle and the Midcoast area has been “magical.” Both referred to the long history of writers and artists coming to the state for inspiration, specifically children’s book authors.
“We feel really lucky we ended up here,” Brown said.
Fang and Brown both gave kudos to their neighbors Karen and Bill Mook for helping them get acclimated into the community. Since moving here, the two have participated in events in partnership with organizations such as Coastal Kids Preschool and Skidompha Library. Fang said the Mooks also introduced them to more people in the area, as well as places to check out.
Fang said it was probably obvious she and Brown were “city transplants” when they first showed up in Newcastle.
“They’ve been just incredibly helpful, they’re like the greatest neighbors of all time,” Brown said.
One of their most recent events was at Skidompha Library in partnership with Coastal Kids Preschool, where Fang read her book “We Are Definitely Human.” As she read, library staff dressed like the aliens in the book and children gathered around Fang while she read. When she was done, they begged for an encore.
Fang has also participated in fundraisers with Coastal Kids for her books and Brown helped with fundraising through a screening of “The Wild Robot” at Lincoln Theater in Damariscotta.
As the two continue to put down roots here, they said Calvin will really help them branch out more. They said they have also been working on meeting other creatives around town and building new friendships.
Something that sort of came as a surprise and a bit of a culture shock to the couple was the amount of checks they suddenly needed to write when moving here, Brown said. With this, Fang said the aspect of talking to a human and writing on paper really differed from their life in a city, especially during this quickly developing digital age.
Fang recalled setting up the family’s health insurance and the pleasant surprise she felt when she didn’t have to talk to a robot for 20 minutes. She also mentioned that she had to learn how to make all of her favorite Asian dishes at home since there are not many markets in the area.
“I remember reading somewhere that even though Maine is a big state, the state itself feels like a small town,” Fang said.
This especially feels true to her in situations where people recognize her in public. With this, Fang said more people stop to talk for longer rather than the fast-paced “hi” and “bye” in cities. Fang said a lot of the conversations she has in Maine also have to do with her personal life, and not just work.
Other than the community aspect, both agreed being surrounded by nature, which is often the subject matter of their work, helps with writing and illustrating.
Fang said while she lived in cities, her book themes usually shifted more toward a human-focused narrative because she was interacting with more people. On the flip side, Brown said he missed nature so much while he was in the city, most of his writing started to reflect that, such as his book “The Curious Garden,” which follows a boy growing wild flowers in an urban setting.
The first two Wild Robot books were born while he was living in New York and Pennsylvania. Brown compared Maine to his childhood in New Jersey, where he said he would roam through the woods for hours.
“For me, it was sort of like city living made me dream about more natural life surroundings,” Brown said. “Now that we’re here, who knows; maybe I’ll start making city books.”
For Fang, a lot of her writing reflects the idea of Southern culture because she grew up in Georgia. She said she always enjoys readers from different regions trying their different versions of “y’all.”
As parents, both agreed they want their son to have an existence where he is comfortable out in nature, hanging outside with his friends, going fishing, and being out on the water.
“It seems like a beautiful place to grow up, so I’ll be living vicariously through him,” Brown said.
Working out of their home, surrounded by greenery, has been a peaceful experience that helps with the process, Brown said. For both of them, there are days where they are both authors and illustrators, and others when they are one or the other. Their days are filled with dropping Calvin off at daycare, snapping into work mode, and then going to pick him up.
At the time of the interview, Fang was currently illustrating and Brown was working on some writing.
“You wake up, take him to daycare, run the errands that you need, like groceries and stuff, come back, sit, and just draw for hours,” Fang said. “We have to remind ourselves to get up and move.”
They said with their profession, they have a lot of creative freedom, even with some of the limitations (like curse words) that come with writing children’s books. Brown said many mature topics can be approached in a way that is appropriate for younger readers.
Both agreed having said freedom gives more room for creativity and keeps them going. This can be seen in their array of goofy characters, who show a wide range of personalities, many times reflecting their own, Brown said.
A major part of the writing process for Fang is daydreaming, she said. Often times, she said she walks around with different inner monologues where she is imagining a story coming together.
For Brown, he said reading out loud helps him piece together his work and make sure the writing sounds good.
“A fly on the wall might think we were a little bit crazy,” Brown said.
Every day, the two said they work on motivating themselves to move more since Maine is not very walkable compared to where they came from. This includes walking around their neighborhood and biking.
As couples in the same profession, Fang said she often uses Brown as her “sounding board” when it comes to ideas and getting advice. She said when he is working on a story, it is fun to hear him talk through his story ideas, which is where she gives feedback as well.
When the two are technically not working, they still are in a way, Fang said. The act of exploring ideas and asking questions never really ends with the work day. Whether that is over lunch or a conversation about the business side of work, Brown said they have so much to talk about all the time.
In the future, he said he hopes they will collaborate on a story.
“Things just sort of exploded for both of us, and one of these days, hopefully things will calm down a little bit, and we’ll get a chance to regroup and come up with a project to work on together,” Brown said.
Having his book turned into a movie has been surreal, Brown said. Even before the movie, the book was doing incredibly well, having been translated into 30 languages and used by educators across the country. When the movie came out in 2024, everything got bigger, he said.
Throughout the process, Brown said it has been a weird feeling to watch his work get turned into something for the big screen, especially since he didn’t work on the movie himself. All of his work was handed over to DreamWorks, who then became responsible for turning it into a film.
“People congratulate me on my movie, and I’m like, well obviously it’s based on my story, but I didn’t make the movie, so I don’t know how to answer,” Brown said. “It’s been a really interesting and surreal experience. I’m very grateful because a lot of people are reading the books who wouldn’t have read them without the movies.”
Both Fang and Brown said as author-illustrators, they hope their son finds that same sense of curiosity they write so much about in their books.
Brown referenced one of his books, “Mr. Tiger Goes Wild,” which follows a character who starts off very uptight and proper, but then starts to feel his wild instincts. He referred to himself and Fang as “very curious people,” who love to read, watch movies, and enjoy art in every form. With the theme of curiosity throughout both of their writing and present in their personal lives, Brown said he hopes Calvin inherits some too.
“I think that’s such an important quality, especially today more than ever. Being curious, asking questions, finding answers, and being independent in your thought and your thinking,” Brown said.
A unifying theme throughout Fang’s books is characters learning to accept who they are, she said. When her book “Dim Sum Palace” was released, she said a lot of the feedback from parents was positive in regard to the sassy personality of the main character. She said when he can eventually read them, that Calvin and other young readers can be comfortable being themselves and embracing their personalities.
“It’s being comfortable with yourself, accepting others for who they are, and just understanding that everybody has tremendous depth,” Fang said.
The two are currently working on separate pieces that are due to release this Fall. Fang is illustrating and author Mac Barnett is writing “Tom Nancy.” She is also illustrating another book, “After the Pool,” which is set to release next Spring. When she is done with those projects, she said she is excited to brainstorm the ideas she has been sitting on for future work.
Brown is currently working on the fourth Wild Robot novel, “The Wild Robot Discovers.” For each book, he said the setting is in a different place, so he spends plenty of time researching different environmental factors for different areas.
He also illustrates creepy picture books written by Aaron Reynolds, such as “Jasper Rabbit’s Creepy Tales.” He said he is currently working on a new spinoff series of chapter books for slightly older audiences.
As they continue to draw and write, both Fang and Brown agree that right now, reading is more important than ever as parents and children choose between interacting with physical books and digital media. Brown said he believes those who succeed in the future are going to be the ones with the “sharpest minds,” which comes from a genuine love for reading.
“The leaders in the future, the success stories in the future, are going to be the people, the kids, who grow up reading books,” Brown said. “We want to make great books that make kids want to read and help them develop a love of reading that will help them succeed in the future, no matter what it looks like.”
Fang said this love for reading is especially fostered in third spaces like Skidompha and other local libraries, where communities can come together for events like her story time. She said so many people love sharing stories and sharing a love of reading together.
“There is a joy of kids sharing books together in storytime, and building community through reading,” Fang said.
For more information about both Fang and Brown, go to xfang.studio and peterbrownstudio.com.
(Do you have a suggestion for a “Characters of the County” subject? Email info@lcnme.com with the subject line “Characters of the County” with the name and contact information of your nominee.)
