▁the ▁po ems . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁book ' s ▁after word , ▁We ather ford ▁tal ks ▁about ▁her ▁child hood ▁listening ▁to ▁jazz ▁music ▁with ▁her ▁father . ▁As ▁a ▁te en ager , ▁she ▁started ▁listening ▁to ▁more ▁popular ▁music ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁until ▁she ▁watched ▁the ▁film ▁Lady ▁S ings ▁the ▁Blues ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 . ▁From ▁then ▁on , ▁she ▁was ▁listening ▁to ▁and ▁collect ing ▁Hol iday ' s ▁music ▁all ▁the ▁time . ▁We ather ford ▁related ▁to ▁much ▁of ▁Hol iday ' s ▁life : ▁a ▁shared ▁h omet own ▁of ▁Baltimore , ▁a ▁difficult ▁love ▁life , ▁and ▁navig ating ▁the ▁real ities ▁of ▁rac ism . ▁Before ▁writing ▁the ▁po ems , ▁the ▁author ▁would ▁listen ▁to ▁early ▁Bill ie ▁Hol iday ▁songs ▁for ▁weeks . ▁For ▁the ▁fact ual ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁story , ▁We ather ford ▁referenced ▁or al ▁histor ies ▁and ▁Hol iday ' s ▁aut obi ography . ▁She ▁hoped ▁the ▁book ▁would ▁insp ire ▁readers ▁to ▁learn ▁more ▁about ▁the ▁singer , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁cross ▁over ▁to ▁an ▁adult ▁audience . ▁We ather ford ▁has ▁written ▁several ▁other ▁books ▁about ▁jazz ▁mus icians . ▁ ▁F loyd ▁Cooper ▁created ▁the ▁illustr ations ▁in ▁the ▁book ▁using ▁an ▁er aser ▁to ▁make ▁subtract ive ▁shapes ▁in ▁paint . ▁He ▁also ▁used ▁other ▁medium s ▁on ▁top ▁that ▁were ▁oil ▁based , ▁all ▁put ▁on ▁with ▁a ▁dry br ush ▁technique . ▁ ▁Re