The RV Book Fair 2026: Interview with Steven Joseph - Cover Story

Steven, you are an attorney, professional negotiator, marathon runner, humorist, and author. How have these different aspects of your life influenced your storytelling?

Well, I write about crankiness. But to tie that together with life as an attorney and negotiator, people sue, in part, to get damages for emotional distress. What is that? Somebody made them cranky, and they want “cranky compensation”! As a negotiator, you learn that by listening and by showing empathy, people can become less cranky. So, effective negotiation is not about money but by making folks feel less cranky. However, part of my job is to make them cranky as well because they have to first accept that I will not be trying to make them less cranky in the exact kind of way they hoped to become less cranky. Also, I have to be mindful that I want to reach a resolution that does not leave me too cranky. Unfortunately, the opposing side wants me to be as cranky as possible!

The Snoodles universe is filled with wonderfully inventive names such as Snoodles, Kidoodles, Zoodles, and Croodles. How do you create this playful language, and which name has made you laugh the most?

Oh, I just play with the fun words and they need to be musical. My favorite is the fitzy witsy popadoodle. First, he fitzed, he witsed, and then he went pop!

The original idea for Snoodles began with cars powered by sauerkraut being replaced by vehicles powered by noodles. Where did this unusual and hilarious concept come from?

It just came out of my overall crankiness, the bad news that makes me cranky, the feeling that people get cranky for the same reasons, and then, I started thinking about creating a world that people may not be so cranky.

Your stories are very funny, but they also explore crankiness, kindness, cooperation, creativity, and personal change. How do you balance humor with these deeper messages?

How crankiness woks is that, at times, you can figure out how to be less cranky, and that creates a situation that makes somebody else more cranky. They then plot to make you cranky again. There is the back and forth cranky competition till everyone decides it may be time to work together so everyone is less cranky.

Sour Croodleman and other characters show that even the crankiest person can change. Why is redemption such an important theme in your books?

Because everyone gets cranky or has a “crankatsuris”, I want to have characters that look at their crankiness, and it becomes a superpower that leads to redemption, and they discover that they are less cranky because of this. We can make this world a beautiful place if we are allowed to make mistakes, but then work to redeem ourselves because of those mistakes. If the mistakes are our label, we do not get the change. Redemption becomes a requirement.

In Snoodles in Space: Episode 2 - The Zoodles Strike Back!, children who may initially be seen as spoiled or troublesome are given the opportunity to become heroes. What inspired you to challenge the way adults label children?

I write about this in a Grownup Guide to Effective Crankiness. We are taught to tell kids to use their words, right? So, If a kid always is good to use their words to say “I am angry!”, they may be good at using their words but we all start believing that this is some angry kid. But, if we have a sweet kid just having a “common crankatsuris”, it does not attach to the kids themselves.

You have described the Snoodles books as stories that both children and adults can enjoy. How do you write humor that works on different levels for readers of all ages?

First, kids pick up more than we give them credit for. Because of that, I am not writing down to kids but up to them. They get it. It will feel fresh and different to them, and that draws them in. It is the same thing that brings the adults along as well. There are parts of the books that adults will pick up more as well, and that is intentional.

Andy Case's colorful and detailed illustrations are an important part of the Snoodles world. What is your creative process with Andy, and have his illustrations ever inspired you to change or expand a story?

I write the story, and put them in story blocks. Andy then starts his process which includes a ton of research. He sends me illustrations, and that may either have changed the story, or puts an idea in my head that changes the story. It is a beautiful relationship!

As the son of a Holocaust survivor, you grew up with an awareness of survival, resilience, and hope. In what ways have these values influenced your writing and the worlds you create?

Absolutely. I think that because my mother was put in a group that was marginalized and made as a scapegoat, I want to write stories about common experiences and bringing people together as opposed to putting them on a team that takes sides. There is also adversity that people/kids overcome to make the world a better place.

The Snoodles universe continues to grow with new characters, adventures, and places. What can readers expect next, and are there other stories you would like to tell within the Snoodleverse?

Yes. I will start writing the next chapter in the Snoodle Universe that will tell the origgins of Cloodle the Grand Roodle from the Planet Zoodle, except he did not come from Zoodle afterall!

Steven Joseph is the Author of the award-winning Snoodles series. He is a first-generation American, veteran attorney, negotiator, prolific speaker, and a modern humorist. He’s a real New Yorker. A fully cured overweight person, Steven is a five times Boston Marathon runner and 16 times NYC Marathon runner – balancing it all perfectly through the art of Zen.

Yet Steven believes he is smart enough to know that he hasn’t figured everything out, except for crankiness. Find out more at stevenjosephauthor.com.

Interview published in The Relatable Voice Magazine - The RV Book Fair 2026 - Special. Download the full magazine for free at The RV Book Fair | Relatable Media.