Specifically, a mouse in a picture book, preferably one who wears rose petal petticoats and lives in a tree stump. 

Unfortunately scientists have not figured out the whole body-switching thing yet, so Mary pivoted to storytelling.

Contrary to what the mouse thing might imply, she does not write (or paint) many mice. Most of her work is people-centric secondary-world fantasy for middle graders, inspired by various things such as (but not limited to):

-Economic justice

-Fairytales

-Natural phenomena that seem magical (eclipses are INSANE!)

-Forests and who (or what) might inhabit them

-Cities with tight, twisting roads

-Fairytales but slightly to the left

-Political and social hierarchies 

-Meta narration 

-Climate justice

-Interracial families

-Tea

-Protagonists you want to smack a little bit

-Multi-day rainstorms

-The feeling you get standing on a windy cliff as you look out into a roiling gray ocean

-Deep magical lore

Her illustrative work is done mostly with traditional elements, partially because she simply cannot stare at a screen anymore than she has to, and mostly because she loves the feel and texture more than words can describe. She firmly believes that any and every book should come with illustrations and loves the way pictures can build bridges for reluctant readers. 

Her illustrative work can be seen in magazines such as Christianity Today and The Nashville Scene. Her non-fiction writing has previously been published in The Belmont Literary Journal. Her original artwork hangs in acclaimed galleries such as her parents’ home, her grandparents’ home, and her friends’ homes.

She currently lives in Washington DC (yes, the vibes are BAD) with her husband Joshua and their two cats, one of whom sees Mary as romantic competition for her husband’s affections. When not hunched over her desk like an over-fried shrimp (curled, pink, slightly too dry), you can find her somewhere under a pile of books, flour-covered in her kitchen, sweating on a run, or trying desperately to understand the rules of the board game Josh is explaining. 

She is currently seeking representation for her middle-grade illustrated fantasy novel, Oliver Cahya and the Secret of the Arcane Tower

She’s feeling a bit silly talking about herself in the third person, so she’s stopping now.

Clients and Collaborators include:

A note from Mary:

Hiya! I’m happy you’re here!
I want to be as upfront as possible and clarify any confusion you might have regarding my last name! Putrasahan (Poo-trah-sah-han) is an Indonesian last name I am not Indonesian! My husband’s family is originally from Indonesia. I come from a long line of white people who think certain toothpastes have a kick.

Diversity in the publishing industry (and everywhere else) is incredibly important. My work features characters of lots of different racial and ethnic backgrounds, but I never want to give anyone the wrong impression of my race (and therefore, my privilege).

If you’re looking for Southeast Asian authors and illustrators, I highly recommend checking out creators like Lenny Wen, Christina Soontornvat, Patricia Tanumihardja, Hanna Alkaf, and Jesse Q. Sutanto!