Rural Lives, Rural Voices
Thoughts on the YA short story collection Rural Voices and depictions of rural life in the U.S. and elsewhere.
“Nothing About Us Without Us”
A preview of upcoming panels where I talk about the importance of #OwnVoices books featuring autistic and other disabled protagonists.
The “Centering Black Creators” Panel and Resources
A report on the Authors Guild-sponsored Black Voices panel, "Centering Black Creators," along with links to next steps.
“…Couldn’t Connect to Your Main Character”
A discussion of a generic rejection phrase that marginalized fiction writers often receive and what it may mean.
The We Are KidLit 2019 Summer Reading List: Some Thoughts
An introduction to the diverse, inclusive 2019 We Are KidLit Summer Reading List, with a focus on the many bilingual books on the list.
The English version, with the calendars redrawn.
Do We Have a Responsibility?
A discussion of the extent to which adults should protect children and teens against potentially disturbing or culturally problematic content in books.
Against Monoculture
With the cancellation of two YA novels already this year, the PEN America annual meeting and panel discussion moderated by PEN Executive Director Suzanne Nossel on the topic "Writing Wrongs:…
A Review Audit
An audit of the books I reviewed for The Pirate Tree, according to diversity of characters and authors and size of publishers.
The “We Are Here to Stay” Launch and Panel
The shocking victory of a white nationalist President and his political party in November 2016 led me to wonder about the fate of the many diverse books making their way…
Fresh Perspectives in Indie Picture Books: The Silent Nightingale
Reviewing an indie-published bilingual (English-Arabic) picture book and exploring different ways of portraying child protagonists.