Pursuing the Hybrid Option
In an essay for School Library Journal, Zetta Elliott makes a strong argument for self-publishing to achieve true diversity in children's publishing.
What? Is This a Joke?
The work of my friend Beverly Slapin leads to a discussion of humor and satire and the importance of dialogue rather than censorship.
I Am Charlie
Pictures and thoughts on freedom of expression and the deadly attack aimed to silence the satiric French newspaper Charlie Hebdo.
Revisiting Those New Year’s Resolutions
An analysis of why my New Year's resolution for 2014 failed so spectacularly, and an equivalent tongue-in-cheek resolution for 2015.
The “I Am Here” Reading and Exhibition and the Brooklyn Blossoms Book Club
A report on a panel of the Brooklyn Blossoms Book Club, featuring four award-winning black women authors and a photo exhibit celebrating black girls and women.
What Part of “Black Lives Matter” Don’t You Understand?
Police killings of unarmed black men is a human rights issue in a country in which some people live in democracy and others in a police state.
I Celebrate Buy Nothing Day
My reasons for observing Buy Nothing Day instead of Black Friday, along with a review of a YA novel that explores the global consequences of buying stuff.
A Big Boost for #WeNeedDiverseBooks
An update on an ongoing and increasingly successful fundraising campaign for #WeNeedDiverseBooks that will create new opportunities for writers of color.
Supporting Kid Lit Equality
Last spring #WeNeedDiverseBooks came into being as a result of the lack of progress in diversifying the children's publishing industry, as exemplified by a major BookCon panel that featured only…
The Violence in Missouri: Writers and Artists Respond
Writers and artists respond to the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and the ensuing violence with works that encourage empathy.