Work-in-Progress Character Blog Hop, or Made Up People Can Jump Too
As part of a character blog hop, I introduce Tina Aguilar, the protagonist of my forthcoming YA novel, Surviving Santiago.
Feed Spammers, Content, and Creativity
I draw a parallel between feed spammers on Instagram and publishers' emphasis on branding, with authors bringing out multiple books per year.
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.
For a Person Who Made Us Laugh: Robin Williams, 1951-2014
Like many people, I am still in a state of shock from learning of the death of actor and comedian Robin Williams yesterday. When my son posted an image from…
#WeNeedDiverseBooks Incorporates, Is in for the Long Haul
A celebration and some suggestions for the #WeNeedDiverseBooks movement, which just incorporated as a nonprofit organization to continue the campaign.
Conversations on Diversity at VCFA
Highlighting diversity-related lectures at the VCFA MFA program in Writing for Children & Young Adults with the most diverse class to graduate from the program.
“We’ve Lost a Library”: Walter Dean Myers, 1937-2014
A tribute to African-American author Walter Dean Myers, with reflection on his writing and leadership on behalf of diverse books.
Grown-Up Things: On Adults and YA Fiction
A defense of adult readers of YA fiction along with a call for more diverse, rule-breaking, and intellectually challenging writing and subject matter.
The #WeNeedDiverseBooks Panel at BookCon
A report on the #WeNeedDiverseBooks panel and the multicultural small press panel at the 2014 BookCon in New York City.
The Perils of First-Hand Research
An illness likely contracted in the course of researching my next book prompts me to reflect on how realistic writers take risks in the service of authenticity.