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.
Promoting Diverse Books for Every Reader: The “Cheat Sheet” and More
Building on Grace Lin's "Cheat Sheet for Selling Diversity," I offer alternative ways of presenting small press and less heralded diverse titles.
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.
How to Make Friends with the New Kid: Advice for Kiara from the New Kids
My presentation to ELL students at Manchester, CT's high school and middle school explored insights gained from being a newcomer from a different culture.
Rulebreakers
A report on a panel at the Cambridge Public Library featuring the YA essay anthology Break These Rules and thoughts on success and rulebreaking.
Patricio Has Writer’s Block, But I Don’t: My Writing Process Blog Tour
My contribution to the My Writing Process Blog Tour, where I talk about the fun of revision and why I write about social and political struggles.
Diversity in Publishing with Quill Shift
Profile of a new literary agency, Quill Shift, that seeks to bring writers of color into traditional publishing and prove their market viability.
Revisiting a Classic: Great Expectations
My thoughts on reading a classic, Charles Dickens's Great Expectations, as an adult and from the perspective of my novel's protagonist as well.
Bookcases with winners of the Newbery and Printz medals, with autographed copies of other books on top.
Ed Spicer Has a Lot of Books
Children's book reviewer and teacher Ed Spicer conveys his enthusiasm for book culture and reflects on building the foundation of a reading life.
World Tour Blog
As part of the World Tour Blog, I talk about my work-in-progress, my world music radio program, and some notable books I read recently.