Last week I spent a few days in snowy Montpelier as author/illustrator in residence at Vermont College of Fine Arts in their Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Children & Young Adults program. It is a low residency program where students meet for ten days of workshops and lectures and then spend six months working … Read more
What a week! Since my semester ended, I have been busier than ever outside of my studio. I’m itching to get back to work. On Sunday I attended my first BookCon where I spoke on a panel with Cheryl Willis-Hudson, Rita WIlliams-Garcia, and Jerdine Nolen. The panel was moderated by Vanesse Lloyd-Sgambatti. Our topic was … Read more
Last week I posted on facebook a bit of my frustration in the way that reviewers miscast ethnicity in picture books. A good friend of mine had a reviewer identify her family as “Caucasian”, when it was a mixed race family. I posted and then edited a statement (a few times) about that conversation which … Read more
When I was in graduate school at SVA, I was able to choose an advisor during my thesis year. My choice was Pat Cummings. I asked Pat because I had been reading her books and admiring her art since “Just Us Women” appeared on Reading Rainbow in 1984. I went on to fall in love … Read more
continued from Living diversly…part 2 Graduation came and went. Syracuse offered a program called summer institute that allowed incoming minority freshman to take a few classes and bond with other students before the school year officially began. I was so excited to begin college early and to meet other students. As kids often do, I … Read more
continued from “Living Diversly. . . Part 1“ “Nigger!” I had heard the word before, but never hurled at me out of anger. I had heard it at home, mostly at my grandmother’s house when she referred to black folks who she decided didn’t work hard at anything, were undereducated and those who sounded ignorant … Read more
Yesterday I spoke on a panel with Vanesse Lloyd-Sgambatti, Kekla Magoon, Bil Wright, Paula Young, and Wade Hudson on the state of African-American Children’s Books. Each voice was unique in its experience within the industry. Wade Hudson, co-founder of Just Us Books brought to the table over 20 years of experience in making, promoting, and … Read more
Recently there has been a lot of discussion on diversity in both my book world and my academic world. Who’s fault is it that the majority of books being created today reflect limited experiences? Why aren’t there more students of color enrolling and staying in higher ed? Is it the fault of publishers for not … Read more