We are continuing our quest to craft complex characters and build dynamic worlds that readers with marginalized identities can connect with. In my last column, It’s Messy in The Middle: Answering the Call, we discussed how to find the messy middle of writing underrepresented identities. In this essay, we will explore the historical context and… Read more »
In these times I hope authors continue crafting children’s and young adult books on sensitive subjects such as race. Compelling stories can penetrate young minds with staying powers that endure long beyond that first read. Early exposure to lives that differ from or connect to blossoming readers can shape their future attitudes and actions. I… Read more »
This last year has been a difficult one, and some communities have been more deeply affected than others. Right now, I am heartbroken by the acts of violence toward Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Between the deadly shooting in Atlanta to the thousands of attacks tracked by Stop AAPI Hate, I feel a deep sadness… Read more »
[Editor’s Note: As a part of DIY MFA’s ongoing mission to promote unique voices, regular columnist, Sara Farmer, has been conducting a limited series of interviews featuring authors with unique and diverse voices like this one with Adam Smyer. You can check out her past interviews of Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Marcie Rendon, and Ausma Zehanat Khan.]… Read more »
With discussions and movements surrounding racial equality growing every day, writers around the world are having to step back and look at the world we love so much. From a lack of Black and Own Voices writers on bestseller tables to everyday racist and bigoted terms that sneak below our editing radar, we writers and… Read more »
Since my last column a lot has shifted. In the US massive protests are demanding justice for Black people who have been killed by police, and the calls for justice are rippling outward to related issues. Racism is a factor in the publishing industry as well, and now is the time to talk about it. … Read more »
A little over a week ago, I wrote this email sharing initial steps that my team and I are taking to amplify black voices and also make DIY MFA more inclusive of diverse voices. I realize that I have been fairly quiet on the subject since, but that by no means indicates that this subject… Read more »
