Zetta Elliott's Blog, page 13

Milo visits Manchester Museum

If you’re free Wednesday morning, join us for a virtual event at Manchester Museum. “The Colored Girl’s Quest: Finding Mirrors in Museums” will be live-streamed on Facebook and on YouTube. I’ll be talking about MILO’S MUSEUM, how it was inspired by The Colored Girls Museum in Philadelphia, and how self-publishing by Black creators is an act of resistance in a White supremacist society.

I’m grateful for the invitation from author/scholar Breanna McDaniel and her organization, REIYL (Researchers Exploring Inclusive Youth Literature), a collective of students, early career, and established researchers who facilitate knowledge exchange on issues of inclusion, equity, and justice in youth literature and media.

citizen

I meant to blog earlier this week but after my swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday morning, life got real ordinary, real fast…and somehow it no longer felt urgent to write about becoming a US citizen. It was a beautiful, sunny day and 49 of us were socially distanced in the courtyard of the federal building. The judge who swore us in was warm and friendly; he told us we hailed from 23 countries and had each of us stand up when we called out our country of origin (“One person came all the way from…Canada!). Then he congratulated us on making it this far because “it isn’t easy to become a US citizen.” He said last week there was one man who had waited 15 years for his chance to take the oath! I definitely know how lucky I am—I applied in February 2020 and just over a year later I took the oath. The pandemic definitely slowed things down but moving to Chicagoland might have sped things up…I really don’t know. I do know that I’m lucky I had an immigrant father who opened the door for me; May 24 marked 17 years since my father died and the day of the ceremony was the one-year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. The judge couldn’t help quoting Thomas Jefferson but I suspect most of us knew that the preamble to the Declaration of Independence has never been true for everyone in this country. That didn’t make us any less grateful or excited, I don’t think. People die trying to get into this country; I know how lucky I’ve been, choosing to leave one wealthy country for another, not needing an interpreter to guide me through the application process and then stand behind my chair throughout the ceremony. We weren’t supposed to bring guests but some family members were off to the side taking photos. I just took a selfie, walked a few blocks over to Garrett’s, and bought myself a bag of popcorn before taking a Lyft back to Evanston. Cozbi stopped by to give me my first hug in over a year, Edi sent money so I could have dinner delivered, and Akosua sent me cake and balloons! I don’t mean to sound blasé about becoming a citizen because it [image error] was a big step for me and they registered us to vote even before the ceremony began. It’s a big responsibility and I just missed a round of local elections but will be ready when it’s finally my turn to vote.

Now that I’m fully vaccinated, I’m mentally preparing myself to rejoin the world. I’ll try taking the train next week and the week after that I’m meeting friends downtown for afternoon tea at The Drake. Tomorrow we’re dining outside here in Evanston…and I’m thoroughly enjoying being unmasked whenever I’m walking outdoors. Despite the sudden drop in temperature, the peonies are blooming in the Shakespeare Garden and I’ve got new birds at my window—downy woodpeckers and sleek gray catbirds. I finished a new picture book last weekend and on Monday finally started a story inspired by the beautiful dolls made by my friend Janine. We had a very ugly interaction with the film studio last week and so I asked to have the deal canceled; fortunately it hadn’t been announced and no money had been paid so the execs seem willing to call the whole thing off. That means more paperwork but eventually we should get the rights back and my agents are already on the lookout for another studio—and this time we won’t be seduced by the money. Better to take a reduced advance but work with folks who have integrity and respect for me and my vision.

I’m hoping I can find some fireworks this weekend! Hope you enjoy the Memorial Day weekend.

the light

I didn’t expect to have such a good day! Woke with yet another migraine because I can’t get my sinuses figured out despite the double dose of allergy medication I’m taking and using the neti pot twice a day. I got my second dose of the Moderna vaccine last week and thankfully didn’t have the severe reaction some of my friends described. But the day after ended with a migraine and the day after that started with another. I’m blowing through my migraine pills even though I just got a refill at the start of the month; my previous batch lasted more than a year but at this rate, I’ll need another refill long before May ends. My doctor suggested a CAT scan, which seemed extreme at the time but now I really do want a look inside my head. Sinus headaches hurt, make it hard to focus, and make late-day naps hard to resist. The pressure keeps building until I just give up and go to bed, hoping for relief in the morning. So waking up with a migraine today wasn’t auspicious but I stayed in bed until the medication kicked in, and then got up and made French toast for breakfast. I had to resubscribe to Disney+ in order to watch Up but it was worth it; I laughed, I cried, and felt reassured that my vision for the Dragons in a Bag film is viable. Last week I sent a list of my concerns to the studio head, hoping we could trash the existing treatment and start over. I was trying to think of animated movies that I enjoyed because they were funny and sweet rather than action-packed. Pixar has a formula, of course, but Soul felt different and I remembered my sister urging me to see Up because it was a tear-jerker. Watching it for the second time, I was surprised by how similar it is to Dragons in a Bag. I know now that what I want is what’s largely missing from the field—a film about a Black boy who’s nerdy and vulnerable and brave. The current treatment has Jax getting suspended from school for assaulting another student—NO. I had two teachers reach out last week to tell me how much my book has meant to their students during the pandemic. One told me his first-graders didn’t always show up for online classes, but they never missed story time because they knew he’d be reading another chapter of Dragons in a Bag. The other teacher said her fifth graders appreciated the temporary escape from pandemic life that my novel provided. I included this part of her email in my letter to the studio head:

I cannot put into words how insane this year has been for both teachers and students but I thought I’d share the joy that your work has brought to our class. I am in the process of implementing a fantasy writing unit as our last big writing project for the year. I chose your book, Dragons in a Bag as our mentor text for studying fantasy. We are halfway through the book, but my goodness, my students, my co teacher, and I LOVE this book. My students are so sweet and creative and seeing a story like this out in the world allows them to know what’s possible. We have such great discussions about the character of Jax and his identity, we love how you’re able to envision Brooklyn and everyday city things as magical objects and beings, and I know that many of my students feel seen in this story. One of my students who transferred into the class halfway through the year talked about how the character of Jax looks like him, something that he’s never experienced before in fantasy. Adding a few illustrations into the story was such a powerful move to make. My students have experienced so much trauma and chaos this year, so to know that we can all escape into this world and feel so many different emotions, it’s kind of everything right now. So thank you for that.

Will it make a difference? I don’t know. The studio wants a “hit” but I’m the one who will have to face thousands of irate kids if the film isn’t true to the book. My editor let me know that we’ve sold over 120,000 copies of the first book in the series and the sequel is selling well now that it’s out in paperback. When it comes to the film, I don’t have veto power, though I’m technically listed as executive producer. I hope they’ll treat me like an asset because otherwise I will become a liability. And they definitely don’t want that. I finished Up and wanted to get back to work on my alternate film treatment but instead made myself focus on finishing the first round of copy edits for Moonwalking. They were due Friday so I’m a little late but now that they’re done, I can turn back to the film treatment and a new picture book that’s been percolating for a while. This week I only have ONE Zoom presentation and one podcast, so I feel like there’s light at the end of the tunnel. The school year is winding down and I’ve decided not to book more gigs for the fall. I don’t even know what four months off would feel like but I’m ready to find out! The pandemic isn’t over but here in the US things are starting to open up…we’ve sent my Say Her Name play out to directors…we found an illustrator for Juneteenth Song…writing an alternate film treatment means starting Book #4, The Enchanted Bridge, sooner than expected…but if I’m not doing half a dozen Zooms each week, then there’s time for everything. I could even sign up for another art class this summer and maybe try a sculpture class in the fall.

It’s been a month since I blogged so I have a few links to share. If you missed the 2021 Augusta Baker Lecture, you can find the recording on YouTube. I did two read-alouds of Roots Run Deep, starting with a slideshow of ancestor photos; you can watch the recording of Story Time with Mr. Limata on Facebook. My IG Live conversation with Dena Simmons of LiberatED ran into technical difficulties so I’m going to get a new phone this month and hopefully we can try again.

Time for the treadmill! Happy Mother’s Day to all the mamas out there and all the “other mothers” who pick up the slack.

Olio

It’s National Poetry Month and I’m writing a poem a day until the end of April. Some days I feel like I don’t have anything to say but spring always promises and delivers birds, blossoms, and beauty in unexpected places so there’s plenty of inspiration to be found outdoors. This morning I shared my writing process with students at Messiah University; their professor asked me to demonstrate how to learn from the poems in OLIO by Tyehimba Jess and I found unexpected inspiration for my experimental verse novel OLA’S DREAM. It’s been on hold since last spring; with the pandemic, I couldn’t sustain the focus I needed to do historical research. I didn’t manage to finish a sample poem for the students but I made a start and look forward to the second class I’ll meet on Thursday. The reading that evening is open to the public so join us if you can. Next week I will deliver the 2nd Augusta Baker Lecture at the University of South Carolina; it’s virtual and open to the public as well. If you’re working with younger children, Poetry Boost is spotlighting a different poet every day this month (my poem is here) and MacKids also has a video of me reading A PLACE INSIDE OF ME.

I made it five days without sweets—not bad and the cravings weren’t too hard to manage. I’m letting myself have a sweet today and tomorrow (discounted Reese’s peanut butter Easter eggs) and then I’ll try another five-day detox. That seems sustainable. I had my blood drawn yesterday and the results were mostly encouraging: my iron is normal again, my A1c went down four points, but my cholesterol crept up again. Will see if cutting back on sweets helps at all; I’m mostly vegetarian so suspect the slightly high cholesterol is a genetic inheritance I’ll have to learn to live with. I’m still working on getting vaccinated and generally don’t feel ready to rejoin the world. I backed out of my in-person art class and being in the city last week was jarring—I’m used to Evanston’s mostly empty streets and suddenly folks were everywhere, eating on the sidewalk and flowing in and out of Millennium Park. It will take time to get used to the new normal, I guess, but for now I’m content to stay at home dreaming about the future. I got pre-approved again but haven’t seen anything I love enough to take the plunge and become a homeowner here in Chicagoland. Today I got the final cover for THE WITCH’S APPRENTICE and it’s beautiful! I was given the chance to provide feedback over the past few weeks and Geneva B really came through—can’t wait to share her amazing artwork. It was good to have proof of a successful collaboration because yesterday I had a less than productive conversation about the treatment for what we hope will be a DRAGONS IN A BAG animated film. I spoke to the screenwriter last month and knew he was taking the characters in a different direction but I wasn’t prepared for my beloved book to be completely reworked. It’s unrecognizable at this point so I’m trying to find a way forward. My horoscope for 2021 said I would have to focus on creativity, collaboration, and children, so I’m trying to see this as an opportunity to grow and learn. And I’m willing to compromise—often when films try to stay loyal to the book, they don’t quite work. But I won’t betray my readers or my vision for the *series*—it’s not just one book I’m protecting! I think I’m going to write my own treatment so there’s an alternative on the table. After I prep for Thursday’s class and reading and write my lecture for next week…

detox

I’m going to give up sweets for the month of April! I thoroughly enjoyed my tea party last week and truly felt like I’d earned it after meeting three deadlines in five days. But I need to find a reward that doesn’t involve sugar…I priced trips to Glasgow and Copenhagen over the weekend, thinking that might make a nice birthday gift. But right now there are lengthy quarantine requirements in place and I only want to visit for three or four days. It’s hard to make plans during a pandemic and we’re not out of it yet; Illinois is opening up vaccinations to folks with underlying conditions but I don’t think this Black, middle-aged asthmatic will be vaccinated until May or June. The rollout is happening but not as quickly as we’d like and the variants are ensuring that the virus continues to spread. I don’t mind keeping up with my quarantine precautions. I’ve been keeping my own company for so long that the thought of being around other people makes me anxious. I’ve lived off-peak for years, mind you, and doubt that will ever change; I went into the pandemic knowing how to avoid crowds and don’t miss attending concerts or sporting events. I’m heading into the city tomorrow for an appointment and might just wander around for a while. And the following week my in-person art class starts—I mostly feel excited about that. I’ve done better at building space into my schedule and want to add just one or two new things to my routine. My hot flashes have diminished thankfully but now mood swings are kicking in…some days it feels like I’m revisiting puberty, which was bad enough the first time around! At least now I’m able to be kinder to myself but there are also days when I simply avoid the mirror. I try not to say anything to myself that I wouldn’t say to my teenage nieces…and I’ve learned not to cut my hair when I’m feeling blue. If there’s anything this pandemic has taught us, it’s to be generous and compassionate toward others and ourselves. Not easy but always worthwhile.

all that glitters

I’ve always had a magpie eye. Anything sparkly or delicate would catch my eye and I would (mostly) resist the urge to squirrel the item away in my room. I did once steal a piece of glass that dangled from my friend’s lamp; if I held it up to the light, I could see a rainbow and at the age of seven, nothing seemed more magical than that. Now, as an adult, I have a lamp covered in tiny crystals and it brings me just as much joy. Yesterday was the memorial for my cousin and I wore the Swarovski crystal earrings she gave me. I haven’t attended very many funerals in person and wasn’t sure how it would work via Zoom, but the memorial service was lovely—a gentle flow of recorded and live testimonials with music Laura loved and countless photos of her throughout her life. There were prayers and poetry, tears but laughter, too. I signed off feeling a little blue and hastily wrote a rather miserable poem before jumping on another Zoom with my friend Stef. We talked about the technical side of death—do you have a will? who’s listed as the beneficiary on your accounts?—but we also talked about legacy and how we’d like to be remembered. We wrapped up ninety minutes later by answering these questions asked of artists by the New York Times:

Did you make anything that mattered?Who and what comforted you?Which moments will you remember?Which ideas would you like to forget?What would a do-over look like?And what’s still on your to-do list as “normal” comes into focus?”

I read another article last month that reported how authors were struggling to write during the pandemic. Fortunately, that hasn’t been a problem for me and I can’t imagine surviving the long months of quarantine without having a way to channel and/or avoid my emotions. My imagination is activated in moments of crisis and so I’ve had a productive pandemic. Memorable moments? The many birds I lured to my deck and window by putting out food. Moving to Evanston in August. Passing my citizenship test on Tuesday! My interviewer was kind and everyone at the processing center was helpful and pleasant—very different from my experience years ago at the crowded, chaotic center in Manhattan. The swearing-in ceremony is delayed due to the spacing requirements in the auditorium, but I get the feeling it won’t be long. Of course, I’m already looking at package vacations for the fall…maybe Copenhagen for my birthday and Lapland for Xmas so I can see the Northern Lights. So much as been put on hold for so long that everything suddenly feels urgent. I think I’ll be vaccinated by the summer and hopefully Europe will get its act together and open up safely for the fall.

Last week my arrived from Russia—a miniature circus stage and an even smaller theater. I don’t have a dollhouse, but I love tiny things and today I’m hoping to start my fairy story. It’s been on hold for weeks but on Friday I turned in my last poem for Moonwalking and that means I have two mostly open weeks without a single deadline looming over me. I signed up for a drawing and watercolor class at the local art center so for eight weeks starting in April I’ll have a chunk of time devoted to my own development as an artist. Every time I hear a COVID-related death announced on the news, I wait to hear the person’s age. Every life lost should be mourned but it’s particularly sad when someone dies young. I don’t want to feel as if I’ve squandered my potential by being too afraid to try new things. And I don’t want a few poems and stories to be my legacy. What else will I leave behind? Many moments in our lives aren’t photographed and will never be archived. So what will the record show? Does it matter? I’m reading a book called How to Do Nothing and it’s partly about how the “attention economy” has made us try to wring value out of every minute of our day…I don’t want to walk anywhere unless I’ve got my pedometer on and I’m getting “credit” for it through some app. But everything doesn’t have to be measured and monetized. Sometimes the doing of a thing is its own reward. Going to try to keep that in mind as I ease into these two less hectic weeks.

seeking “spaciousness”

A poet friend told me last month that she was carving out more room in her life for writing—“spaciousness” was the term she used and it immediately resonated with me. I know most people would look at my calendar and think I have plenty of time to myself; I started March with 8 gigs and now I’m up to 10, which is my limit. Really—I mean it. I’ve got two Zoom-free days this weekend and it’s such a delicious feeling to wake without any anxiety about what’s to come. This week I have a few gigs and my citizenship test on Tuesday, but the following week is wide open and just knowing that that’s ahead of me does something to my brain. I had some sad news at the start of this week; my cousin, who struggled with severe depression for decades, took her own life. Her death has made me more assertive this week. I reached out to a friend and said what I should have said when she first made her request for my involvement in a new art project: I can’t. Instead of losing myself in some drama on Netflix, I left the TV off and just wrote all week—two poems for Laura and a few new poems for the novel-in-progress that just will not end. After trying to be patient and diplomatic I finally met with my editor and then wrote down all the issues I think we need to resolve. Not sure that actually helped, but I felt better getting it off my chest. My professor once said that suicide was the ultimate act of self-determination. When a friend from college took her own life, I didn’t see it that way; I was angry at her family and all the people in her social circle who clearly didn’t give her the help she needed. But when a middle-aged adult makes a plan to end their life…it’s different somehow. Now I feel resigned if not accepting. I’ve never experienced that kind of hopelessness but I know my cousin tried every possible therapy. She tried, she fought, and she was so brave for such a long time. I’m just glad she’s not hurting anymore. I can’t travel due to the COVID restrictions so will find other ways to mourn by myself and with my family in Canada. I found some photos of happier days and polished the silver dragonfly earrings Laura gave me years ago. I’m not sure I’ve ever worn them but I definitely wear the dragonfly scarf she gifted me. Most importantly she gave me permission to cry. As awful as the past year has been, I hadn’t been able to really break down until the day after my cousin died. I was talking to her sister on Zoom and when it was time to end the call and say goodbye, I just lost it. I didn’t want to be present when my father passed away; it didn’t feel necessary since I had already said goodbye to him in my own way. I never had a chance to say goodbye to Laura, and I imagine that’s true for so many people who have lost a loved one to COVID. So her death has also made me more sympathetic and understanding of others’ pain, and I’m thankful for that.

Right now the apartment is quiet and full of late-day light. I have a couple more poems to write for this darn book and might have enough room this weekend to actually get them done. I feel so grateful for my life and I feel fortunate that I’ve been able to manage my own mental health with the support of others. My cousin told me that she found a cache of my books among Laura’s things—gifts she hadn’t gotten around to giving. I found out yesterday that Dragons in a Bag has been selected for the 2021 Global Read Aloud and I know Laura would have been happy for me. Let your loved ones know how you feel while you can. Life can be precarious so make the most of the moments you have.

buzz

PBS is the crutch that’s helping me limp along to the end of this month. Today I’m rewatching The Black Church with Skip Gates and I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Soul! I had nine presentations last week; I only had three this week but there were lots of meetings and deadlines to fill up my days. I’ve met two so there’s just one left. I’m hoping I can crank out four more poems this weekend. I took two lakefront walks with friends and that lifted my spirits because the sun’s been out almost every day and temperatures feel quite balmy. The birds seem to know that spring is coming and I feel optimistic overall. Things slow down in March and I’ve left myself more time to write in April and May. I spent more time than usual on social media this week because my books have gotten a bit of buzz lately. An episode of Drag Queen Story Hour, hosted by the fabulous Black Benatar, featured A PLACE INSIDE OF ME, read expertly by my librarian friend Satia Orange. You can watch that amazing episode here. We learned that that book and SAY HER NAME were selected for the Cooperative Children’s Book Center’s 2021 Choices List. SAY HER NAME is also a finalist for the 2021 Audies—an award for audiobooks—and it was named a “Best Bet” by the Ontario Library Association. You can tell it’s Black History Month because I’m getting a lot of attention north of the border: I was featured in this newsletter of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre and CBC Books interviewed me as well.

I had another ultrasound on Wednesday and the reassuring results were posted online this morning. It feels like I’m clearing out a closet that’s been too cluttered for too long. Once I make space, I’ll have room for…more clutter? No. My friend Purvi told me she’s been dreaming about spaciousness. I could use a little of that. But it doesn’t fall from the sky; you have to be deliberate about making room in your life for unknown quantities. I feel ready to switch off auto-pilot and try something new. Last week I delivered a keynote and found myself digging through old photographs, trying to trace the origins of my love of poetry. The next night I had to give a reading—my first time reading my own poetry for 45 minutes! I worried I wouldn’t have enough poems but wound up having too many, and instead of being embarrassed by some of the oldest ones, I felt a little bit proud. Today I would be too ashamed to submit those poems for publication but back then, I guess I was bolder, more open. I have another keynote coming up in April: “‘Sometimes the Axe Is the Cure’: Poetry as Balm and Blade in the Black Lives Matter Era.” I have a second reading that month as well—a chance to curate a new set of poems. And April is National Poetry Month so I’ll be writing a poem a day, generating new material. A friend asked me to record a short video for her upcoming virtual tea party—all the guests are being asked to wear a fancy hat and red lipstick. I have neither, of course, so ordered a cute little hat and just need to buy some lipstick. I’m already thinking about what I want to say and which of my mother’s fancy teacups I’ll use. It’s nice to have something to look forward to! I’d like to start planning a trip for my birthday but will it be safe to travel in October? Will I be vaccinated by then? Who knows. Maybe instead of going back to London I’ll try Copenhagen this time. My friend invited me to do a three-week meditation challenge about attracting abundance. There was too much emphasis on money but I liked the prompts that made me think about clutter—the emotional baggage we all carry that prevents our hands from grabbing hold of something new. It was nice to realize that some of the things that used to hurt a lot don’t bother me as much anymore. Our bodies can heal and so can our hearts. Time to grow…

Honoring Black History: ROOTS RUN DEEP

I only lived in Lancaster for a year but in that time I managed to connect with a few schools and community organizations. The pandemic limited what I could do in my last months in PA but when ROOTS RUN DEEP was finally ready, I sent a copy to Valerie Pritchett at ABC27. She featured me for the station’s 2020 Black History Month special and she’s kindly done it again for 2021. You can see the interview here.

It’s snowing—again!—but I made it to the post office and my new snow pants arrived just an hour ago. We’ve had a fairly mild winter so far so I can’t really complain about February’s subzero temps and nonstop snow. The winter blues often set in at this time of year but I’ve managed to keep them at bay with plenty of walks. All of these Zoom presentations are exhausting but I find that a walk outside helps me recover. I had an evening presentation at CalArts last week so couldn’t walk afterward; I settled for a few hours of silence. This coming week is winter break for many schools; I’ll be teaching a fantasy fiction micro class for Uptown Stories (if you want to register your child, just check the NYC resident box). I’ve also got a book club meeting and a poetry workshop at this library followed by an event on Saturday for the African American Read-In. On Friday I’ll deliver the keynote for this conference at West Chester University; my talk is titled “I Am Not a Poet: Mentors, Mantras, and the Door We Must Open” and the following night I’ll be giving a reading followed by an open mic. You can register for the conference here. Tomorrow I present for students in Japan so I’m making the most of this quiet, snowy afternoon. Just finished watching The Dig on Netflix—very soothing. It’s always good to think about what we’ve built in our lifetimes and what we’ll leave behind for others to uncover…

rest

I stopped napping over a year ago but my afternoon naps are making a comeback in 2021. My weeks feel so full and that’s partly my fault—I’m still saying “yes” to too many requests—but it’s also Black History Month, and I thought I’d have time to teach and give keynotes and visit schools virtually because my deadlines were LAST month. I met all three but, of course, that doesn’t mean I’m done; my editors circle back needing more poems, more revisions, more more. By the time I reach 3pm, I’m out of steam. If I curl up with a book to read for an hour, I invariably fall asleep after twenty minutes. I’m keeping up with my daily steps and the treadmill and my vitamins, yet I still feel bone tired some days. But this week, after all my Zooms, I took a moment to celebrate myself with High Tea at Home prepared by a local French cafe, Patisserie Coralie. I got a box for myself and a box for my nearby friend and we toasted each other over FaceTime. Not the same as a leisurely three-hour tea off a three-tier tray in a swanky hotel, but it was still nice. I’m very grateful for my friends! This week I’ve felt myself withdrawing, getting cranky each time I’m asked to do some small thing. I did my first IG Live event on Wednesday for World Read Aloud Day. I was nervous and wasn’t sure I could read a picture book using my phone but Gayatri (Desi Book Aunty) made everything easy and was so calm and affirming during our chat…when it was over, I immediately turned my phone’s camera back on and filmed another read aloud for a bookstore in CA. I’d been fussing about that but doing the first run with Gayatri made me feel more confident about doing the second book. Scratched that off my To Do list and then sat down for another online meeting with a pre-service teacher in TN. She asked such excellent questions about literacy and community-based publishing that I felt truly hopeful about the next generation of readers and writers. Yesterday I led a poetry workshop for middle grade students in Brooklyn participating in the Black Lives Matter at School Week, and this morning I did story time for the Hospital for Sick Kids in Toronto. I started this week by surprising a class of 3rd graders in Toronto who read and loved DRAGONS IN A BAG. Tomorrow I’m looking forward to a conversation about Black joy, which is part of the Capricorn SFF conference here in Chicago; everything is virtual so feel free to register and join us. I have nothing scheduled for Sunday and I’m not booking anything more for April or May. Folks keep asking what I’m working on and I *do* have several projects that are patiently waiting for my attention. But those stories will have to wait a while long because right now–it’s nap time! Enjoy your weekend.