Zetta Elliott's Blog, page 80

at last!

our first starred review for Ship of Souls!

Ship of Souls got its first *starred* review! Here's what the reviewer for Booklist had to say:

Eleven-year-old Dmitri, aka "D," doesn't fit in anywhere. After his single mother died three months ago,

he was taken in by an elderly white foster mom who also cares for a crack-addicted infant. At school, D's

the smartest kid around, yet worries constantly that he's not "black enough." So it's an oddball twist of

fate the afternoon he finds himself birdwatching with pierced military brat Nyla and basketball star,

Hakeem. A bond of friendship is solidified when D confides in them a secret: he has found a one-of-a-kind

"bird," though it's really not a bird—it's a being named Nuru that has asked D to help her rescue the souls

of dead soldiers located at Manhattan's African Burial Ground. Urban fantasies are nothing rare, but few

mesh gritty realism with poetic mysticism so convincingly. By turns sad, joyful, frightening, funny, and

inspirational, Elliott's second novel is a marvel of tone and setting, creating a universe where angry

corpses and rock-monsters are every bit as expected as dirty subways and bag ladies. Issues of war,

poverty, racism, Islam, and 9/11 do not bog down the telling but instead enrich it. Different readers will

take away different messages, all of them powerful—quite an accomplishment for so few pages.

— Daniel Kraus

To my knowledge, there weren't any dead soldiers buried in the African Burial Ground, but other than that, I'm *thrilled* with this review. Found out today that Kirkus passed because they didn't have enough lead time…but hopefully more great reviews are yet to come.

the proper channels

I don't want to talk about the situation in Arizona—the white woman governor poking her finger in the president's face, the need for brown-skinned immigrants like me to carry ID at all times, and now the banning of books that do nothing more than tell the TRUTH. I wrote about the dismantling of the Mexican American Studies Program in a post I've submitted to a Canadian government blog—if it gets published this week, I'll let you know. I wrote about Wednesday's "Teach-in" in emails to my colleagues at work. I plan to talk about it when classes start tomorrow because I doubt my students are aware of the pressure across the country to do away with Ethnic Studies in schools AND universities. But I'm sorry to say that right now I don't want to blog about it here. I'll just point you to Edi's fabulous list of links, which includes the important work Debbie Reese is doing over at AICL. I've asked my college to order a copy of Precious Knowledge and will screen it this semester as part of our Ethnic Studies Film Series. It's not enough, but it's a start. Because we all have a choice at moments like these: do something, or do nothing.

 

rewarding excellence

The Youth Media awards were announced yesterday at the midwinter ALA convention. You can find a recap of all the winners and honorees at the ALA site. The Coretta Scott King Award recipients are listed below. I'm eager to see Kyra Hicks' analysis of the CSKs—each year she points to trends that force us to ask just what the award does to promote excellence in African American children's literature. If the same people win the award year after year, are we really making progress? If the pool of black-authored books isn't expanding, do we really know what excellence looks like? And are the CSKs making a difference? I'm still working on my analysis of black Canadian authors and it's clear that since 2000, despite some black authors winning major literary prizes, only TWO debut authors entered the publishing arena. This would seem to disprove the theory that recognizing excellence leads to greater opportunities for all writers of color…

  

Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults:

Kadir Nelson, author and illustrator of "Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans," is the King Author Book winner. The book is published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Two King Author Honor Book recipients were selected: Eloise Greenfield, author of "The Great Migration: Journey to the North," illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist and published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; and Patricia C. McKissack, author of "Never Forgotten," illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon and published by Schwartz & Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award:

Shane W. Evans, illustrator and author of "Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom," is the King Illustrator Book winner. The book is a Neal Porter Book, published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership.

One King Illustrator Honor Book recipient was selected: Kadir Nelson, illustrator and author of "Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans," published by Balzar + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement:

Ashley Bryan is the winner of the Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime achievement. The award, which pays tribute to the quality and magnitude of beloved children's author Virginia Hamilton.

Storyteller, artist, author, poet and musician, Bryan created his first children's book in first grade. He grew up in the Bronx and in 1962, he became the first African American to both write and illustrate a children's book. After a successful teaching career, Bryan left academia to pursue creation of his own artwork. He has since garnered numerous awards for his significant and lasting literary contribution of poetry, spirituals and story.

African Canadian Novelists

There's nothing like submitting to present at a conference and learning that your paper (a vague idea in the back of your mind) is due TWO MONTHS before the conference takes place. This month was supposed to be dedicated to working on The Deep, but instead I've spent much of my time on the BPP site, a faculty grant application, and now this conference paper. Next up is the academic book proposal—the book I no longer think I want to write because I've got at least THREE novels that keep getting pushed back by all this other "stuff." At any rate, I know some Canadians read this blog so please take a look at my list and let me know if I've missed anyone. Does anyone know if Tessa McWatt identifies as black? Not sure what to do about Dany Laferriere; it seems only some of his books are translated from French into English—have I left out lots of black Canadian authors who write in French? I've excluded short story collections, though I listed them just for your information. I also found (but did not include) two black women authors, Sophia Shaw and Kayla Perrin, who are based in Canada but seem to publish exclusively with US romance publishers.

African Canadian Novelists (2000-2011)

 Any Known Blood by Lawrence Hill (HarperCollins 2001)
The Heart Does Not Bend by Makeda Silvera (Random House Canada 2002)
The Polished Hoe by Austin Clarke (Thomas Allen 2002)
George & Rue by George Elliott Clarke (HarperCollins 2004)
The Second Life of Samuel Tyne by Esi Edugyan (Knopf Canada 2004)
This Body by Tessa McWatt (HarperCollins 2004)
Venus Hum by Suzette Mayr (Arsenal 2005)
What We All Long For by Dionne Brand (Knopf Canada 2005)
The Unfortunate Marriage of Azeb Yitades by Nega Mezlekia (Penguin Canada 2006)
Vers le sud by Dany Laferriere (Boréal 2006)
The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill (HarperCollins 2007)
Soucouyant by David Chariandy (Arsenal 2007)
Asylum by Andre Alexis (McClelland & Stewart 2008)
More by Austin Clarke (Thomas Allen 2008)
Heading South by Dany Laferriere (Douglas & McIntyre 2009)
I Am a Japanese Writer by Dany Laferriere (Douglas & McIntyre 2010)
Step Closer by Tessa McWatt (HarperCollins 2009)
Writing Personals by Lolette Kuby (Esplanade Books 2010)
Vital Signs by Tessa McWatt (Random House Canada 2011)
Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan (Thomas Allen 2011)
Monoceros by Suzette Mayr (Coach House Books, 2011)
The Return by Dany Laferriere (Douglas & McIntyre 2011)

I was quite surprised to reach 20 titles, and I now know that I've got some catching up to do in terms of my reading. You may have heard that McClelland & Stewart was recently acquired by Random House. If my list is correct, M&S has only published one black Canadian author in the 21st century, so I won't be shedding too many tears for them…

Short Story Collections:

 Ladies of the Night by Althea Prince (Insomniac 2005)
Pink Icing by Pamela Mordecai (Insomniac 2006)
Out of Cleveland by Lolette Kuby (Esplanade Books 2007)

say you will…

…take the Birthday Party Pledge! Today is our official launch day. If you haven't already visited the BPP site, please stop by and take the pledge. If you're a book blogger, grab the code and add our button to your site. If you know others who could benefit from the many lists on our site, spread the word! Our team has compiled book lists with dozens of multicultural titles in all genres: poetry, historical fiction, books boys love, graphic novels, speculative fiction, books girls love, chapter books, LGBTQ, picture books, sports books, and non-fiction.

About Us:

The Birthday Party Pledge emerged from an ongoing conversation between authors, educators, librarians, and book bloggers. We wanted to promote children's books by authors of color, and we wanted to encourage the building of home libraries in low-income communities. According to the Cooperative Children's Book Center, less than 5% of all books published annually for children in the US are written by people of color. Many publishers insist that they can't find more writers of color and/or claim that the market doesn't exist for books about children of color. Yet conducted by the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation revealed that many adults want to purchase multicultural books and are simply unable to find them:

Nearly eight in ten (78%) U.S. adults believe that it is important for children to be exposed to picture books that feature main characters of various ethnicities or races—but one-third (33%) report that it is difficult to find such books, according to a recent survey that was commissioned by The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the love of reading and learning in all children.

Some parents simply can't afford to buy books, and we encourage all families to draw on the resources available at their local public library. In other cases, buying books for children is a matter of shifting priorities and redirecting resources. Compared to video games and other toys, books are relatively inexpensive (and can often be purchased "like new" from online resellers). Buying books locally puts money back into your community, and we encourage you to support those independent bookstores that carry multicultural books.

The BPP has two goals:

1. To encourage childhood literacy in order to promote a lifelong love of books.

2. To assist adults in providing children with books that truly reflect the diverse society in which we live.

Take the pledge today!

why I love my English teacher

She taught me more than twenty years ago but she still cares about my development as a writer and praise from her still gives me a thrill:

Hello, Zetta,

The book which arrived today is beautifully written, even for a reader who is not into fantasy.  You have excellent control over the prose, the plotline, the characters, the dialogue, and the READER! Although you said not to edit — and I didn't — it seemed to me that your ability to create realistic tension, crisis, and relationships was very mature. Thank you for sending me the proof copy.  I really enjoyed all the special effects, the interesting characters, and the magical bird. Please keep in touch and let me know how things go as this book goes into print.

on a dime

I'm not a spontaneous person. In fact, I have anxiety issues, which means I try plan as much of my life as possible. I walk with an umbrella in case it rains. I have a mini pharmacy in my purse to deal with any health emergency. When I travel, I use Hop Stop to plan my trip. I also live off-peak as much as possible—I avoid rush hour on weekdays and avoid the trains altogether on weekends because that's when track work takes place. Well, yesterday I was uncharacteristically late (thirty minutes late!) for a wonderful Homecoming event up in Harlem. Hop Stop said to take the C train, but that runs local and I wasn't going to take a local train from one end of the city to the other. So I went to the station only to learn that the Q wasn't running. So I waited on the packed platform for the shuttle train to arrive; did some mental calculations and decided to take the 4 since it runs express. Except when I got to the next station, the 4 train was running local. So I took the 2, which runs local in Brooklyn but goes express in Manhattan. Except this 2 got to Manhattan and ran local. So I switched to the A at 42nd and finally got to 145th—late. On the way home, I took the A express again, then switched to the local C train in Brooklyn–and it ran express. Sigh. If I hadn't just spent three hours with some remarkable young women, I might have gone off on somebody. Or I have might have gone for a big slice of cake. But the positive energy of the homecoming event (and closing cupcakes) kept me calm and instead I came home to reflect on all I'd learned. Cidra M. Sebastien, Associate Director of The Brotherhood/Sister Sol, wrote a great summary on Facebook last night:

So what happens when a world-traveling private chef, author-professor, DJ-filmmaker, actress-playwright, physician-activist, young mothers' advocate, and a professor-author-music connoisseur are in the same room sharing their life stories?

The practical and the fantastical.

Here are selected gems the circle of women shared…

* The distance between where you are and where you want to go is shorter than the distance between where you started and where you are.

* Birds remind me to look up…Keep your feet on the ground and look up.

* You might try and fail but success is about endurance.

* Fear will paralyze you. Don't make decisions based on fear.

* Never fail to stand up for what you believe in.

* Daydream.

* Usually the most difficult thing you choose to do is the right thing to do. And will bring rewards.

I'm sure you can guess which piece of advice came from me. When I learned that invited guests would be asked to give a 2-3 minute speech on the theme "Building Your Wings," I naturally sat down at my computer and wrote a speech about birds. But as I sat in the circle and listened to the other guests sharing their advice, I realized that I wasn't meant to deliver a formal speech. So I had to improvise. I *suck* at improvising. I tried to remember part of what I'd written and then I realized I was rambling so I just stopped talking and resolved to be better prepared next time. But maybe what I really need is to let go of the need to be prepared all the time. I want to be better at thinking on my feet, which is hard because I'm accustomed to sitting at this laptop with the ability to cut and paste. I spent the afternoon sharing my college experiences and listening to the young women in Sister Sol—they were so honest and earnest. And bright! They reminded me of my students and I wondered how many young women have a support group to help them get through life? We all need mentors, we all need a space to ask questions and search for answers. I learned a lot from the other guests as well—that first point is especially important, I think. It's easy to get caught up in all the things you *want* to achieve, but don't forget to draw strength from the distance you've already traveled. Take time to acknowledge the progress you've made in life. My anxiety issues are better than they once were, and I can practice spontaneity while still being moderately prepared. The advice I needed to hear as a teen? You don't have to be perfect. And forgive yourself when you fail.

hail the Dean!

In case you haven't yet heard, Walter Dean Myers has been named the next National Ambassador for Young People's Literature! He has given an interview over at School Library Journal:

What's your platform for the next two years?

"Reading is not an Option!" is my platform. The value of reading has escalated in my lifetime. As a young man, I saw families prosper without reading because there were always sufficient opportunities for willing workers who could follow simple instructions. This is no longer the case. Children who don't read are, in the main, destined for lesser lives. I feel a deep sense of responsibility to change this.

The Birthday Party Pledge team couldn't agree more! We're almost ready to launch our site…

into the deep

Happy New Year! I rang in 2012 by writing, which is—for me—the most auspicious way to start the year. I was actually annoyed by the thunderous fireworks in the nearby park and had to remind myself that not everyone craves silence on new year's eve. How was I keeping watch? Coldplay was performing live on PBS; I had watched Afro-punk earlier in the evening. I finally set the computer on my lap and got down to business: Nyla's story is tentatively called The Deep; like Ship of Souls it will have fifteen chapters and about 30K words. Right now I've got nearly 6K words written; I've mapped out the chapters, named my cast of characters…I'm on my way!

Finally, I wrote these words back when I used to make my own Xmas cards; last year I posted them on my blog and that post has been getting a lot of hits as of late so I thought I'd repost this wish today:

May you have

a resilient spirit,

and a compassionate heart,

the desire to heal,

and the will to forgive.

May you never exhaust

your capacity for kindness.

May you always find peace

in your home and in your mind.

May your eyes be awake

to the beauty all around you.

May your ears be tuned

to the hush of falling snow.

May your arms always be ready

to embrace those needing comfort,

and may even the simplest blessings

fill your heart with gratitude.

I wish you joy, health, and prosperity—

for this season, and for the new year.

~ ZE