Mike Jung's Blog, page 23
May 26, 2014
Memorial Day
I haven’t served in the military and I’m not from a military family, so the true meaning of Memorial Day is not one I’ve had to experience on a deep emotional level. I don’t know that this is good or bad; I suspect it just is what it is given that we all have our unique paths through the world, although I’m not opposed to the idea of facing less tragedy in life rather than more. I also don’t believe this particular void in my own life experience bars me fro...
May 16, 2014
A Word to the Naysayers
I’ve been engaged in a Facebook conversation with an opponent of the #WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign. It’s been more civil than not, although this person has insisted on using some insulting language about the thousands of people who’ve publicly supported the campaign, calling us all “whiners” and whatnot. This person also said that in their opinion, nobody actually deserves to have the things we’re advocating for.
Think about that. This person believes the 50%...
May 15, 2014
On 'The John Green Effect,' Contemporary Realism, and Form as a Political Act
Right now, children’s literature is seeing an intense flare-up in the ongoing conversation about the diversity crisis in children’s books. While this conversation has been going on for decades, now social media has given the people having it megaphones, and they are using them to brilliant ends….
May 14, 2014
phiasmir:
rebeccacohenart:
So sick of people who pretend their...
So sick of people who pretend their problem is with the word “feminism” rather than the concept of gender equality.
FUKIN REKT
May 13, 2014
A Market-Driven Solution to the Need for Diverse Books - First Book Blog
Last week, hundreds of thousands of parents, educators and readers of all ages issued a call for more diversity in children’s literature, rallying under the banner of #WeNeedDiverseBooks. The campaign spread quickly from Twitter to media outlets around the world as people shared powerful stories about the need for all children to see themselves in …
The#WeNeedDiverseBooksteam is immensely proud to support the 2014 ini...
May 8, 2014
The WeNeedDiverseBooks Campaign Team!
Meet our Team Members!
Aisha Saeed is a YA author. Her upcoming debut WRITTEN IN THE STARS will be released in 2015 by Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books. She is represented by Taylor Martindale at Full Circle Literary Agency. She is also a contributing author in the New York…
ReedPOP Adds BookCon Panel on Diverse Books
The #WNDB team is thrilled to announce that it has been invited to present a panel at BookCon.
In response to the controversy that erupted last month over the lack of diversity in its schedule, BookCon has added a panel titled The World Agrees: #WeNeedDiverseBooks to its programming lineup.
Mad props to Ellen Oh & Aisha Saeed, who brokered the deal.
AWKWARD HIGH FIVES FOR EVERYONE!
Official #WNDB Press Release Re: BookCon
#WeNeedDiverseBooks Campaign Announces BookCon Diversity Panel
NEW YORK, NY - The #WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign took the Internet by storm with more than 160 million impressions in a week’s time, but soon its reach will spread even further—into the conference halls of BookCon on May 31, 2014 in…
The WeNeedDiverseBooks Campaign Team!
Meet our Team Members!
Aisha Saeed is a YA author. Her upcoming debut WRITTEN IN THE STARS will be released in 2015 by Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books. She is represented by Taylor Martindale at Full Circle Literary Agency. She is also a contributing author in the New York Times…
Yes, I am one of the #WeNeedDiverseBooks team members, and proud of it.
May 5, 2014
The stories we tell
Whenever I hear about some new study reaffirming that literature creates empathy I can’t help but roll my eyes.
I know way too many well-read jerks to believe that.
But maybe it isn’t so much about how well-read they are, but what they are reading? The stories we tell and the stories we hear are…
