jitters & joy
I’m packing for Minnesota! It’s cooler out there so I’m looking forward to autumn weather after our hot and humid week here in Brooklyn. Books are taking up half the space in my suitcase, plus I’ll have a carry-on full of books for the school visits that have been scheduled for the next five days (I’m super grateful that my publisher offered to ship a box containing copies of Melena’s Jubilee). I always get anxious before I travel but that just prompts me to over-organize. I’ll stop at the copy shop this afternoon and then I can hopefully come home, relax, and write for a little while. It’s such an honor to be invited anywhere because indie authors are generally left out of the “official” kid lit loop. But it’s especially gratifying when your hosts go to so much trouble to build community around your visit; I’m not the only one doing what I do, and so I’m really looking forward to meeting other writers, activists, scholars, and students who are fighting to change the arts landscape in the Twin Cities. I’ll be in public schools most days (Lucy Laney Elementary School, Bancroft Elementary School, Gordon Parks High School, Vadnais Heights Elementary School, and Maplewood Middle School). Below are my public events; if you’re in or near the Twin Cities, I hope you’ll join us!
Inclusivity and Indie Authors: The Case for Community-Based Publishing
Hosted by the St. Catherine University Master of Library and Information Science Program and its American Library Association Student Chapter, Progressive Librarians Guild, and Student Governance Organization & Dr. Sarah Park Dahlen (pictured above)
Tuesday September 13 @ 7:00 pm
St. Catherine University – Mendel 106
2004 Randolph Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55105
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1576818495957311/
Flyer: ZettaElliott-StKatesMLISProgram-Flyer
Inclusivity and Indie Authors: The Case for Community-Based Publishing
(This is “Everyone Has a Story to Tell”–a writing workshop, not the same as the talk above)
Hosted by Ancestry Books & the Center for Earth, Energy, and Democracy
Friday, September 16 @ 10:00 am
Lucy Laney Elementary
3333 Penn Ave N
Minneapolis, MN 55412
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Facebook (please RSVP): https://www.facebook.com/events/187857264966279/
Zetta Elliott Reading & Panel Discussion on Elevating Absent Narratives
Panelists include R. Vincent Moniz Jr., Shalini Gupta, Andrea Jenkins, Sarah Park Dahlen, and Junauda Alma. With moderator Chaun Webster.
Saturday, September 17 @ 7:00 pm
The Loft Literary Center
1011 S Washington Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55415
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/312269269124828/
