Franklin Park

I just finished Essay #3 and wanted to share a passage that applies to Penina Roth, founder of the Franklin Park Reading Series. I’m one of six readers included in Monday’s lineup, which has a spooky Halloween vibe. The essay I just finished is about my week in Minnesota and I tried to include all the wonderful people and organizations whose sponsorship made my visit possible. Yesterday I received two invitations to present for kids and college students here in NYC—I’m not sure people know how much I appreciate these opportunities to connect with young readers AND earn a living. It’s sort of miraculous that I’ve managed to keep my head above water for the past two years, and it’s because of open-minded folks who are willing to break with convention and give an indie author like me a chance:

I’m grateful for every invitation I receive as an indie author because I recognize the risk a professor, librarian, or educator takes when they open the door to someone deemed by many to be ‘not quite legitimate,’ ‘unaffiliated,’ and/or ‘too provocative.’ The invitations I do receive invariably come from people who share both my commitment to social justice and my love for children from underserved communities who are also underrepresented in children’s literature.

If you’re in NYC, I hope we’ll see you at Franklin Park on Monday night!