“As a woman of Afro-Puerto Rican descent, representing a diverse world isn’t a trend for me—it’s my greatest joy.” Lily Anderson As I began my research (scouring the internet) in search of information about Lily, one of the first articles to pop up said she was in a car accident. What the what? I immediately [ Read the full article… ]
28 Days
Day 25: Kelly J. Baptist
An avid reader and writer, Kelly J. Baptist got her break when her short story, “The Beans and Rice Chronicles of Isaiah Dunn,” won We Need Diverse Book’s short story contest. It was published in the award-winning anthology, Flying Lessons and Other Stories. She was just getting started. Kelly adapted that story, continued and expanded [ Read the full article… ]
Day 24: Darnell Johnson
A native of Miami, Florida, Darnell Johnson discovered his love for art while watching Saturday morning cartoons as a kid. Later, he spent time designing his own characters and making comics. In high school, Darnell knew he wanted to pursue a career in art. Darnell pulls inspiration from his faith, family, friends and life to [ Read the full article… ]
Day 23: Eden Royce
Day 22: Alex Wheatle
For the past few years, I’ve been raving about the Crongton Knights series — so funny, heartbreaking, relatable, and real. Alex Wheatle writes from the soul, and it shows. In awarding Wheatle the 2016 Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, SF Said noted that “Wheatle’s writing is poetic, rhythmic and unique, remaking the English language with tremendous [ Read the full article… ]
Day 21: April Harrison
Today, we celebrate the work and career of illustrator and fine artist April Harrison. In 2019, Harrison took a leap of faith, away from a twenty-five year career in the insurance business, to pursue a full-time career in art. Her focus became children’s book illustration. Her first illustrated book, “What Is Given From The Heart,” [ Read the full article… ]
Day 20: Alice Childress
When I’m writing, characters seem to come alive; they move my pen to action, pushing, pulling, shoving, and intruding. I visualize each scene as if it were part of a living play . . . . I am pleased when readers say that my novels feel like plays, because it means they are very [ Read the full article… ]