Highlights from our conversation with NYTimes bestselling and award-winning author Claribel A. Ortega: The #1 way to connect to your audienceClaribel's tried and true mantra in publishingRisks and benefits of sharing your writing journey onlineWhy writing your interests into your stories is a smart betThe joys of trolling (not the kind you may be thinking) and why she loves receiving "hate mail" from readers The brilliant approach to making self-promo work for youWhy supporting the writing community is everything, and focusing on online conversation vs. discourseWays to cultivate in-person community What it's like drafting in Windings 3...   New York Times Bestselling and award-winning author, Claribel A. Ortega is a former reporter who writes middle-grade and young adult fantasy inspired by her Dominican heritage. When she's not busy turning her obsession with eighties pop culture, magic, and video games into books, she’s co-hosting her podcast Bad Author Book Club. Claribel is a Marvel contributor and has been featured on Buzzfeed, Bustle, Good Morning America and Deadline. Claribel’s NYT Bestselling debut middle grade novel Ghost Squad is being made into a feature film. Her latest book Witchlings (Scholastic) was an Instant NYT and #1 Indie Bestseller. Her graphic novel Frizzy with Rose Bousamra was winner of the 2023 Pura Belpré Award for Children's Text and an Indie Bestseller.    Instagram, X and Tiktok @Claribel_Ortega Twitch @radbunnie Website at claribelortega.com

Some highlights from our conversation with marketing guru Emily Lyman:   Reframing self-promotion as a celebration with your communityIndividuals understand their “brand”Good marketing IS storytellingWhy sharing your values, even if controversial, generates more loyal connections and communityEmpathetic marketing   Emily spent nearly a decade working in-house with global publishers such as Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster managing both corporate and title marketing initiatives. Emily is now the CEO and Founder of Branch and Bramble, a digital marketing company. As an award-winning data artist, Emily specializes in blending data with heart and values to create meaningful audience connections for brand partners which include Patagonia, Paramount, and Penguin Random House. She's worked with companies with household names to individual authors just trying to get their books out in the world. She also runs the Mountain Brook Inn in the Catskills in upstate New York.   Branch and Bramble Book influencer guide IG @emilylyman LinkedIn @Emily Lyman

Here are select highlights from our conversation with NYtimes bestselling, award-winning author Cynthia Leitich Smith:   Story as a circle, gathering, and communal effortFiguring out where your voice can best serve and where your heart beats with hopeBuilding on “and” instead of “vs”Inviting people into the conversation AND being a part of the conversationSocial media dynamics as both tricky and powerfulApproaches to book promotion that start locallyHow we can never surrender progress made by generations beforeOnly asking kids to take on battles we’re willing to engage in ourselves    Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee) is a NYTimes bestseller, 2024 Southern Mississippi Medallion Winner, and 2021 NSK Neustadt Laureate. Her titles include HEARTS UNBROKEN, which won an American Indian Youth Literature Award, the anthology ANCESTOR APPROVED, an Indigenous PETER PAN retelling titled SISTERS OF THE NEVERSEA, HARVEST HOUSE, which is one of five Bram Stoker Award® Nominees for Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel, and—the BLUE STARS series, also by Kekla Magoon and Molly Murakami. Cynthia looks forward to ON A WING AND A TEAR for middle graders. She is the author-curator of Heartdrum, a Native-focused imprint of HarperChildren’s.   Website: https://cynthialeitichsmith.com/ IG: @cynthialeitichsmith

Highlights from our conversation with football coach Tavita Pritchard:   Centering relationships over x’s and o’sHow who you are shows up on the tapeHow embracing his family history guides his coaching styleBelieving in your process instead of over-indexing on an individual resultConnections between coaching and the writing process   Pritchard played quarterback at Stanford University from 2006-09 and joined the coaching staff in 2010. He worked his way from a graduate assistant, to defensive assistant, to running backs coach, to wide receivers coach, to quarterbacks coach, and ultimately assumed the role of offensive coordinator from 2018-22. During Pritchard’s time at Stanford, the team won three Pac-12 titles and two Rose Bowl championships. Pritchard coached a range of remarkable future NFL players, including QB Kevin Hogan, a fifth-round draft pick of the Kansas City Chiefs, who led the team to the 2015 Pac-12 title and a Rose Bowl win. Pritchard is now in his second year as the Quarterbacks Coach for the NFL’s Washington Commanders. He lives with his wife Caroline Kusin Pritchard (oh, hey!!!) and four kids in Oakton, Virginia.

Highlights from our conversation with Andrea Davis Pinkney:   - Why riding the Coney Island cyclone is one of the earliest steps to polishing a manuscript - Relying on an inner circle that we trust with our unpolished work - Physically dIsmatling a piece and then stitching it back together - Making homemade audio book read alouds as part of the revision process - The "page one pact" and “hook, pull, hold" - How to push part deluding ourselves that we've done our best work - Deconstructing the greats to find inspiration   Andrea Davis Pinkney is the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of more than 50 books for children and adults.  Her numerous awards including multiple Coretta Scott King Book Awards, the Boston Globe—Horn Book Honor, and the Parenting Publications gold medal, among other citations. She is a four-time NAACP Image Award nominee, recipient of both the Regina Medal and the Arbuthnot Honor Awar for her singular body of work and distinguished contribution to the field of literature. She's been named one of the “The 25 Most Influential People in Our Children’s Lives” by Children’s Health magazine, is among The Network Journal’s “25 Most Influential Black Women in Business,” and is one the “50 Over 50 Extraordinary Women” and “Women Who Light up the Arts Scene” noted by Good Housekeeping and Woman’s Day magazines. Andrea lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband.

Highlights from this episode with Lil Miss Hot Mess include: Why nail polish is like writing a bookWriting for kids through the lens of performance artsWhy theater kids run the world Lil Miss Hot Mess is a drag queen, activist, and children’s book author, known for her work with the #MyNameIs campaign and Drag Queen Story Hour. She has appeared on Saturday Night Live as a backup dancer for Katy Perry with a group of drag and ballroom performers. She is also a university professor with a PhD from NYU. IG: @lilmisshotmess

Here are a few highlights from our conversation with Erin Entrada Kelly:   Building stories grounded in a single characterThe gift of writing in your head Why all roads lead back to one word: “organic”The power of writing in longhandWhy novels should be like a blanket, not a quiltFeeding your creative soul, and why it counts as writing timeEmotional tension vs. external tensionRemembering that characters are living, breathing people… not pieces on a chess boardSecrets hidden in her books… hint: Wuthering Heights fans and Trekkies will delight!   Erin Entrada Kelly is the award winning journalist turned NYTimes bestselling and award-winning author of a vast range of gorgeous children’s books. Among other honors, she won 2018 Newbery Medal for Hello, Universe, a 2021 Newbery Honor for We Dream of Space, 2017 APALA Award for The Land of Forgotten Girls, and the 2016 Golden Kite Honor Award for Blackbird Fly. Erin is also the author and illustrator of the beloved Marisol Rainey chapter books series. Erin lives in Delaware and teaches in the MFA programs at Hamline University and Rosemont College, and also teaches fiction with Gotham Writers Workshop.

Here are a few highlights from our conversation with Angel Barreto, one of the most creative and celebrated chefs in the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond:   Staying true to the traditional values of a dish while adding your own voiceHow working within constraints can bring out innovation and creativityHow his family history as sharecroppers influenced his passion for foodWhy being the first person of color to have a #1 restaurant in DC is both remarkable and dishearteningNavigating the tension of appreciation and appropriationWhy the best chefs know the history of the food they cook, even when it makes us uncomfortableThe one scene from TV show The Bear that may have hit too close to home…   Angel Barreto is the executive chef and partner of Anju, a contemporary Korean restaurant in D.C. that received three stars from the Washington Post. Barreto has had a culinary career that spans over a decade, with experience in both French and Korean cuisine from institutions like Vermilion, Wolfgang Puck’s The Source and more. Angel studied Korean food and history in Korea after winning a competition sponsored by the Korean embassy and was eventually recruited to Anju. Baretto was a finalist for the RAMMY Award for "Rising Culinary Star of the Year" in 2019 and was named one of Food and Wine's “Best New Chefs” in 2021. He was a James Beard Foundation Award semifinalist for "Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic" in both 2018 and 2019. He is also an advocate for mental health in the hospitality industry and works to eliminate the disparities and toxic work environments that often exist within the kitchen.

Highlights from this episode with Jerry Craft include:   Why building a story is like building a houseHow eavesdropping enriches characterization… and body odorEvolution of attending book conferences as a fan to becoming a headline authorTricks to building a series that continues to feel fresh and relevantResistance to writing stories with horrific events, especially while centering Black charactersExploring small, mesmerizing details that will crack open a kid’s world   Jerry Craft is the NYT bestselling author and illustrator of many books for kids including graphic novels New Kid and Class Act. New Kid was the first graphic novel to win the Newbery Medal, and the only book in history to win the Newbery, the Kirkus Prize, AND the Coretta Scott King Author Award. He has been a copywriter, a cartoonist and creator of the beloved comic strip, Mama's Boyz, and even an editorial director at Sports Illustrated. Jerry was born in Harlem and grew up in the Washington Heights section of New York City and now travels the world telling kids and their families about the importance of reading.

Highlights from this episode with Nic Stone include:   Nic’s famous mnemonic for the writing process, including a behind the scenes sneak peek to her third book in the Dear Martin seriesThe two questions to ask when working on a new storyThe experience of having FUN while writing and how each book is a form of self-explorationReading (rather than avoiding) comp titles during the drafting processLiving an emotionally honest life in order to achieve emotional resonance on the pageNeurodivergence as a gift and the power of centering mental healthThe power (and hilarity) of personifying emotionsPutting people from your real life in books… so you can murder them.   Nic Stone is the brilliant, prolific #1 NY Times-bestselling author of young adult fiction, including Dear Martin, Dear Justyce, Odd One Out, Jackpot, her latest Chaos Theory, and her co-authored book with Ibram X. Kendi: How to Be A (Young) Antiracist. Dear Martin was one of Time magazine’s 100 best YA books of all times and won the William C. Morris Award in 2018. The books sequel, Dear Justyce, was an NPR Best Book of the Year. Her middle grade books include, Clean Getaway, Easy Pitch, and Marvel’s Shuri series based on the breakout character from Black Panther.

Highlights from this episode with Frankie Quiñones include: Deriving inspiration from witnessing others people’s art and vulnerabilityHow laughter leads to the emotional centerDeveloping confidence to share painful traumas on stage and bring the audience along with himProcess of developing hilarious, detailed and heartfelt characters inspired by his familyTwo overshares that span opposite end of the spectrum, from mortification to celebration Frankie Quiñones is a stand up comedian, actor, and creator best known for his characters like Creeper, Juanita Carmelita, and countless others. His online videos have millions of views and will have you rolling on the ground laughing. Frankie stars in the new ABC Studios Hulu show "This Fool" and has made appearances on Comedy Central, HBO, TBS, Nickelodeon and more.   IG: @frankiequinones https://www.instagram.com/frankiequinones/

Highlights from this episode with Yuyi Morales include: The impact of environment on storytellingReframing what it means to write and workToggling between anguish and joy in the writing processCommunity as a necessary guide to storyHow the rampant dehumanization during a certain presidential candidacy impacted her decision to write her own immigration story... and invite others to tell their ownPower plants and finding the story within Yuyi Morales is the NYT bestselling, award-winning author and illustrator of beloved children's books, including Dreamers, Bright Star, Nino Wrestles the World, and so many more. She weaves artistic mediums with tenderness and heart, using everything from yarn to photography to ink drawings to animate her stories. Yuyi's groundbreaking work has received awards that include: the Jane Addams Book Award, the Christopher Award, and six prestigious Pura Belpre Medals. Yuyi was also the first Latina artist to ever receive the illustrious Caldecott honor in 2015 for Viva Frida.  IG: @yuyimorales

Highlights from this episode with Christina Soontornvat include: Crying on planes and the power of music to unlock storiesGiving ideas the time and space to gestate (like babies!)Feeling a way through story with intuitionThe tension between confidence, pressure, and a constant pull to make other people happy Christina Soontornvat is the beloved author of over a dozen books for children of all ages. Among countless other awards, Christina has received three Newbery Honors. The first two were both in 2021 for her middle grade fantasy A Wish in the Dark as well as her non-fiction account of the cave rescue of the Thai boys' soccer team, All Thirteen. She earned her third Newbery honor just this past year for her dazzling fantasy adventure The Last Mapmaker. She is also a former mechanical engineer and educator, and an all-around brilliant human and activist. IG: @csoontornvat

Highlights from this episode with award-winning actress Karla Souza, who you may recognize from her starring roles in hit shows How to Get Away with Murder, Home Economics, or film La Caida (Dive) include: Feeling visceral alarm bells of truth in the bodyCoping with the backlash of truth-telling; her #metoo realitiesFinding courage to continue telling the truth in the face of asymmetrical power systemsAn overshare that will have you spitting out your drink in laughter Karla Souza is an award-winning writer and actress with starring roles in How to Get Away with Murder, Home Economics, and Instructions Not Included, the highest grossing Spanish film to open in North America, and Nostros Los Nobles, one of the highest grossing Mexican films of all time! Her latest film, La Caida (Dive) is one of tthe msot watched movies on Amazon Prime and has been nominated for numerous Ariel Awards - the Mexican equivalent of the Oscars - including Best Picture and Best Actress.  IG: @karlasouza

Highlights from this episode with award-winning poet, speaker, actor, and equity and inclusion strategist, Carlos Andrés Gómez include: Being briefly broken and breaking through creative wallsUncovering truth through writingWrestling constantly with self-deception and truthLearning to get vulnerable Carlos Andrés Gómez is a Colombian American poet, speaker, actor, and equity and inclusion strategist from New York City. He is the author of Fractures, winner of the Felix Pollak Prize in Poetry, Hijito, winner of the Broken River Prize and a #1 SPD bestseller, and the memoir Man Up: Reimagining Modern Manhood, released by Penguin Random House. A star of HBO’s Def Poetry Jam, TV One’s Verses and Flow, and Spike Lee’s #1 box office movie Inside Man with Denzel Washington, Carlos’ honors include the Sandy Crimmins National Prize for Poetry, Atlanta Review International Poetry Prize, Foreword INDIES Gold Medal, and the International Book Award. A genre-transcending multi-hyphenate, he partnered with John Legend on Senior Orientation, a program to counteract bullying and champion inclusive masculinity among high school students.  IG: @carlosaglive Website: https://carloslive.com/

Highlights from this episode with acclaimed educator, consultant, author, and antibias antiracist facilitator Liz Kleinrock include: Distinguishing truth and fact, holding multiple truths, intersectionality, and nuanceRepresentation is the low-hanging fruit; moving toward affirmationThe consequences of speaking truth and holding on to our North Stars Liz Kleinrock is an author, educator, consultant and antibias antiracist facilitator. She received the Learning for Justice’s Award for Excellence in 2018, delivered a TED Talk called “Education Everywhere” that’s been watched by millions, and released her bestselling Start Here Start Now: A Guide to Antibias and Antiracist Work In Your School Community that informs practice in schools all across the country. Liz is a force for good and has her fingerprints absolutely everywhere, from her platform @teachandtransform, to working with companies and organizations like North Face, the Smithsonian Museum of African America History and Culture and Central Synagogue in NYC.  IG: @teachandtransform Website: https://www.teachandtransform.org/ Come and Join Us!: Liz's debut picture book! Eyes that Weave the Worlds Wonders: Liz and Joanna's book (out 1/23/24) What Jewish Looks Like: Liz and Caroline's book (out in 2024, stay tuned for link!)

Highlights from this episode with acclaimed author Maggie Tokuda-Hall include: Writing protagonists that are not role modelsThe magic of the 25k word count and refusing to string along dead writing and trashing draftsHer thoughts on determining what are *her* stories to tellWhy telling truth to kids matters and untangling what "age appropriate" meansMermaids, serial killers, and another perspective on The Giving TreeAn overshare that should empower us all to say NOPE! Maggie Tokuda-Hall is the author of many books, including Love in the Library, and her debut young adult novel The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea, which was named a Best Book of 2020 by NPR, Kirkus, School Library Journal and Book Page. Maggie is relentlessly bold in her writing and her truth-telling, and is an absolute force in the world of kid lit and beyond. IG and TikTok: @maggietokudahall Website: https://www.prettyokmaggie.com/ Discussion around the Scholastic censorship controversy

It’s just the two us of us on today’s new episode!!! We are reflecting on the question that guided the first three interviews of the season: What is Story? Here are some highlights:   🎙️A few beloved, and perhaps distinguishing, qualities of kidlit creators 🎙️Wondering as a precursor to liberation 🎙️Showing (vs. telling) a story’s relevance 🎙️The beauty and challenges of podcasting so far 🎙️More overshares…! 🎙️Introducing our NEXT guiding question, which kicks off next Tuesday, October 3rd   Anddddd.... Joanna’s latest book SAY MY NAME, illustrated by Kha Le, is out in the world TODAY! We hope you’ll snag your own copy at your local indie or library, leave a review and share online. Order your copy of SAY MY NAME!

Highlights from this episode with award-winning news anchor and founder of The Very Asian Foundation include: Going viral for being "very Asian"Relevance making a story AND stories making things relevantNavigating the tension of truth-telling in the news Michelle is a news anchor and reporter at KSDK, the NBC affiliate. Michelle’s reporting has been honored with a national Peabody Award, four national Murrows, and multiple regional Emmys– often for covering topics related to race or gender inequities. Her work has been on CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC, and The Washington Post. Michelle's went viral in her response to a racist voicemail, which became a global movement that became The Very Asian Foundation, which focuses on shining a light on all walks of Asian life through advocacy and celebration. IG: @michellelitv Website: https://www.michellelitv.com/ The Very Asian Foundation That viral video

A few (of the many!) highlights from this episode with New York Times bestselling, Newbery Medal and Pura Belpré Award-winner Donna Barba Higuera include: 🎙️ The value of wondering, and whether being a "wonderer" is inherent or learned 🎙️ Writing for ourselves and other members of the “nerd herd” (not critics) 🎙️ Integrating emotional facets of oral storytelling into the written form   Donna Barba Higuera has created some of the most beloved characters and stories across age groups in recent years, including her Newbery Award winning THE LAST CUENTISTA, LUPE WONG WON'T DANCE, EL CUCUY IS SCARED, TOO and THE YELLOW HANDKERCHIEF. Her highly anticipated ALEBRIJES releases on October 3rd.   IG: @donnabarbahiguera Website: www.dbhiguera.com