A little bird (maybe a Ruby-crowned Kinglet?) told us that today is the birthday of Notable19 author Teresa Robeson, the subject of this blog post! It also happens to be the book birthday of Notable19 member Jessica Lanan…THE FISHERMAN AND THE WHALE is one beautiful baby! Maybe Teresa was a beautiful baby, too?
 
Teresa: Not as beautiful as Jess’s book, I'm sure. You be the judge…

​Notable19: Let’s say you and Jessica’s book are beautiful in different ways. LOL! You’re smiling like you’re amused by something in the photo.
 
Teresa: I might have been watching TV. I’m somewhat embarrassed to say I watched a lot of TV growing up.
 
Notable 19: Really? What was your favorite TV show as a kid?
 
Teresa: I don’t know that I had a favorite show. In Hong Kong, I loved a couple of series imported from Japan. One involved a moon-fairy who was banished to Earth to do a certain number of good deeds before she would be allowed back to the moon. Another was about a competitive swimmer who could execute a kick at the turn that launched her out of the water so she could reach the finish faster than her competitors. The third show I adored was Star Trek. It was syndicated in Hong Kong in 1968 and I just loved Spock with all the passion of a 4 year old. I think it was the ears…or maybe the bowl haircut that most kids endured at one time or another. Heh.

Teresa: After we moved to Vancouver, my favorite shows were Six Million Dollar Man, Twilight Zone, Bionic Woman, and Wonder Woman. As you can tell, I have always been drawn to science fiction and fantasy.
 
Notable19: It’s surprising that your first book wasn’t SFF.
 
Teresa: Well, I have SFF stories in the anthologies published by the Minnows Literary Group. All the money earned from the anthologies is donated to Doctors Without Borders.

​Notable19: That is a terrific charity to support! Let’s stick with your childhood for another question. What is a moment in your youth that is crystal clear in your mind?
 
Teresa: Hmmm, shall I talk about a traumatic moment or non-traumatic? I’ll go with the latter. I will never forget watching the stray alley cat that adopted us give birth inside a blanket-lined box that we used to put out for her. Newborn kitties are just the cutest things…the mother cat eating the placenta, not so much.
 
Notable19: Ah, the miracle of birth! Did that make you want to be a veterinarian? And, relatedly, what’s the weirdest job you ever had?
 
Teresa: That didn’t make me want to become a vet; it did, however, make me want to become a crazy cat lady. Funny enough, the weirdest job I had was almost vet-like. I had to perform gonadectomies on rodents in hormones studies for a biopsychology professor. I made some good friends in that job though, including the admin assistant of the psyc department who gave me a well-paying summer job the next year that helped me save up enough to take a one-month vacation in Europe after college graduation!
 
Notable19: That was serendipitous. And speaking of vacations, if you could travel anywhere now, where would you go?
 
Teresa: If there choices were not confined to Earth, I would love to travel to Titan, the largest moon of Saturn. If confined to Earth, it would be a toss-up between the Galapagos or back to Hong Kong, especially for Chinese New Year.

Notable19: Those are very disparate choices. Sounds like Chinese New Year is a special holiday for you, but if you could invent a holiday what would it be?
 
Teresa: If I were the Queen of the 'Verse (Firefly reference for those of you not in the know), I would create a “Sleep For 24-Hours” holiday where you can catch up on REM and deep sleep without the guilt. Seems like most people are sleep-deprived these days and it would really be a perfect holiday. Family gatherings, setting off fireworks, and picnics are overrated.
 
Notable19s: You may be on to something there. We hope you can run the universe one day so we can all catch up on our sleep. Thank you for sharing your quirky experiences and thoughts with us!

Teresa says that if you're not scared off by her odd jobs and odder sense of humor, you can follow her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Pre-order her book on our Book page or at your favorite local independent bookstore.

Here’s the start of something wonderful: our interview of Notable19 member Stephanie Lucianovic, the author of THE END OF SOMETHING WONDERFUL!
 
Notable19: Let’s open with a question as oddly fun as your book, Stephanie. If you were a new color in the crayon box, what color would you be?
 
Stephanie: Oh, man — I honestly don’t think I can come up with a new color unless it was something like Anxious Amber, Impatient Indigo, or Worried Wisteria. Okay, but I will say, this, though — if I was an old color in the crayon box I’d be ochre. Not because of the color itself — which I believe is kind of a brownish gold? — but because when I was a kid I did not know how to pronounce it. I thought it was “o-chur” or “o-kree.”
 
Then, years later, when I learned how it was actually pronounced, I remember being so gobsmacked by how mysterious words could be and how crazy it was that your original perception could be so entirely different from the reality under all the layers.  Now as a writer, whose lifelong love of words might have started with my mispronunciation of that crayon color, I know that digging for the layered truth is how you get and tell the best stories.
 
Notable19: It is fascinating how our perception of things and people can be so off-base…like we tend to think established authors have it all together and are fonts of wisdom when many are trying to find their way, too, like the rest of us newbies. Speaking of other writers, if you could swap places with another author for one day, who would it be and why?
           
Stephanie: Ame Dyckman, hand’s down. She has the wackiest, funniest, most engaging flights of fancy on Twitter, all of which clearly show how her brain works when she writes her books. I yearn to be that funny and free with a brain open wide to whatever kookiness creeps in and no slamming doors of negative self-editing.

​Notable19: Ame is truly one of the funniest people in writer-land! She makes even the most stoic people laugh. And we all love a good laugh. Sometimes, though, we love a good cry, too. What is the first book that made you cry?
 
Stephanie: Okay, this is a great question because I loved to cry over books as a kid. Like, I truly reveled in that emotional release, and I think the first book that gave it to me was Beverly Cleary’s SOCKS. I vividly remember getting the book from Griffen Bay Bookstore in Friday Harbor, WA where my grandparents lived and reading it on our vacation. I was a huge cat lover as a kid (still am) and being away from home meant worrying and missing our cats at home in Minneapolis every single day. When I read SOCKS I could not get over how awful I thought the family was to their beloved kitty when a new baby came along. I just sobbed over their “cruel” treatment of him and I knew that if SOCKS had been my cat I would NEVER treat him like that.
 
The funny thing is, I reread that book a lot as a kid but I have not been able to bring myself to reread it as an adult. Ever since I had my own kids, I cry a lot more easily and I’m too chicken to relieve the trauma.

Notable19: It must be just as hard to write a sad book as it is to read one. But what is hardest for you about writing in general? And the easiest?
 
Stephanie:
Hardest: waiting for something to happen when my writing is out there in the world.
Easiest: procrastination. Just in the time it took for me to complete this interview, I have cleaned my entire house, gone onto Twitter and had 1,821 fights and 503 random musings, eaten several meals, and an invented a fish language that includes a plethora of diphthongs and monophthongs.
 
Notable19: LOL! Ame Dyckman might have competition in the funny author category. Finally, one last question before you get back to your fights on Twitter: where is your favorite place to write?
           
Stephanie: I mean, it’s my only place to write, but: my bed. I live with my family of two kids, one husband, and two cats in the Bay Area and we rent. We don’t have enough rooms for me to have an office, and I certainly don’t have a covetable writer’s shed filled with books, tasseled pillows, steaming cups of tea, and hand-sharpened pencils out back. So my office, my writer’s space, is my bed.
 
It’s where I sat crosslegged and wrote 70,000 words for my first (non-kids) book, Suffering Succotash: A Picky Eater’s Quest to Understand Why We Hate the Foods We Hate (Tarcher Perigee, 2012) and it’s where I have written all my picture books, including The End of Something Wonderful (Sterling Children’s, 2019) and Hello, Star (Little Brown, 2021).
 
To be quite honest, even if we hit the lottery and bought a house with an office for me and a bespoke shed set out in some woodsy back acreage, I’d probably still be writing on my bed. Just like I did when I was a kid.
 
Notable19: That sounds very cozy, really. Who needs a fancy desk and office when you can have a comfy bed to write in? It was delightful learning more about you, Stephanie, and we look forward to reading both of your upcoming books!
 
To see where you can preorder THE END OF SOMETHING WONDERFUL, please visit our Books page. Also be sure to follow Stephanie on Twitter where you can watch her verbal-boxing matches!

We’re not afraid to say how absolutely delighted we are to feature Brooke Boynton-Hughes today! BRAVE MOLLY is her debut book as both author and illustrator, and that is pretty…brave, don’t you think? ;)
 
So, the $64,000 question, Brooke: where did the idea for BRAVE MOLLY come from?
 
Brooke: The seed of the idea for BRAVE MOLLY came to me while I was attending the SCBWI Summer Conference in Los Angeles. SCBWI conferences are full of inspiration, learning, and friendship, but they can also be overwhelming and tend to exacerbate my social anxiety.
 
While taking notes in my sketchbook (which for me consists mostly of doodling) during the 2013 conference, I drew a girl walking along, looking a bit discouraged, which was really just a visual marker of how I felt at the time. I imagined that the girl was being followed by a monster who was the embodiment of her feelings about herself and I wondered what happened next.
 
After five years, LOTS of different drafts, several rejections, and many revisions, BRAVE MOLLY grew from a doodle born of frustration into a 48-page picture book about bravery.

Notable19: Love how the book was born of sketches you did at the conference! When not at a posh hotel in L.A., where do you like to write and draw?
 
Brooke: Where I work depends on where I am in the process of creating a story. If I’m working on final illustrations or polishing a final draft I work in my studio (which is a smallish, coldish room in the basement of my house). If I’m at the very beginning stages of working out a story idea, which usually involves lots of scribbling of notes and quick, loose sketches, I like to work at a coffee shop. I guess getting out of my house gives my brain more room to feel out a story. Although, as a mom to two toddlers I mostly just have to work in little snippets wherever and whenever I can.
 
Notable19: It is so hard to work around little ones. On the other hand, they can give you ideas for stories, as can your own childhood memories. What is a moment from your childhood that is crystal clear?
 
Brooke: When I was a kid, my mom was a swim teacher. She got me to put my face in the water by telling me that if I looked at the bottom of the pool, I might be able to spot the friendly sea creatures that lived there, in particular, a purple octopus named Ollie.
 
One winter when I was around three, my family was driving home from somewhere or other when my parents decided to stop at the park where people were ice skating on the frozen pond. We didn’t have skates, but we had on our snow boots, and we slid around on the ice and watched people skating.
 
My older brother, Christopher (who would have been 7 or 8), and I wandered to one end of the pond where we discovered that a large section of ice had broken away, exposing the murky water beneath. Chris and I stood at the edge of the opening and looked into the dark water.
 
With a bit of a dare in his voice, Chris said, “I bet I can dive in there.” Without hesitation I replied, “No, I can!” and I flung myself into the icy water. I was mid-air when I realized my error (mostly because my brother called out a panicked "NOOO!" which seemed to come at me in slow motion). I splashed into the water and for a moment I mostly just felt a bit embarrassed (I was a good swimmer and wasn’t afraid of the water). However, I quickly realized that if sea creatures lived on the bottom of the pool, they must also live on the bottom of the pond. And while the creatures that lived in the clear, blue water of the pool were friendly, the creatures that lived in the murky, frigid water of the pond may not be. I felt certain that octopus tentacles were winding their way up through the water towards my ankles and I started to panic and cry.
 
My dad ran/slid over and pulled me out. My parents took off my wet clothes, wrapped me in a blanket and took me home. A few years ago I created a portfolio piece inspired by that memory. (Also, for years my anxiety dreams have involved floating in dark water while surrounded by malicious creatures hiding in the murk). 

​Notable19: Yikes! That is both horrific and hilarious at the same time. It was really brave of you to just dive right in. Is that how Molly is, too? How is the main character of your book like you?
 
Brooke: Molly is an introvert and so am I. Molly’s experience of being followed by unrelenting, multiplying monsters is directly based on my frustration with my own shyness, social anxiety, and self-doubt. Hopefully, the moments of the story in which Molly is brave will serve as a buoy for readers who can relate to Molly’s struggle.
 
Notable19: Oh, most people can probably relate to Molly’s struggle. Some people find the strength deep inside, but others might have to go farther to find their courage. Speaking of going far, if you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
 
There are so many places I'd like to travel to! I'd love to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail. I'd like to go to Norway and see where my ancestors are from. It would be amazing to go to the Lake District in England and see where Beatrix Potter lived and worked. I've wanted to visit Mongolia for many years. In 2015 my husband and I spent most of the year traveling around the U.S. in an RV. We hope to do the same thing in Australia someday. There are too many amazing places to choose just one!  

Notable19: That is for sure. Traveling is so great for many reasons…though you might want to avoid the ocean voyages that sail over the murky depths with tentacle critters lurking beneath…LOL! It was such fun getting to know more about you, Brooke!
 
Be sure to follow Brooke on Instagram and Twitter and check out our Books page to see where you can preorder BRAVE MOLLY!

It may sound fishy (hah!) but we are so tickled ​to share our interview of multi-talented #Notable19s member Jessica Lanan today! THE FISHERMAN & THE WHALE is Jessica's debut picture book as the sole creator. As if that wasn't exciting enough, Jessica will also illustrate fellow #Notable19s member Rich Ho's next book, LOST!

As Maria Von Trapp so aptly sang, let's start at the very beginning: How did you get the specific story idea?

Jessica: I had read a news story about a fisherman off the coast of California who helped rescue a whale, but wasn't until I went to a music concert that I had the idea to make a book about it. I was listening to one particular piece and the idea just connected suddenly in my mind. It was called "Soledad," which means "solitude," and it's melancholy and hauntingly beautiful. It got me thinking about how lonely we humans have become, whether we know it or not, by cutting ourselves off from nature and killing other living things indiscriminately. I wanted to bring that feeling to life through the story of the whale. If you're curious, I highly recommend taking a few minutes to listen to "Soledad" here: https://austinpiazzollaquintet.bandcamp.com/track/soledad

Notable19: Isn't it wild how our minds can piece together things from two different senses and create a coherent, beautiful story? Of course, sometimes our minds are slightly less helpful, like when it's racing at bedtime. What do you think about when you have trouble falling asleep?

Jessica: Often I'm tired enough that I have no trouble falling asleep, but if I wake in the night ruminating I sometimes  "paint" a watercolor in my mind, imagining the strategy I'd use for each wash and brush stroke. It might sound strange but I find it meditative.

Notable19: Whatever works, though, right? Speaking of strange, what's the weirdest job you ever had?

Jessica: I've had a lot of weird jobs, but none can top the summer spent working alone in a storage facility taking inventory for an eccentric collector who had purchased thousands and thousands of teapots.

Notable19: Spending a summer alone in a storage facility sounds a bit like a dream job for an extreme introvert, actually. LOL! But I imagine most people would want to travel in the summer instead. If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

Jessica: Another habitable planet, definitely! It would be fascinating to see ecosystems that evolved on a different world somewhere else in the galaxy. 

Notable19: How interesting! You should chat with #Notable19s member Teresa Robeson. She had wanted to be an astronaut for years. Since hanging out on another planet is not quite within reach, where is your favorite place to write?

Jessica: I like to go to my local library, which has a bridge over the creek with a cafe where you can sit for hours and watch the ducks. I get the most done when I don't bring digital devices along. The walkway is right next to the children's section of the library so it's easy to wander over there for inspiration.

Notable19: What a gorgeous location. It must be ​hard to concentrate on writing at times there...but what is the hardest thing about writing in your opinion? Easiest?

Jessica: Each story seems to present unique challenges. The challenge with this book was finding a way to make it engaging, since there is just one boat, one whale, and a big empty ocean for pretty much the whole story. I had to think like a filmmaker and use all sorts of points of view. The easiest part were the words--that is, I chose to not have any. I wanted the characters to speak through their actions. Imposing a human voice would have detracted from the idea that both the human and the whale are equals: whales speak too, and I since I can't write in both English and whalespeak I chose to not write in words at all.

Notable19: Love that insight into the story. It is sure to enrich readers' enjoyment of your book. Thank you for sharing these fun tidbits about you and your work, Jessica!

My name and the illustrator’s name are on the cover. My agent’s and editor’s names were in the deal announcement. My husband and kids are named on the dedication page, and even my dog is mentioned in my jacket flap bio.

Anna, Andrea, and Amelia deserve a mention too, so I’m going to do it here. I don’t think I’d be published without my critique group.

We found each other 4 years ago, on the 12x12 message boards. Our goals were similar. We wanted to find agents, we wanted to be published, and we each wanted to write 12 drafts over the course of a year. We needed each other to make it work. Sometimes I don’t know if my writing is any good. It’s hard to separate myself from my stories. I ask my family, but their responses are — I almost hate to say it — too positive! My critique group is built on encouragement, but we’re also comfortable giving constructive criticism. We understand the necessity of criticism to strengthen our work, write the best stories we can, and achieve our writing goals. We’ve also helped each other with queries, bios, moral support, and the occasional bit of parenting advice. We live in 4 different states and haven’t met in person — not yet, at least. But I can’t wait to see their books on my shelf someday soon.

Here are 5 ways working with a critique group has improved my writing:

1. Accountability
Sure, I can tell myself that I need to finish this draft by the last weekend of the month. But I’m a lot more likely to do it if there are three sets of eager eyes waiting for it. A critique group helps me stay motivated.

2. Power in numbers
One great thing about having a critique group of 3 or more, rather than a single partner, is that we can comment on each other’s comments! It’s easy to write off a single comment I disagree with as a matter of opinion, but when others agree or make similar notes, I know I should take a closer look.

3. Trust 
I frequently see new writers expressing concern about sharing material for critique. (It’s a common message board topic.) They’re afraid they might find an unscrupulous critique partner who might steal their idea or even their story! It’s hard to trust a practical stranger with something so close to your heart. There’s an element of blind faith involved in sharing your work with someone new. But the more time I’ve spent with my critique group, the more trust we’ve built. While we started out sharing complete and semi-polished manuscripts with each other, I’m now comfortable sharing unfinished drafts or even throwing out “does this concept make any sense?” questions in the very early stages of drafting. 

4. Someone to impress
We hope that our stories will eventually reach their intended audience. But until then, it’s fun to know we can make each other laugh, cry, or say “hmm!” with the stories we write. It’s nice to have an audience in the meantime. (Bonus: we all have children, so we can also get that crucial “other people’s kids” feedback!)

5. The support of people who “get it.”
I’m sure you’ve seen it — that look on your non-writer friends faces when you’re gushing about a much-anticipated new release from your favorite author or making Caldecott predictions. And I’m sure there’s certain questions and assumptions about how the industry works that you’ve heard over and over again. It turns out that not everyone is obsessed with kidlit. Who knew? It’s such a comfort to know who to email about writing triumphs and roadblocks, but also about picture books in general.

I'm so thankful for Anna, Andrea, and Amelia. I recently looked at their notes on early drafts of POETREE and it wouldn't be the same book without their insight and encouragement. So if you’re ready to take your writing to the next level, try to find a critique group. They’re the coworkers/friends who will be your loudest, proudest cheerleaders. (And tell you when you might want to try a stronger adjective.) 

Hannah Stark is the next featured author in our #Notable19s members interview series. We are in awe of how much Hannah accomplishes with having to take care of her children, teaching full time, writing, and helping run events for our debut group. So, let’s not dilly-dally since Hannah is one busy person!
 
Notable19: First of all, Hannah, tell us about your debut book.
 
Hannah: My book TRUCKER AND TRAIN is about a big rig named Trucker who loves to rule the road with his size, strength, and mighty horn. One day he meets the larger, stronger, and even louder Train. Trucker quickly realizes that Train is bigger, stronger, and louder but isn’t using his might for power. Instead, Train is well-admired by the vehicles around him. Trucker and Train is a story about using our strengths for good. I hope young readers will see that with great power comes great opportunity.

​Notable19: What a terrific message, especially in the light of today’s issues where it seems like people with power and wealth abuse both to suppress those who don’t have either. So, how did you get the specific story idea?
 
Hannah: When my son was three he was in a pre-school class made up predominantly of boys. Some of the kids had much more rough and tumble personalities than my son does. I was fascinated by how each kid used their budding personality, as well as, their body size, volume, and speed to sometimes take power over one another during play.
 
At about the same time, my son was into trucks and trains. We spent countless hours lying on the apartment floor drawing roads on butcher paper and creating worlds using wooden interlocking train tracks. One day my son got really aggravated that the trucks couldn’t fit on and drive smoothly along the tracks. There was a meltdown and afterward we spent time talking about the differences between trucks and trains. This was when I first thought about a character named Trucker.
 
Notable19: Spending quality time with one’s children often sparks the best ideas. We love picturing you and your son lying down on the floor together playing. We assume you don’t lie on the floor to write though, LOL!, so where do you like to write?
 
Hannah: I like to write in the Rose Main Reading Room of the New York Public Library. It is an incredibly inspiring space and I like being around other New Yorkers reading and writing. For me, it feels studious and quite official. I take my writing seriously when I am there.

There is also something about the motion of a vehicle on a track that soothes my soul into a place of imagination. I love to take long trips by train but as a New Yorker I spend a lot of regular time on the subway. I typed (or maybe I should say pecked) my first drafts of Trucker and Train into the notes app on my phone while commuting by subway in Brooklyn.
 
Notable19: Wow! That is dedication. Some of us can’t even write if we can hear someone else breathing in the same room. Hah! Maybe you grew up having to tune out sibling so you can concentrate in all sorts of places. Are you a first born/middle/family baby? Do you think that has affected your creative life at all?
 
Hannah: I am the oldest of three kids and have two younger brothers. I grew up in a house that was fairly isolated from neighbors and surrounded by woods. My mom is an artist and she let us explore and express ourselves pretty freely. I think a lot of my creativity came out through play. I remember making restaurants in the house (and creating elaborate menus), talent shows with extended family when they visited, and playing school. My brothers usually had subservient roles in each of these until they grew bored or fed up with me. Then I’d usually resort to using my dolls. I’d say these were my earliest experiences as a storyteller. 
 
Notable19: Love that your mom is a creative type who allowed you to grow up free-spirited! Sounds like an idyllic childhood. What is a moment from that childhood that is crystal clear in your mind?
 
Hannah: I remember being shy at school but bold and brave at home. When I was around seven or eight my parents decided to put a pool in our yard. A couple of mini diggers showed up with a crew of workers and I remember thinking the yard started to resemble a big sandbox. One day, I started playing in the dirt as the machines were digging. The men stopped their work, walked up the hill to the house, and had to call my mom outside to tell her it wasn’t safe to have a little kid playing where they worked.  Needless to say, my mom wasn’t very happy with me. I think I’ve always liked watching vehicles at work.

Notable19: How marvelous that you’ve come full-circle from watching, and playing around, big vehicles to writing a book about them! Thank you for taking time out of your packed schedule to share some interesting facts about you and your book, Hannah.
 
Check out our Books page to see where you can preorder TRUCKER AND TRAIN! Don’t forget to follow Hannah on Twitter, too.

2/19/19: The contest is now over. Thank you to everyone who entered. Please come back on Friday, 2/22/19, to find out who the winners are!

Thank you for participating in our Twitter Chat with Matthew Winner! Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter for a chance to win. We will pick two lucky recipients who will get to choose the prize they want!

The prize options are:
a) a manuscript critique with one of our authors or author-illustrators
b) a dummy critique with one of our author-illustrators
c) a "Mentor Texts for Writers" ebook offered by Marcie Atkins
d) a signed copy of "This Little Piggy" or a signed F&G of either "The Little Green Girl," "When a Tree Grows," "Poetree," or "Brave Molly"

To enter, simply click on the "Enter the Giveaway" box below (if on your smart phone) or the "Follow @Notable19s" pull-down tab to begin the process. Following @Notable19s is mandatory, but for each member you follow, you get another entry in the contest.

​The contest ends 2/19 a 12:00a.m.ET. and we will announce the winners on Friday, 2/22. Good luck!

​By Richard Ho

I’m proud to be a diverse author.

I just worry that I’m not being a very good one.

To clarify: I’m not talking about the fear of being a bad writer. (Though what writer doesn’t fear that?) My worry is that I’m falling short of the expectations that come with being a POC author. 

In this era of #OwnVoices and #WeNeedDiverseBooks, I feel a responsibility to write stories that authentically reflect the experiences of the under-represented groups I identify with. I say groups, because the pressure I feel is twofold: not only am I Asian, but I’m also an Orthodox Jew. 

The fact that I’m Chinese is obvious to anyone who looks at my headshot. The fact that I converted to Judaism over a decade ago, and have been keeping kosher and observing the Sabbath ever since, is probably more of a surprise. (It’s hard to see, but I am wearing a yarmulke in that picture!)

​Being Chinese and being Jewish are both foundational pieces of my identity. And while some aspects of my religious observance occasionally present minor challenges in my life as an author (for one, conferences on Saturdays aren’t really an option for me), I can’t think of too many communities that would be more tolerant and understanding of my circumstances. As an example, the organizers of KidLitCon in Providence (where I’ll be appearing on a panel next month) were extremely accommodating, making every effort to schedule the panel on Friday so that I could participate!

So given the warm welcome I’ve already experienced in my brief time as a member of this community, the challenge for me is not finding acceptance. The challenge is finding my voice.

Do I identify as an Asian-American author? A Jewish author? The even rarer designation of Chinese-Jewish author? Do I have an obligation to write stories that speak exclusively to any or all of those perspectives? Through which prism should I focus my creative efforts?

Should I make those distinctions at all? 

That’s the thing about prisms: they have many sides.

My first two sold books are about the Curiosity rover and a lost package, respectively. From a diversity standpoint, they admittedly don’t move the needle. (No one is clamoring for greater representation of robotic cars or cardboard boxes in publishing, as far as I know.) I do have stories in the works that speak to a Chinese or Jewish perspective—and some to both simultaneously. But they are all part of a wider tapestry of stories that cannot be grouped under a single umbrella.

​And ultimately, I hope that’s okay. I hope it’s possible to be a diverse author, while maintaining diversity in interests, tastes, and creative output. 

Yes, we absolutely need more books that are diverse in race, religion, physical ability, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, and every other marginalized group in modern society. And as diverse authors, we should embrace our unique platform to put more of those authentic stories into the world. But we should also allow ourselves the recognition that a given reader might find a wide range of stories appealing—and not necessarily just the ones that reflect them. I know I do.

As a POC author, I’m extremely fortunate to be in this position, to have the opportunity to make books. It’s a privilege I don’t take lightly. I hope to use that opportunity to create stories that reflect every aspect of my multi-faceted identity—as well as stories that transcend identity. I want to write for Chinese audiences, Jewish audiences, and all audiences in general. And I plan to champion diversity in all of its forms, both in the stories I consume and the ones I create. 

I’m an Asian author. I’m a Jewish author.

I’m an author.

And boy, do I have stories to tell.