NYC Teen Author Festival
It’s that time of year again, and I *want* to be excited about this—I really do! Especially since two of my friends (who happen to be awesome authors) are included this time around: Neesha Meminger and Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich. You can find the entire schedule over at readergirlz, along with the names of the many authors who are participating this year. Now, *please* correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems like there are close to 70 YA authors lined up for signings, panels, and readings. And out of 70, I counted three black authors. Is that right? In NYC?!?! Jacqueline Woodson, Coe Booth, and Gbemi. There’s another author, Ebony Wilkins, but I can’t seem to find her books. The only Asian authors whose names I recognize are Neesha and Jenny Han. And I *really* hope I’m wrong about this, but Matt de la Pena looks like the only Latino author. Are any Native Americans included? Now, clearly, I would like to have been invited to participate in this event, so I can’t pretend to be neutral. But what message does this send to NYC teens who live and read and write in this incredibly diverse city?
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