February 1, 2021

The Black Authors Who Paved the Way for Leah Johnson

In honor of Black History Month, the ‘You Should See Me in a Crown’ author shares the trailblazing Black authors that inspire her

The Black Authors Who Paved the Way for Leah Johnson

In honor of Black History Month, the 'You Should See Me in a Crown' author shares the trailblazing Black authors that inspire her

Everything I write—everything that I do— is made possible by the Black thinkers, artists, activists, and spacemakers who came before me. Let my life, and these stories, always be a testament to the radical joy and the endless tenacity that I inherited from them.

Jacqueline Woodson

No conversation about what Black or queer children’s literature has become is complete without first paying homage to Jacqueline Woodson. The space she has created for those of us who came after her is something I’ll never be able to thank her enough for.

Nicola Yoon

By the time Nicola’s first novel, Everything, Everything, came out, I had long since aged out of YA. But there’s no understating the impact that seeing a Black girl being loved so completely and so tenderly had on me, even into my adulthood. Nicola remains one of my instant-buy authors to this day.

Zora Neale Hurston

In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston rendered the Black experience in a way I’d never seen before—complicated, flawed, whole. It changed my understanding of what Black literature could be. We owed her so much more honor than she received in her lifetime, but her legacy lives now in each of us who were transformed by her life and her work.

"I quite literally told anyone who would listen about this book."

📷+💬: @lorraineslibrary
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"As I came to understand my path as that of a writer, I realized that my family didn’t have much in the way of material things to pass down, but had stories, had representations of the life we lived together on this earth, and folks before me had representations of the life they lived and survived so that I could be so privileged to be here to tell you all about it…and that for me is the legacy."

Thank you, @delana.r.a.dameron, for sharing Redwood Court with the world and reminding us why it's important to tell stories. Experience the beauty of Redwood Court at our link in bio.
When a book you adore gets a companion ✨ 

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Inspired by this sweet moment of nostalgia in Tom Lake to take the time to appreciate both the past and present this morning. ✨
Listen up book lovers, we’ve got a new podcast brewing, and you won't want to miss it.

Reese's Book Club is excited to announce, Bookmarked, the podcast that goes behind the scenes with your favorite stories, characters, and authors. Books are stacked high, tea is piping hot. You in? 

Press play every Tuesday starting June 24th, available on the @iheartradio app, @applepodcasts, or wherever you listen.
Our plans today? Locking in with our newest pick, The Phoenix Pencil Company, and a latte! 💙 What's your go-to drink to read with?