By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabakukk, Stephani Eaton, Suma Subramaniam, Bree Bender, AJ Eversole and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Spotlight Image: Kicks by Van G. Garrett, illustrated by Reggie Brown (Versify,
The Power of Poetry: Carol McAfee Shares Five Cool Things about Poetry
By Carol McAfee
Spotlight image by Taha on Unsplash
Today I want to talk to you about poetry.
You may not consider yourself a poet. You may be scared of poetry in the way I am wary of numbers and higher math, so much so that I would join the witness protection program to avoid them.
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The Power of Poetry: Carol McAfee Talks to A.S. King About How Poems Are “The Truest Thing”
By Carol McAfee
I am excited to speak today with author A.S. King whose books about trauma and resilience are so powerful, they hit you like a lightning bolt.
Welcome here today, Amy. Please tell us about you as a writer. Your aesthetic.
I write weird-to-surrealist novels about young adults in order to help readers of all ages face and heal from their trauma.
The Power of Poetry: Carol McAfee Talks to Jasmine Warga About How Poetry Can Heighten Emotion
By Carol McAfee
I am delighted today to speak with author Jasmine Warga, whose books have always deeply moved me, from her very first book, My Heart and Other Black Holes (HarperCollins, 2015) to her recent Other Words For Home (HarperCollins, 2021). As recent events unfold and we feel we swim in a choppy and dehumanizing sea,
The Power of Poetry: Carol McAfee Talks to Martine Leavitt About How Poetry Can Improve Our Prose
By Carol McAfee
I am delighted today to speak with author Martine Leavitt whose books always make me cry in the way a sunset can make you cry, for the sheer beauty of it.
Martine, please tell us about you as a writer. Your aesthetic. What do you care most about that you want to share with the world?
Spring Break
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabakukk, Stephani Eaton, Suma Subramaniam, Bree Bender, Gail Vannelli, and AJ Eversole for Cynsations
Happy spring, Cynsational readers!
We’re taking a short break, and we hope that you can, too!
Cynsational News
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabakukk, Stephani Eaton, Suma Subramaniam, Bree Bender, AJ Eversole and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Spotlight Image: Show the World! by Angela Dalton, illustrated by Daria Peoples (Viking Books for Young Readers,
Author Interview: Jennifer Ziegler on Word Play and Developing Characters
Today I’m thrilled to welcome fellow Austin author and friend Jennifer Ziegler to the Cynsations blog for a chat about writing and teaching. Her latest middle grade novel, Worser (Margaret Ferguson Books/Holiday House, 2022) has received several starred reviews and lots of positive buzz.
Tell us about your new release,
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Guest Post: Author Julie Lee on Remembering & Writing Forgotten History
By Julie Lee
Julie Lee is the author of the middle grade historical novel Brother’s Keeper (Holiday House, 2020), a story inspired by her mother’s escape from North Korea during the Korean War.
History has always eluded me. The longer it gets, the more there is to know, and so we distill it into digestible bits,
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Native Voices: Byron Graves Talks About The Importance of Connection
By: AJ Eversole
Today on Cynsations we introduce author Byron Graves. His debut short story, “Sometimes in September,” is included in the anthology All Signs Point To Yes (Inkyard Press, 2022) which releases on May 31, 2022. His debut young adult novel, tentatively titled Rez Ball (Heartdrum, 2023), has been sold to Heartdrum,
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