This week Haeny and Nathan talk with Amy Parks, and Maika and Maritza Moulite. They are all navigating the world of academia and busy being young adult fiction authors. They talk about why they’re drawn to writing for middle school aged readers, what it’s like to be a YA author in academia, and where they get inspiration. Also, Haeny makes everyone share their most embarrassing memories. Just kidding. Sort of. Haeny Yoon! (You’ll get it when you listen.)

For transcripts of this episode and more, visit our website. 

Professor Amy Parks is the author of YA novels ​​Lia and Beckett’s Abracadabra and The Quantum Weirdness of the Almost-Kiss and the middle grade novel Summer of Brave.

Maika and Maritza Moulite are the authors of several books including the novels Dear Haiti, Love Alaine, One of the Good Ones, and the forthcoming The Summer I Ate the Rich (Correction: Nathan says you can get it now in the episode, but it’s due to come out next year and you can pre-order the Kindle edition now).

Our music is selections from Leafeaters by Podington Bear, Licensed under CC (BY-NC) 3.0.

Pop and Play is produced by the Digital Futures Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University. 

The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University.