Jacqueline Woodson was born a watcher. An observer. Even as a young girl, she recognized that our stories are part of an enduring legacy that stretches far before and beyond our own lifetimes. Woodson is an icon in American literature, and author of works like “Brown Girl Dreaming,” “Red at the Bone,” and “Each Kindness.” Her voice has left an indelible mark on the literary landscape.

In this episode, she shares about her relationship with her siblings growing up, her sense of melancholy as a child, and how some of the earliest books she read gave her a deep sense of fairness and social justice. She reveals the book that most impacted her own writing and the one thing that gives her hope, even in dark times. 

Jacqueline has witnessed the evolution of literary spaces over decades, along the way establishing herself as a legendary voice in the industry. She has become a guiding force, pushing publishers, readers, and writers toward a more inclusive future, a future that features creators of the global majority. She reflects on the industry’s evolution throughout her career through the lens of a Black queer writer, and she talks about setting the next generation up to carry on our stories and the stories that came before us. Now, in addition to her own work, Woodson dedicates her time to providing resources and support to the next generation of voices through the Baldwin For the Arts. 

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Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter. 

Connect with Jacqueline on social @jacqueline_woodson.

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For her reading challenge, Reading Black, Jacqueline challenges us to use her reading list as a way to look forward and back. The books she has chosen are all by black authors, telling their brilliant and varied stories of the American diaspora - stories this country is attempting to erase through book bans and challenges. She asks us to read these books and consider what other books they remind us of? For those we reread, what is new in the re-reading? What was it we missed the first time around? What thoughts and ideas have changed for us in the re-reading? You can find her list, designed for high school to adult readers, and all of our author challenges at thereadingculturepod.com.

Returning as this episode’s Beanstack featured librarian is Cicely Lewis, School Library Journal’s 2020 school librarian of the year, from Gwinnett County Public Schools. Cicely, aka the Read Woke librarian, talks about why read-alouds are so important even for high school students, and why she refuses to stop using the word “woke” to inspire young people to read important narratives.

Chapter 1 - Starting in the Middle (2:30)

Chapter 2 - The Continuum (5:44)

Chapter 3 - Ballad of the Sad Café (10:44)

Chapter 4 - Jacqueline’s Beginning (15:44)

Chapter 5 - Empowering the Future (20:31)

Chapter 6 - A Different Story (28:00)

Chapter 7 - 500 Questions (35:37)

Chapter 8 - Reading Black (36:33)

Chapter 9 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (37:41)

Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey

Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media

Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey