>> Sasha: Hello and welcome
to the Nation Book
Festival everyone.
My name is Sasha Dowdy from the
Library of Congress I'm here
with Jason Reynolds
whose featured book
at the festive this
year is Stamped,
Racism, Anti-Racism and You.
If you'd like to see Jason's
presentation at the festival log
in to NationalBookFestival.com
and you will find his
presentation on the teen stage.
So welcome Jason it's so
great to have you here.
>> Jason: Thank you, thank
you so much it's always good
to be here and as always
it's always nice to serve
and do my job as
-- as a national --
and look here it is
everybody the national
ambassadorship medal.
I never wear it, I haven't
had an opportunity to wear
but I'm going to start
wearing it to the CVS
so people know what it is
but it's good to be here.
>> Sasha: Great to have you
and I really hope you do put
that medal on for CVS.
[laughter] We already have some
questions pouring in for you.
We -- seem to have
questions from kids
so here's one from Kirsten.
We are a fifth grader
and a seventh grader what advice
would you give to kids our age
about how to be anti-racist?
>> Jason: Good question,
good question.
What advice would I
give to kids your age
about how to be anti-racist?
Simple, keep love first;
it's just about love.
You know love and acceptance
that all of us are human,
that all of us deserve the
same exact opportunities
and we deserve the
same sort of resources
to live full, happy,
healthy lives.
Very simple, it's a
very simple concept
and it doesn't really have
to be much more than that.
I mean -- politics and
systems and history and all
of these things have complicated
that but the basic idea is
that you see every single person
as you see yourself as a human.
That's it, if you can do that
at your ages if you can do
that then by the time you're
old like me we'll be living
in a much -- a much
more equitable world.
>> Sasha: Yeah, that's
fantastic.
We have a question from
Panna Jr. High sixth graders.
How do you decide
what to write about
and how do you overcome
writing struggles?
>> Jason: How do I decide
what to write about?
Oh gosh that's a tough
question there are --
first of all I live a life
that is full of curiosity.
I live a life that's full
of inspiration right --
like I'm around young people
all the time pre-COVID right
like when we weren't
locked down.
I was around young people
every day listening to you all,
talking to you all and watching
you all and really just engaging
with young people and so I'm
so inspired by the young people
of our world and I've seen
the world and so I'm talking
about young people all over
the world I think are just --
are just incredible.
The most human -- the most
human amongst the humans are the
young people.
So ya'll inspire me
I also love to listen
to my mom tell me stories of
her youth or go to the movies
when we could go to the movies
or read all these books
or go to the museum.
Like all these things that just
sort of fill my well for me
to pull from I'm
inspired by life itself.
What a beautiful experience
and a beautiful experiment
this life thing is --
even when it's bad, it's good.
Remember that, even when it's
bad, it's good and so I think
because I love life
and all of the --
all of the sort of
complexity that it has
to offer I'm always inspired.
>> Sasha: Great, thank you.
We have some questions that ask
you to recommend some books.
Here's one from Wendy.
I loved reading your book For
Everyone; I needed to read this
for my YA library class.
Do you have any recommendations
for an aspiring librarian
to provide anti-racist
suggestions
in both non-fiction and fiction?
>> Jason: So there are a lot of
books right now, we're living
in a wonderful time
of literature.
I think this book is anti-racist
by Tiffany Jewell is a good one.
I want to say, what's
Ibi Zoboi's new book?
Ibi Zoboi's and Yusef
Salaam's new book I want
to say it's called.
>> Sasha: Punching the Air.
>> Jason: Punching
the Air, thank you.
I almost always -- I
always say punching the sky
but it's Punching the Air.
That's a wonderful book
check out Punching the Air.
I know Nick Stone's got a
new book coming out I think
on Tuesday called -- it's the
sequel to Dear Martin so that
out it's called Dear Justice.
There's a lot of books, I mean
all the books that are like --
like Just Mercy those books
there are used versions
of those books so
like Just Mercy
or Trevor Noah's book all those
books are awesome references
as well.
Jacqueline Woodson's books --
there's, I mean look Ghost Boys
by Jewell Parker
Rhodes there's --
there's a lot, there's so many.
There's so many I mean
I'm not going to be able
to name them all because we'll
be here all day but there's just
so many great books
right now for sure.
Check out we need
diverse books you know go
to their website
they have all --
everything is there all
the resources are there.
>> Sasha: Great, thank you.
Donna would like to know what
advice would you give other
aspiring black writers?
>> Jason: That's
a good question.
I think you know my biggest
pieces of advice to all writers
and I'm glad this person did
specify with black writers.
I think that -- I think that's
totally like we should --
it's ok for us to do that right.
First of all, I am a black
writer people are like,
are you -- do you
consider yourself a writer
or a black writer?
I am a black writer right.
I am a writer who is black
but I don't think
there's anything wrong
with me also saying I am a
black writer and I'm coming
from a very specific
space right and that's ok.
So first I want to say good
on you for being able to say
that like no as a black
writer and that's alright.
That being said I think my
advice applies to all writers
and what that advice is is
number one this is going
to sound a little
cheap but it's true.
Number one, you got to read and
write and I know that sounds
so simple but as you sort of
get on your way and you're
on your journey you're going
to meet people along this path
that say I'm a writer
or I got this book idea
and I'm working on this story.
And then you're going to
bump into them five years
down the line and they're going
to say I'm still just working
on my outline trying to
get my story together.
And then you're going to
see them five years later
and they're going to
say just getting ready
to write my first word and what
you realize is there are a lot
of people who say they are
writers or want to be writers
but writing is an action,
it's an active thing.
So the first thing you have
to understand is that you have
to actually do it right, you got
to actually be working
toward it.
One word at a time there is no
magic -- there's no magic right.
One word, one sentence,
one paragraph, one page,
one chapter at a time that
is the only way one foot
in front of the next right.
The second thing I want to
say is you've got to read.
All these books behind
me these are my tools,
these are the only tools you
have and so it is very difficult
to be a good writer
if you aren't reading.
It's like saying that
you're a good builder
but you don't like hammers.
Right? If you're a builder
your tool is the hammer.
If you're a writer your
tool are the books behind --
are the books in your lives and
so try your best to read as much
as possible and try your best
to write as much as possible.
Everything else -- if you
do that faithfully every day
or as often as possible
then you'll see it start
to take shape and the
world will open up for you.
>> Sasha: Thank you
and speaking of tools
for writing Denise
would like to know who
or what are you reading
right now?
>> Jason: Who, what am
I reading right now?
I just finished reading
this book which is fantastic
by my buddy Candice Iloh.
Everybody should get it;
it's for young people
by the way, Every Body Looking.
It just got long listed for
the National Book Award,
shout out to Candice.
I'm -- I just finished that.
And, what else am I reading?
I'm reading the Booker Prize
books so I'm like going
through all those books which
is really difficult it's
like hard reading which I like.
I'm really Ali Smith's new book,
Summer which I -- which I --
oh I love everything
that she's writing.
What else?
I mean there's so many
-- you know right now,
honestly I'm ready all of
the Captain Underpants books
which I know is probably like
surprising for some folks
but I'm reading all the Captain
Underpants books to figure
out how Dav Pilkey has
been able to do it.
Because I think there is
something there that is genius
and I'm trying to sort
of sort that out --
doing a little research.
But a little bit of
everything I'm open;
I'm re-reading the
Song of Solomon
by Toni Morrison you
know -- wide open.
>> Sasha: That is very eclectic.
So here's a question turning it
back over to you a little bit
from Leslie, what is a question
you wish people would ask you
and how would you answer it?
>> Jason: That's
a good question.
You know what people don't ask
me a lot about, like people say
like well how do you -- what
advice would you give a writer?
Or does it mean to be
black in this industry?
Or what are your thoughts
on race in America?
Or you know like I get all
these kinds of questions
but no one ever asks me like
what is your relationship
with like the sentence?
Right, what are you thinking
about when you're formulating
and crafting sentences?
Because I think that
if people --
for all of you who have read my
work my sort of particular sort
of take on the sentence is mine.
Right, like we all have --
all of us have our own styles
and no one ever asks
me about my style.
And if they did I think I would
respond by saying that I believe
that -- and I've
said this before
in other interviews I
believe that all writing --
James Brown -- James Brown
said that all instruments --
to him every instrument
was a drum.
Right, that was his thing
and so that's the reason why
the horns sound percussive,
that's the reason why the
guitar sounds percussive
and for him everything
was about the drum.
He said every single instrument
is a version of the drum
and for me every single form of
writing is a version of poetry.
I believe in rhythm in
music, I believe repetition,
I believe in license where I
could do whatever I want to do
in a sentence or on a page
and no one ever asks me
how I formulate sentences
or how I think of sentences
or how I hear them in my head
and in my ear or in my
mouth for that matter.
And it bums me out that people
don't ask black writers more
questions about craft.
>> Sasha: Well thank you I think
we all know you a little bit
better now as a crafter
of your sentence.
So A.L. Davis would like to
know about your background.
What kind of influence did
growing up in the D.C. area have
on your perspective in writing?
>> Jason: You know one of
the things it did for me --
so like growing up
here we grew up with --
I think about go-go music a
lot and I've given lectures
about my relationship
with go-go music
and its relationship
to literature.
Because go-go music
which for those
who don't know is an indigenous
music to black D.C. Right
like that is our sort of music,
it has never left the city,
it is still a big thing in
this town and it is indigenous
to the city specifically
its black population
and it's an amalgam of to me
every indigenous music right.
So like -- that's why I like
it so much because I feel
like it's the --
it's the blackest
of all the musics right.
And what I mean is
you have music coming
out of South America, you have
music coming out of Africa,
you have music coming out of
the Caribbean, you have --
and all these musics are --
and then you have American
classical music right which jazz
and hip-hop are the
American classical musics
which we can have a
different conversation
about at some other point.
And you mash all those
musics up together
and that's go-go music right
and funk music and disco
and like all -- R&B and
blues all of its mashed
into this one sound and I think
growing up around that music
and seeing people make
something out of nothing,
seeing people make --
create rhythm that lasts
for hours and hours.
I think when I approach my
work that's what it is right.
It's all about sort of
recall and response from me
and the reader it's about this
influence and this influence,
and this influence and then it's
a bit of just irreverence right.
Like a lot of my work is
really just me pushing back
against what everybody says I'm
supposed to do with literature
or what literature capital
L literature is supposed be
and I think all of that
sort of stems from growing
up in the city where --
where the music was such
a big part of our culture.
>> Sasha: That's
fantastic, thank you.
We have a question from Melissa.
What three things would you
say to reluctant teen readers?
I read Stamped: Racism,
Antiracism
and You rocked my world.
>> Jason: First of
all thank you,
I'm glad it rocked your world.
The one thing I would say to
reluctant teen readers is first
of all it's alright; I
ain't here to judge you.
I think sometimes we make --
we make young folks who
have a hard time reading
or who haven't found their way
into the reading
world we make --
we make ya'll feel
like ya'll less than
and ya'll aren't --
ya'll aren't right.
So the first thing you have to
know is you are not the symbol
of miscrience, you're not
the symbol of like oh he
or she is one of
those or they --
you know you don't
read oh right.
So all this stuff that we wrap
around reading which turns it
into this weird elitist thing
that doesn't make anyone
want to read any more.
So first I want to say it's ok.
Second of all I want
to say there --
but or and there is literature
in work out there for you.
The thing about reading
is that it's -- it's --
there's so much -- there's so
many different kinds of text,
so many different
kinds of literature
that it's really a conversation
around you finding
your -- what you like.
But there is something
out there.
You know when I was growing
up I never saw my uncles
or anybody reading
novels but I got --
but I woke up every morning
and watched my uncle
read the newspaper
from cover to cover every day.
Why should he be seen as less
than because he didn't
read Beloved?
He read the Washington Post
cover to cover right every day.
Why isn't that enough right?
And so I think it's about
finding what it is you
like to read even if it's
-- even if it's not a novel
and I know there are
going to be people who are
like oh no novels are -- we need
to teach kids to read novels.
Listen, I just want you
reading something, I don't care
if it's a book about
fortnite, I don't care
if it's a beauty magazine just
make sure that you're sort
of exercising your mind because
what reading really does is it
serves as the only actual like
weight to strengthen the mind.
It's like the dumbbell,
the bar bell for the brain.
The more you read the stronger
your mind gets whether you're
reading fiction or
non-fiction, editorials or blogs
or whatever it is all of it is
strengthening your brain muscles
so that you can navigate
the world differently.
>> Sasha: Yeah, that's
wonderful we all need people
with stronger minds,
stronger [inaudible].
Here's a related question from
Brittany, what are your methods
to get young black boys to read
and get excited about reading?
>> Jason: You know I think
about them most often
when I'm doing my own work
and I think the reason
that so many young black
boys don't read is because --
it's because -- one time I was,
I had given a talk at Forbes
and they were like you
know we were talking
about statistics right.
And because this is Forbes
and that's what they deal
in you know business, numbers
and they kept saying numbers
don't lie, numbers don't
like that's like their mantra.
That's every business person's
mantra numbers don't lie.
And the truth is is that
it's true numbers don't lie
but numbers don't tell
whole truths either right.
And so according to the numbers
what we would say is that like
because black boys,
quote un-quote black boys aren't
reading then there's no reason
to publish books
about black boys.
When the truth is that if I
were to see those statistics
and I would say black boys
aren't reading and it's
because there aren't enough
books about black boys
that reflect their lives
and their existences right.
And that if we could provide
those books maybe they'll see
themselves and they'll
lock down.
I actually haven't had any
problems having young black boys
read right and the reason why is
because the books I'm
writing are being written
with them in mind.
I'm writing directly to them
right I'm saying this is a book
that is mirroring your life
or at least your language
or at least your disposition
or at least your age
range, your culture.
Like this is the way that we
do it, we can't expect young --
I don't know why we
expect them to want to read
and why we think we can fight
against all the other stimuli
unless we makes something
that is catered directly --
directly to them even
if it makes the adults
in our lives a little
uncomfortable.
And I think if we do
than then it works.
What's the field of
dreams joint right
if you build it they will come.
We just ain't built it.
And so if we build it for them
I think they will come and I --
and I don't see myself as
some exception, I don't think
that I'm some exceptional
person.
I just think I built it and
they came -- that's all.
And I would've come to
if I was that age --
I understand where
they coming from.
I didn't have anything either.
If I had these books -- if
Ghost existed when I was
in the seventh grade I'd
have been reading it.
>> Sasha: So what are
you building next?
What is your next novel?
That's Sylvia's question,
what's your next novel being
published and what's the name?
>> Jason: I can't talk about it.
I mean you know I usually
break this rule just
because I think it's
a silly rule.
Here's what I will say, I really
don't know why we don't talk
about things.
But I don't want to tell you
because then it might change
or this might happen or
it might not come out.
It's like oh you
changed your mind right.
What I will say is
this I'm curious
about writing about divorce.
As a child who experienced
it and who went through it
and a lot of us are going
through it or have been
through it I think there hasn't
been enough for me literature
that kind of encapsulated
what it felt
like to watch his
parents go through that
or for you to go through.
You know all of that stuff
so I'm thinking about writing
about divorce but I'm also
really interested in tapping
into the bridge book
world -- that in between.
That's why I'm reading
all this Dav Pilkey stuff
because I think --
I look at my sort
of I have there's a picture
book coming out sometime
within the next year, I've
got all this middle grade
and we have all this YA and then
I've got some adult stuff coming
in 2022 but there's
a little pocket there
that I actually have not tapped
into that I would love to kind
of put my stamp on, put my
foot in and that's that in
between between the picture
book and the middle grade.
And so we'll see, we'll see.
>> Sasha: Yeah, fantastic.
We are all looking forward
to the titles for all ages.
>> Jason: Thank you.
>> Sasha: Well rewinding
back from Brianna,
what initially inspired
you to become a writer
and author in the first place?
>> Jason: It's tricky, I
think when I was growing
up we didn't know any authors,
it wasn't like -- it wasn't --
it just wasn't a part of our
lives or our existence right.
You don't -- this
wasn't a thing right.
The National Book --
the National Book Festival
existed I believe but --
but the idea that you could just
sort of interface with authors
or authors would come
into your school well
that just wasn't something
that I experienced.
And so I never knew that
I could be an author.
What I know is that I had
something to say right.
I was a kid who felt like he
-- his story wasn't being told.
I loved rap music because I felt
like they were telling versions
of our stories and they looked
like me and they talked like me
and they sounded like my
older brother and they moved
like my older brother,
they dressed like --
you know I loved rap music and
I studied rap lyrics as a kid
and I studied sort of the way
rappers were sort of breaking
down language and
bending language.
Like rapping -- rapping
is all about sound
and so they would bend words
to make them fit with words
that actually don't
rhyme with them
and I thought that
was like genius.
And all they -- you
know I learned early
on that you can actually
manipulate language however you
choose to.
And so it wasn't until I -- I
think my first sort of touch
with it all, my first brush with
it was when my grandmother died
and I wrote a poem for my
mother when I was 10 years old
and she printed them
in the funeral program.
And it -- I got all
of this affirmation
from my family members at
the funeral who say yo man
that thing you wrote
for grandmom
and we loved it man it changed
-- it made us feel better.
I was 10 years old right
that was the beginning was
that oh words can cast spell.
Right, 26 letters is
all we have to work
with -- 26 letters that's it.
And I get -- I get an
infinite amount of possibility
when it comes to how I arrange
26 letters to cast a spell
on people that can make
them feel differently.
That's all I needed.
>> Sasha: Yeah, that's
beautiful.
Thank you for that answer.
Here's a question from Olivia.
Jason Reynolds three exclamation
points I respect how you
cultivate relationships with
other authors whether that's
in your interviews or
writing collaborations.
How do you choose who you
partner with when you do?
Or, do you have authors you'd
like to collaborate
with in the future?
>> Jason: That's a -- no one's
ever asked this question.
That's a good question.
So I -- so I am a bit
of a purist right.
It's interesting,
somebody who's so --
who looks at literature so
irreverently I still have --
I still believe in
tradition and I come
through a particular
tradition right.
And I believe in sort of
integrity, the integrity
of literature and the
integrity of the text right.
That's why I said I get upset
when people don't ask me
about the sentence level stuff
like what does he do
with the sentences?
And so I -- that's what
I look for when it comes
to people I work with right.
You think about Brendan
Kiely with All American Boys
if you read any of his other
books this is a dude who cares
about the sentence right.
Word for word he's
thinking through every word,
every sentence, every --
I mean he's so methodical about
making sure that everything is
where it needs to be
so that it works right,
so that it's effective
when it comes
to pulling the reader
into this world.
So that's the first
think I always am looking
for intention and integrity.
And not just when it comes to
the language but also intension
and integrity when
it comes to life.
I can't work with nobody
who I don't like right.
I work -- I work for --
for young people and if you
ain't approaching your work
in service to young people
I can't line up with you,
I can't work with you because
we see the world differently.
I see young people
as the greatest gift
that we have right.
If you see them as a way
to make money then you
and I can't work together,
it's very simple for me.
In terms of who I'd
like to collaborate
with in the future
gosh man there's
so many brilliant
writers I would --
I would love to work
with Renee Watson.
I love Renee Watson,
I'd love to work with --
Elizabeth Acevedo on
something that would be cool.
And then in the adult sector I'd
love to write with Kiese Laymon
or Jesmyn Ward if they'd have
me; I don't know if they would?
I don't know if I'm good enough
but if they'd have me I
think I would love to --
for Jesmyn Ward to
give me a shot
to like do something
collaboratively with her
or Kiese Laymon who is
a big brother to me.
I would love -- or even Jackie,
I mean Jacqueline Woodson is
like one of my close,
close, close, close friends.
I would love to be like yo
let's do something together,
let's make a thing together.
I don't know the
possibilities are endless.
>> Sasha: Well we're excited
for all the possibilities.
Here's a little bit of a
different question from Daniela.
Are you going to write
more non-fiction books?
I hope so.
>> Jason: Oh Danielle
you know Daniela
over the years I've
learned to not say no
so that the answer is maybe.
Right now I'm not really
thinking about any of that.
I don't -- I can't really
imagine myself writing
non-fiction right now but what I
will say is this writing Stamped
the way that I wrote
Stamped and because it --
and because it worked because
I was like I don't know
if this is going to work or not.
I don't know you know but
because it seemed to have
like caught hold and it's
taken a place in sort
of a cultural [inaudible].
It does make me think that
maybe I'm on to something right.
Maybe we could really
re-work some of this stuff
and I could write more
non-fiction in a voice
that feels familiar;
really break down the whole
like non-fictioness
of non-fiction.
You know I really kind of
dismantle some of that stuff.
Because I think non-fiction
because we have
to state the facts; they believe
that the facts have to state
in a way that is boring
or that is plain right.
Just like here are the
facts, this is what happened,
here's the way it
happened right.
And I think there are
certain people I look
at like Timothy Egan who I think
is a genius non-fiction writer
or -- or I mean there's --
I mean Pete Hamill who
I think is a genius --
who was a genius non-fiction
so there are people that I look
to as like these brilliant
non-fiction writers
who have done this
for adult sector
but I think writing
non-fiction for young people.
I could even take
it even further
and take what they've done
in the adult sector and do it
for kids so we'll
see -- I don't know.
>> Sasha: So when you are
writing, here's one question
from Karen do you listen
to music when you write?
It sounds like music has a
huge influence on your words,
who are some of your
favorite musicians?
There are several people
who asked that question too
like in a related question
Laura wants to know
if you're a great
singer yourself?
>> Jason: Am I a great singer?
I wouldn't say I'm
a great singer.
I'd be singing in the shower.
I mean look there's probably --
I used to be like a songwriter
and all of that stuff and I'm
sure there's probably scratch
tapes of me on the internet
somewhere of me doing samples
of songs that I've
written for other people --
that's in a previous life
but I wouldn't call
myself a singer, no.
But I'm honest therefore I could
probably make good songs right.
You know it's like was
Bob Dylan a good singer?
Eh, but he was honest
right so it works you know.
Leonard Cohen but
it can go on and on.
In terms of music do I listen
to music when I'm writing?
I wish I could but I can't
because I love music too much
and so I wouldn't be able to
focus on both of those things.
I need to concentrate
when I'm writing;
I do like noise though
a little white noise.
I like the voices of human
beings; I feel like if I have
like people talking
or if I play a podcast
and hear people talking what
it does is it helps me focus
on my voice because --
because their voices drown
out all the other
voices in my head
so it distills the voice
I need to actually work.
Like but if it's just me in
silence I can hear all the --
it's a lot happening
up here right.
But if I turn on -- if I go to
a coffee shop or a cafe or I put
on a podcast then that just a
little bit of human noise it
like quiets all of
my other voices
and I can just hear
the one I need to hear
to do the thing I need to do.
But I don't, I can't play music;
I play music in the morning,
I play music at night,
I play music in the car,
I play music all the time
when I'm not writing.
And I -- and I love everything.
I love -- I mean I grew up,
my father when he was --
when my parents were together
we listened to a bunch
of rock-n-roll in the
1980's and folk music
and then my brother
listened to a lot of hip hop
and that's the 19,
late 80's early 90's.
My mom was all about Motown
and Detroit and this is back
when there were no air
pods nothing like that --
air buds and so you
had to listen
to whatever your
parents were listening to
and so I got all the
influences were sort of coming
into my young mind
at a young age
and so I still love
all those musics today.
The blues, jazz, my little
brother's an orchestral musician
so he's always making
me listen to all sorts
of classical music
which is beautiful.
Soundtracks, I mean
everything so.
>> Sasha: And that's a good
thing to surround yourself with.
>> Jason: For sure.
>> Sasha: Analine
would like to know
since your surround yourself
with young people and listen
to them what's the
farthest you've been
to hear different voices?
>> Jason: Oh, I've been
all over -- I've been to --
I've been to Hong
Kong and Singapore.
You know and it's interesting
because the one thing is --
the interesting thing
about the voices
of young people whether you're
in Hong Kong or Singapore
or whether I'm in
Germany -- Ebrach Germany.
Ebrach is like this like
-- it's like a hill --
I don't know what you call them
it's like a hill land right
like this it's just a land
where all these hills and it's
in the middle of the countryside
and there's like a house here
and then a house 10
miles away and cows
and all sorts of things.
And I went to Ebrach to a prison
to a youth prison which was
in an old monastery right --
that was I mean just a
fascinating sort of experience.
All over Europe though I
mean all over Europe and all
over Europe and what's
fascinating is it doesn't matter
where you are young people
all laugh at the same jokes.
It's amazing whether you're
in Hong Kong or whether you're
in Harlem they're all
laughing at this --
if I crack the same
joke in Harlem that I do
at Hong Kong everybody
laughs at the same jokes.
And that is -- that
is one of the --
that's one of those things
I hold onto to remind myself
of the beauty of life.
That is actually
still no matter --
no matter all of the
nonsense going on that life
in the world is still
more good than bad.
>> Sasha: That's beautiful.
We have two related questions
about your characters.
Katy wants to know which one
of your characters do you
personally relate to the most?
And Ida asks how do you think
of your great character names?
>> Jason: Which of the
characters do I most related
to is complicated.
I think I'm probably a bit
of all of them you know.
I think when I'm --
I think my whole life
in literature is me
pulling myself apart right.
These are all slivers
of my being right.
A little bit of you know people
at the track series people are
always like we want coaches.
This is a prime example
of how it works by the way
and this is a --
this is also a bit
of an Easter egg on
the track series.
Everybody says we all
want coach's story.
We've read Ghost, Patina,
Sunny and Lu but what about Lu?
We want to hear coaches
story, we want more coach
and you know the truth is
if you want coaches story
you've already gotten it
because those four characters
if you put them all
together they equal one man
and that's coach.
Right, it's really coaches story
that I'm telling in the story.
Its coach's story
that you're getting
and that's really
what it is for me.
One day when I'm you know --
you know God willing I
will live to be an old man.
I hope people take all of
these books and line them up
and say we'll get a good
glimpse of who Jason Reynolds is
if we read all the books
because there's a little --
I'm, it's me right.
Matt Miller in Boy in the
Black Suit, that's me.
Genie in As Brave
as You, that's me.
You know, you know all the
characters in Look Both Ways
so many of them are
just parts of me
that I'm plopping
into the stories.
Now in terms of the names a
lot of these are the names
of my friends you know.
I come from a community and
a neighborhood where a group
of friends who never thought
they'd ever see themselves
in books let alone
their actual names.
And so I take -- I use these
books as moments of tribute
to immortalize my
friends and family members
by actually putting
their names and some
of their personalities
in the stories.
>> Sasha: That's great,
so there's a piece of you
in every book that we read.
>> Jason: Every single one.
>> Sasha: That's fantastic.
Well so sorry to say
that we're out of time.
This has been incredible,
thank you so much Jason
for sharing your time with
us so generously today.
Everyone we've been speaking
with Jason Reynolds whose
latest book is Stamped:
Racism, Antiracism and You.
You can find this
presentation on the teen stage
of the National Book Festival.
You can go to loc.gov/bookfest
and thank you so much
to the audience here today.
I hope all of you take the
time to explore many programs.
Thank you for your
incredible questions today
and I hope you enjoy
the remainder
of the National Book Festival.