AWP 19

Last March - has it really been over a year already? - I was in Tampa, Florida, participating as a panelist during the Association of Writers and Writing Programs' 18th annual conference (I wrote up this little post on it). This year, I'm doing it again, only this time the conference is right in my backyard - well, not literally, of course, it's at the Oregon Convention Center in downtown Portland (although having it in my actual backyard would certainly be interesting).

While last year I was on a panel entitled "Disability in Children's Literature: Not an Anomaly, an Imperative," this year's panel is "Walk In Their Shoes: Children's and Young Adult Novels that Cultivate Empathy." Both panels were organized by Melissa Hart, the author of a number of awesome books including Avenging the Owl and the upcoming nonfiction guide Better With Books: 500 Diverse Books to Ignite Empathy and Encourage Self-Acceptance in Tweens and Teens (Joel Suzuki is included, yay!)

Our panel this year will be taking place this coming Saturday from 9:00am to 10:15am. Melissa and I will be joined by two other great authors, Carmen T. Bernier-Grand (Picasso: I the King, Yo el rey; Cesar: Si, se puede!) and Carrie Mac (The Beckoners; 10 Things I Can See From Here). More info on the panel (and the conference itself) can be found here. If you're a writer but not already a member of AWP, I highly recommend joining and attending the conference (it's starting today!) Not only is it informative and educational, but it's a lot of fun as well. Of course, if you just want to attend our panel, AWP offers a one-time Saturday pass at a much lower rate. Hope to see you there!