Professional Series meeting: Margaret Nevinski and Erik Brooks

Are you ready for Tuesday's meeting? We have two great speakers lined up.

Mini-Session: CULTURAL AUTHENTICITY IN FICTION with Margaret Nevinski.

When we write outside our own ethnic culture, how can we provide an authentic experience for young readers? Or can we? Cultural authenticity in our fiction involves complex issues of cultural appropriation, relationship to a culture, authorial choices, and emotional truth. Margaret confronted this issue in books she wrote for the school market, including REMEMBERING MINIDOKA and RUBY BRIDGES. She has an M.F.A. in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, where she worked on middle-grade fiction. Come add your voice to the discussion of how we, as writers for children and teens, can strive for cultural authenticity in our work.

Main Program: 10 YEARS IN THE BIZ: A PRACTICALLY PERFECT PERSPECTIVE ON PUBLISHING with Erik Brooks.

Ten years ago, in April of 2000, Erik’s first book was published. One heartbreaking publisher bankruptcy, six publishers, 15 books (even one written by a MINOR celebrity) later, Erik shares his trajectory of experience from a want-to-be illustrator to full-time published author/illustrator. And he is still learning every day. Erik wrote and illustrated THE PRACTICALLY PERFECT PAJAMAS, OCATAVIUS BLOOM AND THE HOUSE OF DOOM, and SLOW DAYS, FAST FRIENDS. He has also illustrated many books written by others.

Our Professional Series Meetings take place at Seattle Pacific University - Demaray Hall, Room 150. Registration at 6:45 p.m., program at 7:00 p.m.