Congratulations to client @kimjohnson.bsky.social who was awarded the LA Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature last week!

A wonderful panel at the Gaithersburg Book Festival along with Dr. Yohuru Williams, @lm-elliott.bsky.social, and @kimjohnson.bsky.social. All my co-panelists are doing such important work with history for young readers, and it was an honor to be in conversation with them.

remember when they defeated racism

I will *not* be watching the State of the Union tomorrow evening. Nothing enrages Trump more than us tuning him out. Instead, I will be viewing and contributing to the State of the People, a 24-hour livestream of counter-programming beginning this evening. Register at stateofthepeople.media.

@samiraahmed.bsky.social talks banned books, speaking out against injustice, and INTERNMENT on @msnbc.com ⬇️ www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6TG...

As of today, a new term has entered our language. A “rubio” is a spineless lump of nothing. Example: Don’t be such a rubio.

I am furious that @joyannreid.bsky.social was axed from her show at MSNBC. This is what authoritarianism looks like. Toni Morrison warned us that they will go after the journalists, scholars and artists first. Please support Joy in her next endeavors. I hope her former colleagues protest.

KINDLING is a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize! 🔥 I’m so thrilled to be included alongside K.A. Cobell, Safia Elhillo, Carolina Ixta & @kimjohnson.bsky.social. 📚 Congratulations to all the finalists & a huge thank you to LA Times & the judges for this honor! www.latimes.com/entertainmen...

The news is out ✨THE COLOR OF A LIE ✨is a LA TIMES BOOK PRIZE Finalist for Young Adult Literature! This is two years in a row, with INVISIBLE SON as a finalist last year. This is a huge honor, especially with an incredible group of finalists @tracicheeauthor @ka_cobell @safiamafia and @carolinaixta

Congratulations to @kimjohnson.bsky.social, THE COLOR OF A LIE is the winner of The Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction!

Kendrick Lamar Awarded Nobel Beef Prize theonion.com/kendric...

“advocate”???

The African American Children’s Book Fair in Philly was amazing!! It was packed from babies to great great grandparents.

Well hello Black History Month and new followers! Im an award winning author who combines the things I love the most, Black people, Social Justice, and Thrillers. Former VP in Higher Ed and forever student. www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/608330...

I’m still in shock at the news my historical thriller set in 1955 Levittown Pennsylvania won the 2025 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction! 🏆

Fear the Dead Season 8: we didn’t need all them kids and monologues or the flip flopping of character arcs.

SAME.

Today I was granted access to speak with incarcerated firefighters. They told me: - they hadn’t showered in 5 days - they were not provided regularly meals - they were working 24 hours in a row - they feel under appreciated and underpaid

$40 million to license a documentary about the "first lady." How many people in America will die today because they couldn't afford healthcare? Zuck rolling back online protections. They're all obeying in advance and it's mind boggling.

www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2... I think I am more concerned about the fact that fact-checking departments at actual news organizations are few and far between over the last 10 years or so

A third of the 1400 firefighters involved are prisoners who are unpaid.

Who’s Putin these ideas into his head?

Yep.

Meta messing around made it a whole lot easier for me to figure out where I should spend my energy on social media.

Funny that other platform taking advice on how to run their company based on another failing platform. Fact check this. 🧵🤡 X🤡🧵🤡X

2024 big book year -Left Vice Provost role, took an adjunct MFA faculty position -INVISIBLE SON: LA Times Book Finalist, Elizabeth Walden Award Finalist, ALA Black Honors Caucus Honor book. -THE COLOR OF A LIE, first historical thriller, 4 starred reviews, Kirkus, SLJ, & NYPL Best Books of 2024

If the government shuts down Saturday, the richest man in the world will be largely to blame. You may not get access to services you depend on just before the holidays because an unelected billionaire shadow president wanted it that way. If this isn’t oligarchy, I don’t know what is.

“We can disagree and still love each other unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and right to exist” James Baldwin

i hope i die warmed by the life that i tried to live — Nikki Giovanni

Here's a nifty trick to motivate you to start writing the next day: Stop writing in the middle of a scene. That way you start the next day with the positive experience of finishing a scene and jump-start the new writing session. gointothestory.blcklst.com/dumb-little-... #writing #scriptsky

Waiting on the aliens so we can wrap this up

Another list! This time School Library Journals Best Books of 2024!!

We've compiled a list of all upcoming pitch events on BlueSky! We've also created a Starter Pack for the accounts running these events: go.bsky.app/UzNMwUV Please let us know if there's any we missed! #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #AmQuerying #Writers #AmWriting #LiteraryAgents #LitAgents

Please share widely 🙏🏼 I am taking item donations (literally anything from the publishing community or readers) for the next #KidLit4Ceasefire fundraiser to run Jan 15th through 31st. I am at about 100 items, trying to get to at least 500. airtable.com/appgMC1CTRup...

It’s Best Books list time of year! THE COLOR OF A LIE made it on the New York Public Library’s Best Books of 2024 list!!!

📚 The NYPL's Best Books of 2024 lists have some familiar titles on them... 🥳 Congrats to @kimjohnson.bsky.social @karolitadotcom.bsky.social @maishawrites.bsky.social @annclezotte.bsky.social @oliviaaserr.bsky.social Debbie Levy @esofii.bsky.social @aimeelucido.bsky.social 🥳

Black creators this is your time! We have always brought genius and innovation— even in the most challenging times. We are made from the earths most precious things. Pressure only amplifies us. Tackle the thing that’s been burning inside! Get quiet and listen to your inner knowing! Get busy!

You know the "🔹AI Overview" you get on Google Search? I discovered today that it's repeating as fact something I made up 7 years ago as a joke. "Kyloren syndrome" is a fictional disease I invented as part of a sting operation to prove that you can publish any nonsense in predatory journals...

I made my first Starter Pack! #TrustBlackWomen - I'll keep adding as more amazing Black Women join this app - but this is a great start. #BlackSky go.bsky.app/4b49z4w

This has always been my practice and I rarely have people harassing me. Which is saying something because I write books that they absolutely want to harass me for. But it’s never been worth my time to engage with someone not willing to listen or learn. Read my books or leave me alone.

Delta’s CEO says Trump has promised to roll back a rule requiring automatic refunds on canceled flights and another requiring airlines to disclose the full cost of a ticket up front

there are conservative/racist people joining en masse to try and rile people up. do not engage. block and move on, seriously there’s a reason they are constantly trying to get our attention.

I heard Marriott’s DEI division positions were eliminated. They’re not even waiting to let the paint dry. We need a list of all the private orgs that jump to get rid of DEI the second they have a chance.

Please just block folks. They heard we were having fun over here and they know their existence depends on our attention. Please just block. Don't argue, don't repost, just block and ignore.

our ancestors accomplished more, with less, against worse. stay locked in.