New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Acevedo spoke with us about her journey from National Poetry Slam champion to winning the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, and her new YA novel, ANGER IS ONLY A SHADOW.
Elizabeth Acevedo is a renowned poet and New York Times-bestselling author of Clap When You Land, With the Fire on High and The Poet X, which won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, the Michael L. Printz Award, and the Pura Belpré Award, among many others.
Her first YA novel in six years, Anger Is Only a Shadow, is her most personal offering yet. Inspired by her experience leading poetry workshops for girls awaiting adjudication at the Youth Services Center in D.C., as well as loving and caring for someone with schizophrenia.
Publishers Weekly, in a Starred Review called the book “...a striking and nuanced portrait of the realities of juvenile detention and mental illness.”
Elizabeth is a National Poetry Slam champion and holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of Maryland.
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In this file Elizabeth Acevedo, Milena, and I discussed:
How she performed in ~100 poetry shows/year, visiting nearly every U.S. state over 2 years
The impostor syndrome she felt during her MFA in poetry
What it felt like to go from “slinging chapbooks” to having a publisher
Why she still reads every novel aloud to herself before submission
How she alternates between the two manuscripts in 2–3 week blocks to maintain perspective
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
acevedowrites.com
Anger Is Only a Shadow by Elizabeth Acevedo (Amazon)
Elizabeth Acevedo Amazon Author Page
Elizabeth Acevedo on Instagram
Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer
diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram
Kelton Reid Instagram
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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