TED Talks Daily Discovering my love of words | Jacqueline Woodson
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Aug 3, 2022 Jacqueline Woodson, an award-winning author known for her memoir 'Brown Girl Dreaming,' reflects on her transformative journey with words. She discusses her early struggles with reading, driven by a passion for storytelling and the support of her family. Woodson emphasizes the importance of diverse representation in children’s literature and shares insights on conveying complex emotions in narratives. She also explores her familial roots through poetry and emphasizes the need for supportive spaces for BIPOC artists, merging personal history with broader cultural themes.
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Childhood Lies and Stories
- As a child, Jacqueline Woodson told both small, everyday lies and fantastical stories.
- One such lie was claiming her father lived in San Luis Obispo, California, a place more interesting than his actual residence in Ohio.
Backup Careers
- Woodson's family encouraged her to consider practical careers like hairdressing, teaching, or law.
- These were achievable fields for Black people, serving as backup plans if writing didn't work out.
Early Career in Publishing
- After graduating, Woodson worked at a children's book packaging company, doing editorial work and writing standardized tests.
- She used a character from her already written book, Last Summer with Mazin, in a reading comprehension test.
