Notes from BookExpo America 2019

Rebel Bookseller book cover

I was thrilled to attend this year's BookExpo America (BEA) at the Jacob Javits Center; I attended the conference several years ago, but this experience was different. In previous years, I visited mostly the panel sessions, which focused on the publishing industry. This time, I ventured out into the area with the bookseller booths and stages. I loved the diversity of the presenters and panelists, and it was scintillating to be in the presence of other bibliophiles. 

Figure Skating Champ

Adam Rippon, 2018 Olympic bronze medal winner, is an amazing figure skater. He was interviewed about his upcoming memoir (September 2019), Beautiful On the Outside, in which he details his mother's influence, and his eating issues related to making sure he fueled his body to remain competitive. As a 30-year-old, he was competing against 17-year-olds, which was challenging. When crazy things happen to you, it is difficult to reconceptualize your life, and Rippon recommended having a positive perspective. His view is that, instead of asking why good things come to you, why not simply accept your good fortune? His pleasant attitude is infectious.

Artistic Impressions book cover

Rippon is openly gay, and admires other gay athletes. When asked if figure skating will ever bridge the gender divide, he replied that he does not think so. Rippon is amazed by what skaters are doing these days, and is glad that he is retired. When the interviewer asked what "camp" means to him, Rippon replied that it's taking something that is normal and making it extraordinary.

Podcast at BEA

Will Schwalbe hosts a podcast called But That's Another Story, and recorded a live episode at Book Expo, interviewing authors Aarti Shahani, Stephen Chbosky and Nicole Dennis-Benn. This was incredibly exciting to me. During the podcast, which is in its second year, Schwalbe continually asks people what books they are reading. One of the best responses he ever received was from a woman who was reading a stack of books that her husband was not there to read; she learned much about her lover in the process.

New Suns book cover

Chbosky wrote The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and was involved in the production of the film version of that novel. He loves the thrill of Stephen King novels.

Dennis-Benn emigrated from Jamaica at age 17. As a young woman, she worked in community-organizing at Rikers Island. Then, she moved to Silicon Valley in California to work in the tech industry. She was discovering herself and creating a life for herself apart from her parents.

She found the book, Zombie, at the suggestion of a librarian while she was working at the library as a work-study student, and loved the fact it was more normative in the novel for women to be attracted to each other. Being gay in Jamaica is very much taboo, and those individuals are severely ostracized. At times, being in college in a strange country was too much for Dennis-Benn, but she could not return home; her community members would see her as a failure and wonder why she could not make it in America. She processed the pain of immigration through writing. (To have an impact in countries where being LGBTQI is criminalized, visit the nonprofit Rainbow Railroad.)

Dennis-Benn mentioned that education was not free in Jamaica during her youth. While she attended school as a a young girl, her father provided funding by driving taxis in NYC. 

Future Bibliophiles

Jane Pauley from CBS interviewed Pamela Paul and Maria Russo about their book, How To Raise a Reader. They think that, sometimes, kids want adults to read books without applying voices. Reading is about having kids follow a narrative, and learning to read is not just about the mechanics, but also about learning to cherish the process.

Paul and Russo's book is about engaging kids of all ages with books, not just newborns or toddlers. Some 10-year-olds only play videogames; luckily, there are many books about videogames, like Minecraft, and it is important to suggest books based on kids' interests. Paul likes to make family outings to bookstores, where she allows her three kids to wander the stacks. She always gives books as birthday presents to kids. Schools aim to create book-rich environments, but Paul has also been to many school libraries that do not have books.

Fiction for Adults

Rick Riordan, Rebecca Roanhorse and Kwame Mbalia comprised a panel of distinguished authors. Roanhorse wrote a book that includes a character who's half Navajo and half black, which mirrors her own ancestry. With hundreds of federally recognized Native American tribes in the United States, Roanhorse wanted to explore her own cultural heritage, and featured two traditional Navajo stories. She believes that we fight monsters in our lives, whether they be racism, poverty, or mental health issues, and indigenous women are currently under threat. Stories of monsters are ever popular with readers across time, geography, and cultures; in her culture, when people discuss dreams, family members comment on which ancestor is attempting to communicate with that person. 

Roanhorse and Mbalia both use their kids as sounding boards for their humor. If jokes fall flat on their progeny, they get cut. Mbalia loved the Anansi and Brer Rabbit folktales, which influenced the character of Tristan Strong in his upcoming book. He would love to see a resurgence of West African folktales, and particularly loved the one in which Anansi steals stories. Roanhorse loves trickster tales because these contain lessons about how not to live your life.

Ghost Boys book cover

Author Awards

I also attended a session of the American Booksellers Association (ABA) awards, which I had not been to before. Literati Books won the Publishers Weekly Bookstore of the Year award.

The ABA has committees who make decisions each year as to which authors to recognize. Ryan Higgins, author of We Don't Eat Our Classmates, winner of an award for picture books, stated that while he makes stories up, others tell him what his books are about. Jewell Parker Rhodes, author of Ghost Boys, won a middle reader award. She opined there is much work to be done in order to combat racism. Her grandmother, a third-grade dropout who raised her, told her many stories, which ignited Rhodes' love of the oral tradition.

Jacqueline Woodson won the Indie Champion award for her support of small, independent bookstores. She understands that, although it is sometimes easier for consumers to go to big chains for a discount, supporting small businesses is important. She thanked the booksellers for supporting her in early years when she was a relatively unknown writer. 

African American Children's Books

Was the Cat in the Hat Black? book cover

A panel of African Americans discussed how diversity appears in children's literature nowadays. (Some black versions of vampire series have appeared, for instance.) One panelist feels that black boys in kid lit are often softened to appeal to a certain segment of the population, but author Jerry Pinkney said he feels a spiritual obligation to write authentic characters. He has four sons who, he shared, are all amazing people.

The moderator asked whether there is pushback about how dark protagonists are in some literature. A line in one author's work states the character was born "the color of midnight." The moderator then mentioned that everyone seems to have a book about slavery in their portfolio. One author said that visiting ancient African burial groups and the National African American Museum of History and Culture in Washington, D.C. are amazing experiences. This author's husband is Haitian and she discussed the nation having declared its independence from France in 1804. Thereafter, the residents ate Freedom Soup, a meal they were previously forced to serve to their masters and prohibited from partaking in.

In a conversation about literature for kids generating discussion about societal issues, one author suggested that monetary support be provided to publishers who include diverse characters in their works. Pinkney opined that more black editors are needed; however, since editing is not a high-paying job, it is difficult to attract talent. 

ABA Town Hall and Annual Membership Meeting

Sylvia's Bookshop book cover

Because I am not a bookstore owner, I have never attended these meetings before, but found this to be an interesting experience, during which bookstore personnel ask questions of the ABA board.

About 30% of bookstores are profitable, and it's especially difficult for stores to keep their doors open in small towns. Marketing was mentioned as the key to success, and it's necessary to build a network and help get authors into schools. Members implored the ABA to provide more support, especially for new businesses.  One lady with a pop-up bookstore mentioned that not everyone can afford a brick-and-mortar location.

I loved the event, and I am so happy to discover that BookExpo will again visit NYC at the Jacob Javits Center, on the west side of Manhattan, May 27-29, 2020. I hope that everyone can make it next year!