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the Book Friends Forever Podcast

Children's book publishing’s secrets are revealed as we listen in on fascinating, unguarded, insider discussion from two uniquely qualified best friends: award-winning author/illustrator Grace Lin, and one of NYC’s top editors, Alvina Ling. Go behind the scenes of kid lit and catch a glimpse of the lives of the best-selling author and editor, and the relationship between them.

Episode #172: Past, Present, or Future Orientated with Lesa Cline-Ransome

Episode #172: Past, Present, or Future Orientated with Lesa Cline-Ransome

Welcome back to the Book Friends Forever podcast! This week we have a very special guest: author Lesa Cline-Ransome! At the last Kindling Words, Lesa gave a wonderful talk on the psychology of Time Perspective and wether you are past, present, or future-orientated person. The Book Friends welcome her to discuss those and share which of those designations they believe they are.

At Kindling Words, Lesa explains how she had to base her talk on Amanda Gorman’s poem, “Miracle of Morning”. This part of the poem made her think of Time Perspective:

“We ignite not in the light, but in lack thereof,

For it is in loss that we truly learn to love.

In this chaos, we will discover clarity.

In suffering, we must find solidarity.

For it’s our grief that gives us our gratitude,

Shows us how to find hope, if we ever lose it.

Lesa and the Book Friends all take and discuss the Time Persepctive Inventory/Quiz that determines wether you are past, present, or future orientated. How can knowing what type of oriented person you are help you with your writing?

About today’s special guest:

 

Lesa Cline-Ransome is the acclaimed author of numerous award-winning picture books that celebrate in story, Satchel Paige, an ALA Notable Book and a Bank Street College “Best Children’s Book of the Year, Major Taylor: Champion Cyclist, Young Pele: Soccer’s First Star, Words Set Me Free: The Story of Young Frederick Douglass, Benny Goodman and Teddy Wilson, My Story, My Dance, Just a Lucky So and So: The Story of Louis Armstrong, Germs: Fact and Fiction, Friends and Foes, Game Changers: The Story of Venus and Serena Williams and The Power of Her Pen: The Story of Groundbreaking Journalist Ethel Payne and Not Playing by The Rules: 21 Female Athletes Who Changed Sports.  Her verse biography of Harriet Tubman, Before She Was Harriet received five starred reviews, was nominated for an NAACP image award, and received a Coretta Scott King Honor for Illustration. Her debut middle grade novel, Finding Langston, was the 2019 winner of the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction and received the Coretta Scott King Award Author Honor. The companion, Leaving Lymon released this year.  

Overground Railroad, Light in the Darkness: How Slaves Learned in Secret, Freedom’s School and Whale Trails: Before and Now are her titles that uncover the hidden stories in American history.   

Lesa’s books have received numerous honors and awards including NAACP Awards, Kirkus Best Books, School Library Journal Best Book, New York Public Library Best Book, ALA Notable, an NCTE Notable, CBC Choice Awards, two Top 10 Sports Books for Youth, an Orbis Pictus Recommended Book, an ILA Teacher’s Choice, a Jane Addams Award and a Christopher Award. She frequently collaborates with her husband, illustrator James Ransome. They are the proud parents of four children.

THANK YOU for Lesa!

Don’t forget! You can now order Grace’s limited edition autographed 12" x 18" double-sided poster featuring artwork by Grace Lin commemorating the Newbery Award Centennial for The Horn Book Magazine. You can purchase them at the Eric Carle Museum and help support Everylibrary.org! Order HERE!

 

Thank You!

Thank you for tuning in! Thank you to Hachette Audio, Little Brown Books for Young Readers, and Alex at Pacyworks Studio for producing and editing this podcast. Be sure to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and tell a friend about us. (Use the hashtag #bookfriendsforever.)

  • You can find Alvina @Planetalvina on Twitter and TikTok and @Alvinaling on Instagram

  • You can find Grace @Pacylin on Twitter and Instagram and @gracelinauthor on TikTok and @authorgracelin on Facebook

Please join our Patreon! For just $1.00 per episode, you can become a Book Friends Forever patron and get all kinds of exclusive perks! There are still notebooks available that have artwork by Grace and a favorite quote from Alvina’s mom: ‘If it is to be, it is up to me.”

 

If you’re a patron, don’t forget to check out this week’s Random Questions feed! Authors Kate Milford and Grace Lin answer the random question What would your pirate name be? Click here to listen! If you’re not a patron already, join today!

Episode #173: Performance, the Monarchy, and is Publishing Broken?

Episode #173: Performance, the Monarchy, and is Publishing Broken?

Episode #171: Cynicism and Toxic Positivity!

Episode #171: Cynicism and Toxic Positivity!