[ot-caption title=”Jacqueline Woodson in Stacy Auditorium speaking to Pine Crest students about ‘being present’ for friends and family. (via Ana Simon, sophomore)”]

Jacqueline Woodson, a distinguished writer, came to Pine Crest School this Wednesday, September 30th, 2015, to speak with Middle and Upper School students.  Woodson has won countless awards, such as the Coretta Scott King Award, multiple Newberry Honor Medals, and has even won the National Book Award in 2014.  She currently resides in Park Slope in Brooklyn among many other prestigious authors and artists such as Virginia Hamilton, Toni Morrison, and John Green.

As of today, Woodson has written 30 books for young adults, pre-teens, as well as children. The most prevailing themes throughout her writings are race, class, gender, and family history. Her goal is to help eliminate the stereotypes that are so ingrained within our society today, and she hopes to achieve this goal through her words. She wants to write stories that address issues that have been historically absent from the mainstream.

If You Come Softly, Behind You, Beneath A Moon, and Brown Girl Dreaming were the books that Woodson felt were most important to share with the Pine Crest Students this past Wednesday. She was proud to announce that many of her books are banned in different areas of the world due to her stance on interracial relations and other so-called controversial topics. Yet, Woodson remains upbeat, saying, “if something is banned, it only makes people want to read it that much more.”

Woodson’s enthusiastic and engaging attitude captivated the Pine Crest audience. She spent the majority of her time discussing aspects of her life that have influenced her writing. Although not as many students had read her books as she would have hoped, she lightheartedly noted that “in some parts of the world I’m famous, not here obviously.” She certainly made her mark at Pine Crest, with dozens of students and faculty showing up from both the Middle and Upper School to attend her writing workshop.

The students had many questions for Woodson, ranging from topics on specific books she has written, when she got her big break, to finding your “stylistic voice.”  Senior Ashby Bland asked, “Are all of your books based on your experiences that you’ve had? I feel like I’m too young to have enough experiences worth writing about.”  Woodson responsed saying that “If you survive kindergarten, then you have enough to write about for the rest of your life.”  She went on to talk about how most of her stories are based on experiences she had around the age of 16.

Woodson’s visit allowed students to hear about how literature can influence the world and how books can begin discussions on major topics within today’s society. This assembly inspired students to pay attention to the words in the books they read and notice the subliminal messages they carry. As Woodson put it, “every word carries meaning and you have to make sure you don’t waste a single one.”

Sources: Jacqueline Woodson, Howard University, Adelphi University, Virginia Hamilton, John Green Books, American Library Association, National Book