The Reading Culture

A.S. King is a prolific, unique writer best known for "Dig," "Ask the Passengers," "Please Ignore Vera Dietz," and "The Collectors." She has received twice the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, the Edgar Award, and the Printz Honor. Her work often combines surrealism with raw emotional depth, offering a fresh perspective on the human experience.

In this episode, she critiques pointless teen shaming by adults, discusses why surrealism resonates with young readers, and shares her advocacy for LGBTQ+ youth through Gracie's House, a nonprofit named after her late daughter. 

She also reveals how her cheese tattoo led to an insight into humaneness.

Katherine Applegate is a prolific and celebrated author best known for the beloved “Animorphs” series, “Wishtree,”  “Odder,” and, of course, her Newbery Medal-winning “The One and Only Ivan.”  In this episode, she discusses the unique bond between kids and animals, including her early stint as a gerbil peddler! 😱 Katherine shares how a community rallied to fight the censorship of her book “Wishtree,” her part in that fight, and why she always chooses comedy over tragedy, even when the world seems bleak. Plus, Katherine reveals the real reason she's not roughing it out in the wild with Jane Goodall and the gorillas.

In this episode, Shannon shares about growing up in a deeply conservative culture and how writing unearthed her true voice from where it had been simmering beneath the surface. We discuss everything from anxiety to the family cat to boys’ relationship with the color pink. Oh, and we have a special visitor, Shannon’s husband and co-creator, Dean Hale, to discuss their combined writing journeys!

In this episode, Dhonielle Clayton traces the magic in her books back to its roots in African folklore, details the challenge of stepping out from the long shadow of Harry Potter, and outlines her mission to hire her own collective of diverse writers. She is a one-woman powerhouse!