The Reading Culture

Kwame Alexander recently interviewed the esteemed and now former Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden, for the American Library Association’s Annual Conference in Philadelphia. They talked about the power of poetry, the role of libraries in creating access and imagination, how Dr. Hayden remains hopeful and positive in this moment, and of course, how books can help kids be better humans and dreamers. It was such an inspiring conversation that we wanted to re-air this much earlier episode with the bestselling, beloved author (and apparently incredible interviewer!) Kwame Alexander. 

We all want to make the most of our time here. Not just survive, but dream big and live fully. For Jasmine Warga, that means carrying forward the strength of those before her while creating space for joy, curiosity, and self-discovery. It means letting go of perfection, holding on to radical hope, and writing stories that reflect kids’ realities.

What does it mean to rise to the occasion, not once, but over and over again? Sometimes it means reckoning with grief. Other times it means stumbling forward, messing up, and trying again. And sometimes it means simply showing up, imperfect, but still trying to be better.

Ibi Zoboi writes to remember—her own story, her family’s legacy, and the long history of migration, myth, and memory that shaped them both. For Ibi, storytelling is a form of resistance and reclamation. It’s how she makes sense of the secrets that shaped her life and gives voice to those left out of the narrative. A National Book Award finalist and the bestselling author of American Street, Pride, Star Child, and (S)Kin, Ibi’s work blurs the line between folklore and futurism.