UPS and the union representing some 340,000 UPS workers have reached a tentative agreement on a new five-year contract, averting a strike that would have had a major negative impact in the book industry and on retailers in general. The proposed new contract is supported by the union: Teamsters president Sean M. O'Brien said in a statement, "We demanded the best contract in the history of UPS, and we got it.... This contract sets a new standard in the labor movement and raises the bar for all workers." Members will vote on the contract next month.

National Retail Federation president and CEO Matthew Shay commented: "UPS is a major partner of the retail industry, and we are grateful it came to an agreement with the Teamsters without disruption to the marketplace. The timing of this agreement is critical for consumers and families during the peak back-to-school shopping season. Retailers rely on stability within their supply chains, and this agreement will bring long-term stability, as well as assurance to the millions of businesses and employees who rely on smooth and efficient last-mile delivery."

A group consisting of BookPeople, Austin, Tex., the Blue Willow Bookshop, Houston, Tex., the American Booksellers Association, the Association of American Publishers, the Authors Guild, and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has filed a lawsuit in federal court against Texas's HB 900 law, also known as the READER Act, which goes into effect September 1.

The plaintiffs are asking for preliminary and permanent injunctions to halt the implementation of the law. The defendants are the chair of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, the chair of the Texas Board of Education, and the Commissioner of Education.

Calling the law "the Book Ban," plaintiffs charge that the law "violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution because it is an overbroad and vague content-based law that targets protected speech and is not narrowly tailored to serve a compelling state interest. The Book Ban compels Plaintiffs to express the government's views, even if they do not agree, and operates as a prior restraint, two of the most egregious constitutional infringements."

Under the law, all companies selling to school libraries, librarians, and teachers in Texas have to assign ratings to books concerning their sexual content. (Titles for required curricula are exempted from the law.) A book deemed "sexually explicit" will be banned, and a book deemed "sexually relevant" will have restricted access. The "sexually relevant" rating covers, plaintiffs said, all non-explicit references, in any context, to sexual relations, and therefore
"could apply broadly to health-related works, religious texts, historical works, encyclopedias, dictionaries, and many other works."

The "sexually explicit" rating applies to material describing or portraying "sexual conduct" that is determined to be "patently offensive," which Texas state law defines as an affront to "current community standards of decency."

Plaintiffs noted that during debate about the law in the Texas legislature, some warned that the overbroad language "could result in the banning of many classic works of literature, such as Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Of Mice and Men, Ulysses, Jane Eyre, The Canterbury Tales, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and even the Bible." One lawmaker, a former schoolteacher, said the law would likely prohibit school libraries from offering the quintessential Texas novel Lonesome Dove.

The law also has a retroactive feature: by next April, all booksellers and other book vendors must submit to the Texas Education Agency a list of every book they've ever sold to a teacher, librarian, or school that qualifies for a sexual rating and is in active use. The stores also are required to issue recalls for any sexually explicit books. If the Agency finds that a bookstore has been incorrectly rating books, it can be banned from doing business with charter schools or school districts. The Agency can also override booksellers' ratings.

The lawsuit notes that the law has "already led to school districts halting the purchase of school library books. The full implementation of the Book Ban will cause a recall of many books in K-12 public schools, bans of even more, and the establishment of an unconstitutional--and unprecedented--state-wide book licensing regime that compels private companies and individuals to adopt the State's messages or face government punishment."

Valerie Koehler

Valerie Koehler, owner of Blue Willow Bookshop, said, "The rating system this law would impose is not viable for any book vendor. We have always adhered to the idea that we cannot judge what a customer chooses. Requiring booksellers to rate novels, poetry and works of nonfiction would impede our ability to disseminate constitutionally protected books, magazines, and other materials. The law is also unfair to local communities who have the right to set their own standards. We would be forced to seek legal opinions about every book we will sell and have sold. We do not have the human or capital resources as a small independent bookshop to comply with the law as it is written."

The complaint noted that Blue Willow Bookshop "sells books and other library materials for school use in response to RFPs and RFQs from schools; to librarians and teachers who are reimbursed; and as a result of arranging for author visits at schools. In addition to school visits, Blue Willow Bookshop arranges three large festivals for young readers every year, each with a goal of promoting literacy and fostering lifelong readers: TeenCon, Tweens Read, and Bookworm. During those festivals, schools and teachers purchase books for students and classrooms. Blue Willow Bookshop is an authorized vendor to many school districts."

Charley Rejsek

Charley Rejsek, CEO of BookPeople, said, "Setting aside for the moment the fact that this law is clearly unconstitutional, booksellers do not see a clear path forward to rating the content of the thousands of titles sold to schools in the past, nor the thousands of titles that are published each year that could be requested by a school for purchase, neither do we have the training nor funding needed to do so. In addition, booksellers should not be put in the position of broadly determining what best serves all Texan communities. Each community is individual and has different needs. Setting local guidelines is not the government's job either. It is the local librarian's and teacher's job, in conjunction with the community they serve."

The complaint noted that BookPeople "sells books and other library materials to schools and teachers for school use in response to RFQs from school contacts, in response to online orders, in the bookstore, and at offsite events, festivals (including the Texas Book Festival co-founded in 1995 by former First Lady, Laura Bush), school events, and conferences. BookPeople is an authorized vendor to many school districts."

The other plaintiffs, including the ABA, which has 156 members in Texas that sell to school districts, said in part, "It is central to the First Amendment that the government can neither restrain nor compel speech, but this law will force booksellers to label constitutionally protected works of literature and nonfiction with highly subjective and stigmatizing ratings, effectively forcing private actors to convey and act upon the government's views even when they disagree.

"From a logistical angle, this law creates an impossibly onerous and cumbersome process that bookstores and other vendors must follow, forcing them to review massive amounts of material without the benefit of clear and workable standards, and compelling them to recall titles previously sold over an indeterminate period of time."

Rofhiwa Book Café in Durham, N.C., has closed temporarily after a car crashed into the bookstore and cafe Friday night, the News & Observer reported. Though the damage to the store is extensive, no one was hurt in the collision, and a GoFundMe campaign started to support Rofhiwa through the repair process has raised more than $35,000 in just a few days.

The crash happened just before 9 p.m. on Friday, when a speeding car struck a fire hydrant and light pole before ramming through the front of the bookstore. Responding police officers found a passenger in the car suffering from a gunshot wound, who was transported to a hospital and is expected to survive. The driver, who fled before police arrived, was later found.

Some of the store's front windows have been shattered, and the interior was strewn with debris. Depending on the extent of the damage to the building, Rofhiwa could be closed for months, co-owner Beverly Makhubele told the News & Observer.

The store will continue to sell books online for as long as the storefront is closed, and Rofhiwa's barista-booksellers will switch to remote work. Money raised from the GoFundMe campaign will go toward paying staff wages, setting up systems for remote work, covering rent, and more.

Makhubele noted that the 24th was supposed to be the bookstore's first day back in business from a summer break for staff. Instead, the team is pivoting to remote work and trying to wrap their minds around the "insurance jargon." The next step will be a call for cleaning support, as the store is "really in terrible shape."

In an Instagram post published Sunday, Makhubele extended "my deepest and heartfelt gratitude to the folks in East Durham, who were among the first to respond. Thank you for sitting on the deck with me, offering food, drink, words, hugs, and help into the night. Thank you to each of the business operators in our little corridor, especially, who have taken the time to reach out."

Makhubele called the crash "regrettable and difficult. And these things seldom happen apart from the myriad socio-political circumstances that converge upon, constrain, and animate the lives of Black folk the world over; that is regrettable and difficult too. I ask that we uplift in our hearts, the lives of the young people who were harmed and possibly injured last night. May their ancestors bless and preserve them.

"I love us. I love this neighborhood. I love us when we are joyful and dancing and hurting. Especially when we are hurting. This neighborhood is full of life and overflowing with love. And that is a thing for which I remain grateful.

"To our little team at Rofhiwa, I thank each of you from the bottom of my heart. I am without a mouth or tongue to utter the depth of my gratitude and debt to each of you. The sun rises tomorrow."

The Book Industry Charitable Foundation is launching a pilot program for BincTank, a business incubator designed to increase equity in bookstore ownership by supporting entrepreneurs from historically underrepresented communities.

Binc is looking for entrepreneurs who want to open mission-driven bookstores in their communities. This includes everyone from prospective bookstore owners new to the industry to booksellers who may have already founded online stores, pop-up stores, or even bricks-and-mortar stores, and want to further expand their operations.

The program has five areas of focus--capital, education, mentorship, peer-to-peer networking, and resource material--and will help participants create an attractive business concept, establish a strong organization, build lasting customer and community relationships, and maintain profitable operations.

The pilot phase will run for three years, with the initial cohort to consist of about 10-12 entrepreneurs. And while BincTank will eventually be open to people from all marginalized groups, the pilot will focus specifically on BIPOC entrepreneurs, who statistically are more likely to have had loan applications denied and who more frequently face difficulties when seeking out professional services, among other barriers. Applications will open early next year, and Binc encourages all BIPOC entrepreneurs interested in opening a bookstore in their community to apply.

Ken White

"We're looking for people who don't just want to open a bookstore but people who have to open a bookstore," said BincTank program manager Ken White, emphasizing BincTank's mission-driven nature.

Pam French, Binc's executive director, stressed the importance of being place-based: "Every community deserves their bookstore. Having someone who is part of that community is key."

BincTank has been "a long time coming," said French. In 2017, a number of individuals approached Binc asking if the organization helped prospective bookstore owners start their businesses. At the time, French recalled, the answer was no--it wasn't part of Binc's mission, and the organization felt it wasn't well positioned to provide those services. That same year, a number of potential funders approached Binc asking essentially the same question. "We agreed the industry and communities needed more bookstores," French said, "but we weren't sure the challenge should be picked up by us."

As more parties asked Binc the same question, the team decided, "maybe we should listen." Rather than jump right in, the Binc team began researching the need for such a service and whether Binc would be the right organization. That research, conducted with a mission-driven organization called Strategic Growth Group, actually began in January of 2020.

Just a few months later, those efforts "got put on the back burner a bit," French remarked, but seeing the way communities rallied around their bookstores during the pandemic, and the way bookstores in turn helped keep those communities together, made the team realize that "maybe this idea wasn't as far-fetched as we'd thought."

In fact, White continued, their research showed that Binc would be the "best place for this to be happening." The organization has experience giving out money and grants; has shown that it can "pivot in a crisis"; and, as a 501c3, is able to give direct help in a way that other industry organizations could not. He added that BincTank's multi-pronged approach, which internally is referred to as the five pillars, also sets it apart. In talking with various industry partners, "they tend to focus a lot on one piece," whether that be capital or education or another factor. "It takes all of those pieces."

BincTank's early funding has come from Abrams, the American Booksellers Association, HarperCollins Publishers, Litographs, and Macmillan. French noted that conversations with publishers about BincTank have been "very enthusiastic," with many publishers having internal programs meant to support diversity, equity and inclusion in the industry. BincTank aligns with those efforts, and publishers have shared helpful data with Binc.

Asked how it feels finally to announce BincTank, French said she got "choked up" simply seeing the first complete draft of a press release about the incubator. She has always believed very strongly in the importance of reading and literacy, and being part of something that aims to expand the foundations of literacy feels "very powerful for me personally."

White, who identifies as a queer person of color and has been in the book industry since the early 1990s, said a program like BincTank has "been needed for a really long time." It is "really exciting" to be part of a project addressing the inequity in bookselling, and White hopes that, long term, BincTank helps give rise to a new generation of bookselling leaders.

More information about BincTank can be found here. Anyone interested in becoming a funder for BincTank can contact kathy@bincfoundation.org, while general inquiries about BincTank can be sent to ken@bincfoundation.org.--Alex Mutter

The Green Arcade, "an independent bookstore in the heart of San Francisco known for its one-of-a-kind selection and signature jukebox," closed July 23 after 15 years in business, SFGate reported, adding that "bicycle messenger turned bookstore owner Patrick Marks, who for decades was the buyer for the storied Cody's Books in Berkeley and the manager of Tro Harper Books on Powell Street before opening up a shop of his own in 2008, said he is retiring--but he's not leaving the business entirely."

"I'm positing it as in the film biz when you're an actor and you become a director," he said. "I'm going to the other side of the camera--I want to do publishing." Noting that he had decided to start winding down operations about five years ago, Marks plans to spend more time with his husband Gent Sturgeon, an artist who worked at City Lights bookstore for 32 years before retiring. 

"I need to stop being a bigamist, because I'm married to the store, so I can stay closer to home in Noe Valley," Marks added. "I'm kind of sad that the timing has come with a lot of retail closing, but I had planned this before all of this was coming up. And I'm not sad about closing the store... the word would be wistful."

The Green Arcade's curation of books centered around nonfiction, environmentalism, activism and politics arose from Marks's involvement in the Green Festival, SFGate noted. "Regulars also found a vast selection of literature focused on San Francisco and California history, and Marks was always eager to discuss his bookstore's own roots in a neighborhood formerly known as the Hub."

"I was so happy to be on Market Street--I loved being in the middle of all the excitement. To me, it really is the center of the universe. That sounds really egomaniacal, never mind," he said, adding that during the bookshop's closing sale everything was "really flying off the shelves. People are coming by for a stack of books and then want a hug."

As for his future, Marks plans to remain at the helm of Ithuriel's Spear Press in San Francisco, and is working on releasing Muni Is My Ride later this fall, an art book by Keith Ferris and Lia Smith featuring portraits and interviews with 22 Muni operators. He also hopes to print a partial manuscript left behind by his friend, author and activist Francesca Rosa, who worked at the Arc San Francisco for more than 30 years and died in 2016. 

"I wanted to retire to have the time and concentration to focus on these more intense projects that involve research and archival work," Marks said.

Kirk Howard

Kirk Howard, founder of Canadian publisher Dundurn Press, died June 30. He was 80. Howard established Dundurn Press in 1972 as a publisher of books on Canadian history. Over the decades, the press expanded, particularly during the 1990s and 2000s, when Dundurn acquired other Canadian publishers, including Natural Heritage Books, XYZ Publishing, and Thomas Allen Publishers. These acquisitions expanded Dundurn's list to encompass business, politics, local interest, memoirs, and travel, along with literary fiction, mysteries, and fiction for young adults.

In a tribute to the man who had "a profound impact on Canada's publishing industry and helping to build the careers of hundreds of Canadian authors," the Dundurn Press team noted that "thousands of books were published under Kirk's tenure and many were nominated for awards.... During his long career, Kirk played a significant part in the development of the Canadian industry and held posts as the president of the Association of Canadian Publishers, the president of the Ontario Book Publishers Organization, treasurer of Livres Canada Books, and board member of Access Copyright."

Howard's many honors include the President's Award from the Ontario Historical Society in 1989 and in 2012; the Janice E. Handford Award from the Ontario Book Publishers Organization in 2015; and Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. He was invested into the Order of Canada in 2019.

Howard sold Dundurn Press in early 2019. In the tribute, the current Dundurn team noted that it "aims to continue Kirk Howard's legacy by bringing Canadian publishing excellence to the world.... We honor Kirk's hard work and leadership, which underpins the publishing program that we are proud to produce today. And while our thoughts are with Kirk's close friends and families, we are heartened to know that Kirk was able to see Dundurn Press celebrate 50 years before he passed away."

Congratulations to the Book Table, Oak Park, Ill., which is celebrating its 20th anniversary today. Co-owners Jason Smith and Rachel Weaver originally opened the bookshop in a 2,800-square-foot storefront on Lake Street in 2003, expanded five years later by moving to the 5,600-square-foot space next door, and again in 2018 by reacquiring their original space and breaking down a wall in between.

When the Book Table opened, there was a Borders Bookstore two blocks down the street and a Barbara's Bookstore one block away. "People thought we were crazy. We were this funny little store opening down the street from these big, established stores," said Smith. "People felt sorry for us. Now we're left with the eerie feeling of being the last ones standing."

Weaver observed: "We spent years basically just saying yes. We listened to what people were asking for and we made it happen. We like to think our customers have largely created the store we have today. We do a certain amount of curation so that we can guide customers toward the books that they don't know they want yet, but largely it's just an act of listening."

The Book Table will be celebrating its anniversary with an in-store 20%-off sale on Saturday, as well as significant raises and improved benefits packages across the board for the staff. 

Smith recalled that "when Rachel and I started working in other indies in the '90s, we barely made minimum wage, and if we had health insurance at all, it was the kind of insurance that you couldn't afford to use unless you got hit by a car. But we've now had the privilege of working as booksellers for several decades, and we want to foster the kind of working environment that allows our staff to be able to afford to do the same. Since day one we've paid our employees' health insurance, and we've always tried to stay ahead of the curve in terms of pay. But we are now fully committing to paying a real living wage to our employees, and we will have a retirement plan in place by the end of the year." 

Weaver added: "We've been lucky to have low staff turnover over the years--most of our current staff has worked for us between 2 to 11 years. They have shown a dedication and commitment to us that just blows us away. We wouldn't have the store we have without them, so it only makes sense to mark this milestone with a renewed commitment to them."

Reverie Books, Austin Tex., posted a photo on Facebook of yesterday's UPS delivery, noting: "Look, this is just part of one daily shipment from UPS for a store our size which is tiny. Our very nice delivery people come in from the 107 degree heat lugging these in their unairconditioned delivery vans and I worry about them, which is why we've been in support of the UPS strike for higher pay (from 7.25 which is.... look, I could go on) and air conditioned vehicles because COME ON. I hear the strike has been averted and demands met. Great, but we'll still be here willing to not have books if you guys need us."

Small World Books, Venice, Calif., shared a photo of the shop's latest sidewalk chalkboard message: "Find your next Midsummer Night's read."

David Sweeney has joined Little Bee Books as a senior manager, special markets. He formerly oversaw the special sales retail, gift, and educational wholesale channels at HarperCollins.

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Tatiana Radujkovic has joined Blackstone Publishing as publicist.

A Wild Promise: An Illustrated Celebration of the Endangered Species Act by Allen Crawford with introductory essay by Terry Tempest Williams (Tin House).

Tomorrow:
Tamron Hall repeat: Anthony Chin-Quee, author of I Can't Save You: A Memoir (Riverhead, $28, 9780593418888).

Netflix has released a trailer Heartstopper, season 2, based on the YA graphic novel and webcomic series by Alice Oseman. Variety reported that the trailer "gives a look at the students setting off for France. The queer romantic comedy series is set to return on August 3."

Kit Connor and Joe Locke star in the series, which "skyrocketed in popularity after its April 2022 series premiere, reaching Netflix’s top 10 list in 54 countries. The streamer was quick to renew the series for second and third seasons," Variety noted. The cast also includes William Gao, Yasmin Finney, Corinna Brown, Kizzy Edgell, Stephen Fry, and Olivia Colman.

The TV series is written, created, and executive produced by Oseman. Euros Lyn, Patrick Walkers, Iain Canning, and Emile Sherman all serve as executive producers. 

The 2023 James Tait Black Prizes, honoring the best works of fiction and biography, have been won by Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver for fiction and Come Back in September: A Literary Education on West Sixty-Seventh Street by Manhattan Darryl Pinckney for nonfiction. Each winner receives £10,000 (about $12,840). Presented by the University of Edinburgh since 1919, the prizes are the only major British book prizes judged by literature scholars and students.

Fiction judge Dr. Benjamin Bateman of the University of Edinburgh called Demon Copperhead "a captivating piece of realist literature which is exceptional across all of the dimensions we look for.... [It] brings together past and present, repurposing the social realism of Charles Dickens' David Copperfield to address the current opioid epidemic in Appalachia. It is a searing indictment of corporate greed, a sensitive exploration of a community too often written off, and a hopeful endorsement of the healing power of art."

Biography judge Dr. Simon Cooke of the University of Edinburgh called Come Back in September "thoroughly absorbing: a vivid, nuanced, and moving tribute to Elizabeth Hardwick, a fascinating portrait of a place, time, and milieu, and a profound meditation on memory, friendship, and the literary life... The Biography panel found Come Back in September a literary memoir of great generosity in its sense of tribute to others, and a formally fascinating inquiry into the diverse idioms of life-writing. It strikes many notes, fusing dazzling conversational wit and poised elegy, and the sentences are so supple, surprising, and graceful--it's a masterclass in tonal integrity. The book stayed with us, and we feel sure we'll keep coming back to it."

photo: Leah Muse

Josh Rountree has published more than 70 short stories in a variety of magazines and anthologies. Some of his favorites are collected in Fantastic Americana (Fairwood Press). Rountree writes in several genres, including dark fantasy, weird western, science fiction, alternate history, and horror. He lives in Austin, Tex., with too many records and guitars. The Legend of Charlie Fish (Tachyon), Rountree's first novel, stars a Texan who meets two orphaned siblings at his father's funeral and plans to bring them home with him to Galveston; the two siblings play a part in the fate of the titular human-fish hybrid.

Handsell readers your book in 25 words or less:

Creature from the Black Lagoon meets True Grit. A weird western with witchcraft, scoundrels, sea people, and a killer hurricane.

On your nightstand now:

Lone Women by Victor LaValle, a dark historical fantasy about women homesteaders in Montana in 1915. One of them has a dark secret that drives the story in entirely unexpected directions.

The Strange by Nathan Ballingrud, a lovely, elegiac coming-of-age novel, set on yesterday's Mars.

Lost Places: Stories by Sarah Pinsker, the latest short story collection from a brilliant speculative fiction writer.

Conjuring the Witch by Jessica Leonard. There are witches in the woods, and they are of our own making.

Favorite book when you were a child:

I loved Encyclopedia Brown, paperback westerns, Tolkien, Stephen King, novelizations of science fiction movies, Choose Your Own Adventure books, and pretty much anything else I could get my hands on. But if I had to narrow it down to one book that I read over and over again in elementary school, it would be Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume. I read the cover off that book and then, of course, discovered Superfudge and did the same to that one.

Your top five authors:

Yikes, this is hard! Let's go with these five favorites:

Larry McMurtry--because he wrote my favorite book, Lonesome Dove, and because of his profound understanding of Texas, the good parts and the bad.

Joe R. Lansdale--because of his fearless approach to genre, his dark humor, and his absolutely unforgettable characters.

Kelly Link--because I love short stories above all else, and she writes them better than anyone on the planet.

Ray Bradbury--because of the beautiful way he used language and how he could conjure up a sense of wonder better than anyone else I've read.

Neil Gaiman--because his short stories are magic spells, and his novels are so beautiful and strange.

Book you've faked reading:

I don't recall ever faking a read, but I'm certain I slogged through a few books in school that weren't my thing. I've always been a voracious reader, but I'd much rather read what interests me than something I'm being made to read. I absolutely recall not enjoying John Steinbeck in high school, but once I revisited his novels on my own terms, I loved them. East of Eden is one of my all-time favorite books.

Book you're an evangelist for:

She Rides Shotgun by Jordan Harper. This extraordinary crime novel tells of a newly-ex con and his estranged 11-year-old daughter, on the run from criminals who want them dead. It's brutal, fast-paced, and tense, and his prose really sings. If you enjoy She Rides Shotgun, the rest of Jordan's books exist in the same wider world he's created. The Last King of California, Everybody Knows, and Love and Other Wounds: Stories are all fantastic reads. Jordan Harper is a truly remarkable writer.

Book you've bought for the cover:

Zero Saints by Gabino Iglesias. This cover practically begged me to read the book, and I'm so glad I did. It didn't take me long to move on to Coyote Songs, and then I bought The Devil Takes You Home as soon as it was released. Gabino writes like every word is on fire. He's become a must-read writer for me.

Book you hid from your parents:

I don't recall ever having to hide any books from my parents, but I'm fairly sure they weren't aware of what was going on in the Stephen King novels I started reading in middle school. The Shining, The Stand, Christine, Pet Sematary, and, of course, the newest one on the shelves at that time, It. I read all of King's early books again and again, and those original cover images are still burned into my memory. I used to get a thrill just taking them off the shelves and looking at them. My favorite of his novels then, and my favorite still, is 'Salem's Lot. I've read it quite a few times, and it never fails to terrify.  

Book that changed your life:

By Bizarre Hands by Joe R. Lansdale. This is Joe's first short story collection. I'd read a couple of his stories in anthologies, but when I tracked down this book, it opened my eyes to a new world of short fiction. The collection features crime stories, dark science fiction, alternate history, and some of the darkest horror stories that Joe ever wrote. At that time, I was working up the nerve to start submitting my short fiction, but I wasn't sure what sort of writer I was. It felt like By Bizarre Hands gave me permission to write whatever the heck I wanted. I didn't have to be a horror writer or a fantasy writer or a western writer. I could just be a writer. Joe set this example, and I've followed it throughout my career, mixing and matching genres however I've wanted, and letting the market sort out what kind of stories they were--and where they belonged.

Favorite line from a book:

"It's a fine world, though rich in hardships at times." --Larry McMurtry, Lonesome Dove.

Five books you'll never part with:

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry; Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury; Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link; Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman; The Time It Never Rained by Elmer Kelton.

Book you most want to read again for the first time:

Outside the Gates of Eden by Lewis Shiner. This is a giant, sprawling saga of friends growing up in the '60s and one of the most immersive novels I've ever read. When I finished, I wanted to dive back in right away, because I missed hanging out with those wonderful characters.

In Something, Someday, Amanda Gorman tells one story with her words while Christian Robinson suggests another with his pictures. Intertwining text and art on the same page results in an exquisitely complementary achievement that amplifies each half to produce a remarkable whole.

Gorman made history when she became, at 22, the youngest presidential inaugural poet, delivering the acclaimed "The Hill We Climb" at President Biden's 2021 inauguration. Her first book for children, Change Sings: A Children's Anthem, made its debut that same year. Change is again at the heart of her verses here, about affecting change when "you're sure/ There's something wrong." Despite discouragement--"this is too big for you," "this won't work," being "told to sit and wait"--Gorman eschews the sadness, fear, confusion, and anger to be "[a] little hopeful." Finding "someone who will hope with you,/ .../ who will fight with you," who will work together toward "something that makes you feel/ Hopeful, happy, and loved" can make dreams come true. By using general words--sometimes, someday, somewhere, someone, something--Gorman deftly ensures her verses will find resonance in any challenging situation that encourages committed participation to enable change.

As if providing one such tangible example of "something that makes you smile/ As you tell someone else," Caldecott Honoree Christian Robinson (Last Stop on Market Street, which earned author Matt de la Peña the Newbery Medal) solidifies Gorman's words with a glorious, brilliantly specific narrative. On the page, Gorman's unnamed "problem" becomes a neighborhood blighted by growing mounds of careless, thoughtless garbage. A determined young child first cleans up the mess, then takes the extra step of planting a garden. One kid becomes three, and adults join in to help, eventually engendering communal food and blooms. Robinson's signature paint and collage art is dynamic, with visible brushstrokes that add layered texture to walls, clothing, and leaves. Each page announces and celebrates the diversity--socioeconomic, ethnicity, ability, age--among the neighbors. Robinson even manages to instill a reminder for patience, introducing a pregnant mother in the first pages who, by book's end, is pushing a baby in a stroller with a proud older sibling leading the way.

Gorman and Robinson are both leaders in their respective fields. Their joint creation becomes a powerful antidote to doubters and naysayers, emphatically bearing witness that "the tiniest things/ Make a huge difference." --Terry Hong, BookDragon

Shelf Talker: Poet Amanda Gorman and artist Christian Robinson's marvelous collaboration is a magnificent, complementary achievement inspiring hopeful change.