Nikki Giovanni & Renée Watson | A Conversation about Poetry and Sisterhood | HarperCollins
World-renowned poet Nikki Giovanni and award-winning author Renée Watson team up for a heartfelt conversation about poet and activist Maya Angelou, the subject of Maya’s Song, a new picture book from Renée Watson and Bryan Collier. This unforgettable picture book introduces young readers to the life and work of Maya Angelou, whose words have uplifted and inspired generations of readers. The author of the celebrated autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya was the first Black person and first woman to recite a poem at a presidential inauguration, and her influence echoes through culture and history.
What Poet Nikki Giovanni Taught Me About Choosing Joy in the Face of Pain
Oprah Daily
As a poet, she showed me how art had the power to heal. As a second mother, she taught me something even more powerful.
To Thine Self Be True with Renée Watson | Black America
New York Times bestselling and award winning author, Renée Watson joins host Carol Jenkins to discuss her novel, "Skin & Bones". After writing children's books for many years, Watson introduces us to 40-year-old Lena Baker in this novel that explores legacy, love, sisterhood and more.
Oregonian: The Banning of Black Joy.
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“Defiant.” “Rebellious.” “Pessimism.” “Victimhood.” “Racism.”
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These are the words that were used to describe my middle-grade novel “Ways to Make Sunshine” by a small group of parents of the Sumner County school district in Tennessee in 2022. “Ways to Make Sunshine” is the first book of the Ryan Hart series, a collection of stories I wrote about a fourth-grade girl growing up in Portland who tries to see the best in people, always finding the bright side of hard, challenging situations.
Velshi Banned Book Club: 'The 1619 Project: Born on the Water' co-authored by Renée Watson & illustrated by Nikkolas Smith I MSNBC
​By reframing U.S. history by placing the realities of slavery at the center of it, Nikole Hannah-Jones’ landmark initiative “The 1619 Project” offers answers to questions of identity, belonging, and origin for Black Americans. But what about for Black children? Today’s Velshi Banned Book Club meeting will examine the children’s adaptation called “The 1619 Project: Born on the Water”. Lyrically written with beautiful illustrations, “Born on the Water” tells the story of a young girl who receives a family tree assignment in school. The rest, as they say, is history. Co-author Renée Watson & illustrator Nikkolas Smith join the Velshi Banned Book Club.
REBROADCAST: Author Renée Watson on ‘skin & bones,’ her first novel for adults I OPB
Author Renée Watson, who splits her time between Portland and New York City, recently released her first novel for adults, "skin & bones." Renée Watson has topped bestseller lists and won multiple awards for her children’s and young adult literature. But the author, who splits her time between Portland and New York City, recently released “skin & bones,” her first book for adults. The story follows 40-year-old Lena Baker as she navigates dating, fat-shaming, friendship and motherhood while also working to bring Oregon’s Black history to the general public. The book also deals with grief, faith and the things we pass from one generation to the next. We spoke with Watson on June 24, 2024 about her adult fiction debut.
When You Lose Your Anchor People: Renée Watson & Making Space For Grief I The Dougy Center
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What does it mean to lose your anchor people? In a short period of time, Renée Watson experienced the death of her mother, her mentor Nikki Giovanni, and her childhood friend, Charnetta. Renée shares how these experiences influenced her latest novel for young readers, All the Blues in the Sky, which follows 13-year-old Sage as she navigates grief after the death of her best friend.
How to Make Space for Children's Grief I Romper
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When I was about 10 years old, a boy who attended my church died. His name was Antonio and we sang in the youth choir together. He drowned at Blue Lake Park on the 4th of July. I remember singing at his funeral, I remember the pained look on his mother’s face as the undertaker closed the casket. I remember being afraid of riding the paddle boats at Blue Lake Park because what if…what if? But what I don’t remember is anyone asking me how I felt about Antonio dying. I don’t remember anyone at the church sitting the young people down and saying, “We’re here if you need to talk.”