Last month, I had a “College and Career Project” due in Language Arts. I was asked to make a presentation about my plans for the future. At first, I was really excited about it. However, as the month went on, I realized I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. My whole childhood I’d grown up with the dream of becoming an author, but a couple weeks ago, that dream seemed impossible. I thought I’d known what I’d wanted to do, but suddenly I was in a slump.
That all changed today. Because today I met the author of one of my favorite books ever, Kwame Alexander. If you saw my review of his novel The Crossover, you know how greatly the book impacted me. Today I met Mr. Alexander at a small bookstore signing, but it was one of the biggest moments in my life. I now know that if I work hard, and stay determined, I can and will become and author someday. Thank you, Kwame Alexander. You are an inspiration.
2 replies on “Kwame Alexander”
I’m so glad you met him, and hope you will stay in contact with him. I hope he reads your blog.
You already are an author, my dear. I have no doubts whatsoever that you will also become a multiply-published, award-winning author some day in the not too distant future. You understand the soul of words for their own sake, as well as the depth of their meanings on multiple levels. Words speak to your spirit, and well as from your spirit. These are traits only the best authors possess, and unless you choose to let your talents go to waste, it is inevitable that you will succeed as a writer even more than you already have.
One of my all-time favorite quotes about writing comes from Mark Twain in a letter he wrote in 1890. He said, “The difference between the almost right word & the right word is really a large matter — it’s the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.” You are someone who understands how important a single word–the right word–can be. You also understand the poetry of words, even when they are presented as prose.
With that in mind, I wanted to tell you that I was so moved by your review of The Crossover, I immediately ordered it from the library, and I just finished reading it before I got up this morning. It was a very moving book, and I am glad I read it. Without your review and the author’s response to your review, chances are it would never have been on my radar at all. So, thank you. keep up the good work!