After listening to Elizabeth Acevedo’s voice so many times through Libby, it was a pleasure to hear 15 minutes of a live conversation with Kevin King.
In a world competing for our attention, we are already doing something radical just by spending time reading and sharing books, said Acevedo.
As an aspiring author myself, I loved King’s question about her process of writing for young adults while “in the trenches” as an educator. She tries to keep a good ear around teens, listening rather than jumping in (as our first instinct may be).
“Miss, I didn’t like your book that much. If I had written it, it would have been way funnier!”, she heard once. “Aha,” she replied, mimicking taking pen and paper to write it down. “What would you have said?”
These quotes are from memory, not verbatim. I wish I had captured exact quotes, because this interview was like poetry: no words wasted. In fact, this was the next topic of conversation.
To Acevedo, language is a cornerstone of culture. When writing, she asks herself: what is the most precise language to show what a character is experiencing?
As a poet, even when writing a novel, she keeps language brief and efficient to keep the story moving. As King put it, Acevedo’s work expertly balances tenderness and tension. I want anyone who picks up my books to feel they are loved, she explains. I don’t want to abandon them in hard feelings. In life, we hold and love each other.
Her next book, “Anger Is Only a Shadow”, explores the question: when we say do the right thing, what do we mean? Is it right by existing laws? Is it right in the eyes of our family? Is it right for someone else? For our values?
I cannot wait to read it, as well as the two recommendations she shared when asked what has inspired her lately: upcoming novel “Shook”, by Julian Randall, and “Before We Were Free”, by Julia Alvarez, a timely classic.
In the meantime, I will re-read “The Poet X” in my new, signed copy of its classic edition.
(All pictures courtesy of Gabi Silva)
Gabi Silva (she/her/hers) is a part-time Youth Services Assistant Librarian at the Milford Town Library (MA). She also offers storytimes in Portuguese and Spanish to Greater Boston libraries, and works on her own stories for children. Gabi recently pivoted from a career in software engineering to youth services, and this is her first conference in the field. She is beyond excited to connect with the ALA community and expand her horizons on librarianship and children’s literature. Gabi is thankful to the Massachusetts Library System for the conference scholarship program that allowed her to attend ALA 2026. She is also thankful to the Milford Town Library for supporting her attendance. Please look for her at the conference or online, she’d love to hear from you!
Please note that as a guest post, the views expressed here do not represent the official position of ALA or ALSC.
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