In Jason Reynolds’ new video, part of his “Write. Right. Rite.” series for the Library, the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature asks you to imagine getting a letter from your very own hero, and what that letter might say. Picture it: a note to you from Beyonce, Lebron James, maybe Stephen King.
Okay, that last one is mine. I wrote to King when I was a teen. This was the early ’80s. Loved his books. Wanted to grow up and be just like him. Lo and behold, he actually wrote me back. Just a postcard, typed, telling me a couple things about how he wrote and wishing me luck.
Four decades later, it’s still framed on my desk. It’s right next to a framed letter from Alice Walker. The author of “The Color Purple” wrote a couple of nice lines about one of my books. I died.
Reynolds’ personal icon is the poet and playwright Langston Hughes. He knows how magical these letters can be. To kick-start your imagination, he asks you to imagine getting one of those.
Here he is:
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Fun, no? Want more? We have all of Jayson’s videos for you to watch, anytime.
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