Renée Watson
Born (1978-07-29) July 29, 1978
Paterson, New Jersey, U.S.
OccupationWriter and Teacher
GenreYoung Adult, Picture Books, Middle Grade
Years active2010–present
Notable works
Notable awards
Website
www.reneewatson.net

Renée Watson (born July 29, 1978) is an American teaching artist and author of children's books, best known for her award-winning and New York Times bestselling young adult novel Piecing Me Together,[1] for which she received the John Newbery Honor, Coretta Scott King Author Award, and Bank Street Children's Book Committee's Josette Frank Award for fiction. Watson founded the nonprofit I, Too, Arts Collective to provide creative arts programs to the Harlem community.[2]

Early life

Watson was born in Paterson, New Jersey and grew up in northeast Portland, Oregon after her parents' divorce. Her mother's family is originally from West Virginia.[3] Watson attended Vernon Elementary School, Binnsmead Middle School, and Jefferson High School in Portland Oregon.[4] She was a member of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church where she recited poetry on holidays and special occasions.[5] She loved poetry from a young age and read the work of poets like Maya Angelou and Langston Hughes.[6] When she first read poems by Hughes in elementary school, Watson felt a strong connection to them and sense of herself, her family, and her neighbors reflected in his work.[2] Sandra Cisneros' The House on Mango Street was one of the formative works of her childhood.[7] From a young age, she knew she was interested in writing and was encouraged to pursue this by her teachers and family.[8] In middle school, she wanted to be a lawyer for a time.[9] This was also when she wrote her first play, which her middle school produced as their spring show.[3] While in high school she participated in a mentorship and has since returned to mentor others at her former high school. As a senior she also assisted in teaching poetry to underclassmen.[6] Watson describes herself as a teaching artist, having spent twenty years teaching poetry and theater before becoming a novelist.[10] She moved to New York in 2005 where she attended The New School to study creative writing and art therapy. While she was in school she published her first book.[6][2] In the future she hopes to publish adult fiction and poetry books in addition to her young adult and children's books.[6]

Career

Teaching

Watson has spent over 20 years as a teaching artist throughout the country.[10] She has partnered with outside organizations to lead workshops and to be an artist in residence at various schools. She has taught poetry, writing and theater classes around the US.[3] For example, she has taught poetry at DreamYard, a Bronx-based youth educational nonprofit,[11] and is a member of the DreamYard 2019 Board of Directors.[12] Additionally, Watson has run poetry and theater workshops that aim to help children deal with traumas from various sources (such as natural disasters and sexual assault).[13] Likewise, Watson was a Writer in residence at the Schools and Self Enhancement Inc, a Portland-based nonprofit organization that works with underprivileged youth in the North-Portland area.[14] Watson has also put on professional development workshops for teachers and adult artists.[13]

Writing

In 2019, Watson celebrated 10 years of being a published writer.[10] Watson has been writing since she was in the second grade, when she wrote a 21-page story.[15] Her first children's book, A Place Where Hurricanes Happen, was published June 22, 2010 and is a product of her nonprofit work in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.[16] Watson's second picture book, Harlem's Little Blackbird: The Story of Florence Mills, was published October 23, 2012, and received multiple awards and nominations.[17] Watson's Young Adult novels include This Side of Home (published February 3, 2015), Piecing Me Together (published February 14, 2017), and Watch Us Rise (Feb 12, 2019).[18] Her poem, "Black Like Me," was published by Rethinking Schools,[19] along with other articles and interviews Watson wrote. Her poetry also appears in the Theatre of the Mind and With Hearts Ablaze.[13] Ways to Make Sunshine, a middle-grade novel was published on April 28, 2020.[20][21]

Watson uses her position as an author to speak up about seeking counseling and therapy when needed.[3]

Watson performed "Roses are Red Women are Blue," a one-woman show, at the Lincoln Center in New York City.[22]

I, Too, Arts Collective

When Watson first moved to New York and explored Harlem landmarks, she was disappointed to learn that the former home of Harlem Renaissance author Langston Hughes was not open to the public. In 2016, after growing concerned that the historical home may be lost to gentrification,[6] Watson found the current owner and shared her vision to open up the home to visitors. The owner agreed if Watson could afford to lease the brownstone, and in just 30 days, Watson raised the necessary money by starting the fundraising campaign #LangstonsLegacy.[2]

Watson founded the I, Too, Arts Collective named after the famous Langston Hughes' poem, "I, Too." The board of the nonprofit decided that Hughes' former brownstone should not be turned into a museum, but should be a creative space for the Harlem community. Since opening the space to the public in 2017, the collective provides creative arts programs such as poetry workshops and drum classes for children and adults. They also host a range of literary events such as book launch parties and readings.[2][6]

Watson originally hoped to raise enough money to buy the landmark and renovate the second floor. She wanted to provide fellowships for out-of-town artists to stay in the house in exchange for providing creative workshops to the community.[6]

On November 4, 2019, The I, Too, Arts Collective announced on their website that they will be closing when their lease ends on December 31, 2019. They were unable to come to a new lease agreement with the owner. Their digital archives will remain available on their website.[23] Caleb Watson is her nephew

Selected works

Watson's first picture book A Place Where Hurricanes Happen was inspired by her work with students who had experienced Hurricane Katrina. After working with the kids to create their own poetry she wrote this book which follows four kids as they tell about life before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina.[8] She initially wrote it as part of a creative writing assignment while at The New School and was encouraged to publish it by her professor.[3]

Watson's second young adult novel, Piecing Me Together, was published by Bloomsbury in 2017.[24] It tells the story of Jade, a poor African-American teenager at a predominantly white Portland, Oregon high school who struggles with the prejudice of the people surrounding her. It debuted at number nine on the New York Times young adult hardcover bestseller list on March 18, 2018.[1] It also received several starred reviews,[25][26] won the Coretta Scott King Author Award[27] and the Bank Street Children's Book Committee's Josette Frank Award for fiction, and was a Newbery Honor Book.[28] Watson's relationships with the black women she knew growing up and a 2014 NAACP report exploring struggles exclusive to African-American girls inspired her to write this novel.[29]

Together with the subject's daughter, Ilyasah Shabazz, she co-authored Betty Before X, a fictionalized account of civil rights leader Dr. Betty Shabazz's life in 1945 Detroit prior to meeting Malcolm X.[30]

Watson's third young adult novel, Watch Us Rise, about two best friends who start a women's rights club in their high school, was published by Bloomsbury in 2019. It's co-written with author Ellen Hagan.[31]

For both her first picture book A Place Where Hurricanes Happen and her latest middle grade novel Some Places More Than Others, Watson worked with illustrator Shadra Strickland.[32]

Awards and honors

The Bank Street College of Education has named 13 of Watson's books the best of the year:

Bank Street further indicated that Piecing Me Together (2018), Betty Before X (2019), Black Enough (2019),[33] and T (2022) had "outstanding merit".[34]

Piecing Me Together was a New York Times Best Seller.[1]

In 2021, Barnes & Noble and Publishers Weekly included The 1619 Project on their lists of the best picture books of the year.[35][36]

The same year, Booklist included Love is a Revolution on their Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth[37] and Top 10 Romance for Youth lists.[38]

In 2022, Booklist included Maya's Song on their Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth[39] and "Top 10 Biographies & Memoirs for Youth" lists.[40]

Awards for Watson's writing
Year Title Award Result Ref.
2017 Piecing Me Together Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Novel Finalist [41]
2018 Coretta Scott King Award Winner [27]
Jane Addams Children's Book Award Honor [42]
Josette Frank Award Winner [43]
Newbery Medal Honor [28]
2020 Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award Finalist [44]
2021 The 1619 Project Barnes & Noble Book of the Year Award Finalist [36]

Bibliography

Picture books

  • A Place Where Hurricanes Happen. Illustrated by Shadra Strickland. Random House Books for Young Readers. 2010. ISBN 9780375856099.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)[45]
  • Harlem's Little Blackbird: The Story of Florence Mills. Random House Books for Young Readers. 2012. ISBN 9780375869730.[46]
  • The 1619 Project: Born on the Water. Co-written with Nikole Hannah-Jones, illustrated by Nikkolas Smith. Penguin Young Readers. 2021. ISBN 9780593307359.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)[47]
  • Maya's Song. Illustrated by Bryan Collier. HarperCollins. 2022. ISBN 9780062871589.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)[48]

Young adult novels

Middle grade novels

Ryan Hart series

The Ryan Hart books are illustrated by Niña Mata and published by Bloomsbury Children's Books.

  • Ways to Make Sunshine. 2020. ISBN 9781547600564.[56]
  • Ways to Grow Love. 2021. ISBN 9781547600588.[57]
  • Ways to Share Joy. 2022. ISBN 9781547609093.[58]
  • Ways to Build Dreams. 2023. ISBN 9781547610181.

Contributions

  • Marshall, Elizabeth A.; Sensoy, Özlem, eds. (2011). "The Murder of Sean Bell". Rethinking Popular Culture and Media. Rethinking Schools. pp. 304–311. ISBN 9780942961485.[59]
  • Watson, Dyan; Christensen, Linda, eds. (2015). Rhythm and Resistance: Teaching Poetry for Social Justice. Rethinking Schools. ISBN 9780942961614.[60]
  • Phelps, Ethel Johnston (2017). "Introduction". The Hunter Maiden: Feminist Folktales from Around the World. Illustrated by Suki Boynton. Feminist Press. ISBN 9781558614345.
  • Edim, Gloria (2018). "Space to Move Around In". Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves. Ballantine Books. pp. 65–74. ISBN 9780525619789.[61]
  • Zoboi, Ibi, ed. (2019). "Half a Moon". Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America. Balzer + Bray. ISBN 9780062698742.[62]
  • Manfredi, Angie, ed. (2019). "The Story of My Body". The (Other) F Word: A Celebration of the Fat and Fierce. Amulet Books. ISBN 9781419737503.[63]
  • Hudson, Wade; Hudson, Cheryl Willis, eds. (2020). "Remember This". The Talk: Conversations About Race, Love & Truth. Illustrated by Shadra Strickland. Random House Children's Books. pp. 1–6. ISBN 9780593121634.[64]
  • Newbould, Cassandra, ed. (2021). "Letting Go". Every Body Shines: Sixteen Stories About Living Fabulously Fat. Bloomsbury Publishing.[65]
  • Hughes, Langston (2021). "Foreword". In Roessel, David; Rampersad, Arnold (eds.). Poetry for Young People: Langston Hughes. Illustrated by Benny Andrews. Union Square Kids. ISBN 9781454943754.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Young Adult Hardcover Books - Best Sellers". The New York Times. 2018-03-18. Archived from the original on 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Arts collective in Langston Hughes' home carries on writer's legacy". CBS News. April 12, 2018. Archived from the original on November 8, 2019. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Renée Watson". First Draft With Sarah Enni. Archived from the original on 2019-11-11. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
  4. ↑ Baker, Jeff (2010-06-16). "Jefferson High alum Renee Watson finds literary success in New York". oregonlive. Archived from the original on 2019-11-10. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
  5. ↑ Watson, Renée (2018-02-01). "Opinion | Remember Langston Hughes's Anger Alongside His Joy". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2020-06-11. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Reed, Josephine. "Renee Watson". National Endowment for the Arts. Archived from the original on 2019-11-08. Retrieved 2019-11-08.
  7. ↑ "Interview with Renée Watson". Pine Manor College. Archived from the original on 2019-12-02. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
  8. 1 2 Brown, Tameka Fryer. "Day 5: Renée Watson". The Brown Bookshelf. Archived from the original on 2019-05-12. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
  9. ↑ "Teen Press Corps Interviews Renee Watson!". 2017-10-08. Archived from the original on 2018-11-29. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  10. 1 2 3 "Interview with Renée Watson". Archived from the original on 2019-11-10. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
  11. ↑ "about". DreamYard. Archived from the original on 2019-11-11. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
  12. ↑ "board". DreamYard. Archived from the original on 2019-11-11. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
  13. 1 2 3 "Renee Watson | Penguin Random House". PenguinRandomhouse.com. Archived from the original on 2019-11-11. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
  14. ↑ "Mission". Self Enhancement, Inc. Archived from the original on 2019-11-10. Retrieved 2019-11-10.
  15. ↑ "Author Renée Watson". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on 2019-11-11. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
  16. ↑ "about". Renée Watson. Archived from the original on 2019-11-18. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
  17. ↑ "Harlem's Little Blackbird". Penguin Random House Higher Education. Archived from the original on 2023-04-15. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
  18. ↑ "books". Renée Watson. Archived from the original on 2019-11-18. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
  19. ↑ "From Rethinking Schools: Black Like Me". Rethinking Schools Publishers. Archived from the original on 2019-11-11. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
  20. ↑ "Ways to Make Sunshine by Renée Watson". Ways to Make Sunshine by Renée Watson. Archived from the original on 2019-12-13. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
  21. ↑ Bloomsbury.com. "Ways to Make Sunshine". Bloomsbury Publishing. Archived from the original on 2020-11-20. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
  22. ↑ York, New; NY. "Renee Watson". Poets & Writers. Archived from the original on 2019-11-11. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
  23. ↑ "I, Too, Arts Collective". I, Too, Arts Collective. November 4, 2019. Archived from the original on November 8, 2019. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  24. ↑ "Booktalking "Piecing Me Together" by Renee Watson". The New York Public Library. Archived from the original on 2018-11-29. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  25. ↑ Stevenson, Deborah (2017-03-24). "Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson (review)". Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. 70 (8): 384. doi:10.1353/bcc.2017.0321. ISSN 1558-6766. S2CID 201720432. Archived from the original on 2018-11-29. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  26. ↑ "Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson | SLJ Review". School Library Journal. Archived from the original on 2018-11-29. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  27. 1 2 "2018 CSK Author Award Acceptance by Renée Watson". The Horn Book. 2018-06-28. Archived from the original on 2018-11-29. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  28. 1 2 "Piecing Me Together | Awards & Grants". American Library Association. Archived from the original on 2018-11-29. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  29. ↑ "Interview: Renée Watson on YA Novel "Piecing Me Together"". School Library Journal. Archived from the original on 2018-11-29. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  30. ↑ "Author explores early life of her famous mother Dr. Betty Shabazz". Washington Post. 20 February 2018. Archived from the original on 12 April 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  31. ↑ Wilson, Kristian. "Start Reading From The New YA Book That's Sure To Inspire The Young Feminists In Your Life". Bustle. Archived from the original on 2018-11-29. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  32. ↑ "Finding the Vision for Some Places". SLJ. August 2019. Archived from the original on 10 November 2019. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  33. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Best Children's Books of the Year Archive". Bank Street College of Education. Archived from the original on 2021-12-24. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
  34. 1 2 3 4 5 Hare, Peter. "2022 Edition". Bank Street College of Education. Archived from the original on 2022-07-06. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
  35. ↑ "Best Books 2021". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on 2023-03-27. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  36. 1 2 "The 1619 Project: Born on the Water|Hardcover". Barnes & Noble. Archived from the original on 2023-04-13. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  37. ↑ "Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth, 2021". Booklist. 2022-01-01. Archived from the original on 2022-01-27. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  38. ↑ Hunter, Sarah (2021-09-15). "Top 10 Romance for Youth: 2021". Booklist. Archived from the original on 2023-04-05. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  39. ↑ "Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth, 2022". Booklist. 2022-12-01. Archived from the original on 2023-04-21. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  40. ↑ Khuri, Ronny (2023-06-01). "Top 10 Biographies & Memoirs for Youth: 2023". Booklist. Archived from the original on 2023-09-30. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  41. ↑ "2017 Los Angeles Times Book Prize - Young Adult Fiction Winner and Nominees". Awards Archive. 2020-03-25. Archived from the original on 2022-03-14. Retrieved 2022-03-14.
  42. ↑ "Jane Addams Children's Book Awards" (PDF). janeaddamspeace.org/. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 9, 2016. Retrieved August 15, 2017.
  43. ↑ Hare, Peter. "Past Winners". Bank Street College of Education. Archived from the original on 2021-01-26. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
  44. ↑ "2020 Master List Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award Illinois Children's Choice Award" (PDF). Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award. 2019-02-04. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-06-16. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  45. ↑ "A Place Where Hurricanes Happen by Renee Watson". Publishers Weekly. 2010-05-31. Archived from the original on 2023-09-09. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  46. ↑ "Harlem's Little Blackbird: The Story of Florence Mills by Renee Watson". Publishers Weekly. 2012-12-24. Archived from the original on 2023-09-09. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  47. ↑ "The 1619 Project: Born on the Water by Renee Watson, Nikole Hannah-Jones". Publishers Weekly. 2021-10-07. Archived from the original on 2023-05-01. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  48. ↑ Leeper, Angela (2022-06-01). "Maya's Song". Booklist. Archived from the original on 2023-06-26. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  49. ↑ "This Side of Home by Renee Watson". Publishers Weekly. 2014-12-15. Archived from the original on 2023-09-09. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  50. ↑ Anderson, Kristin (2017-01-12). "Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson | SLJ Review". School Library Journal. Archived from the original on 2018-11-29. Retrieved 2018-12-01.
  51. ↑ "Watch Us Rise by Renee Watson, Ellen Hagan". Publishers Weekly. 2018-12-03. Archived from the original on 2023-09-09. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  52. ↑ Bennett, Sandra (Spring 2021). "Love Is a Revolution". School Librarian. 69 (1): 65–66.
  53. ↑ "What Momma Left Me". Booklist. 2010-05-01. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  54. ↑ "Betty Before X by Ilyasah Shabazz, Renee Watson". Publishers Weekly. 2017-10-30. Archived from the original on 2023-09-09. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  55. ↑ "Some Places More Than Others by Renee Watson". Publishers Weekly. 2019-05-30. Archived from the original on 2023-09-11. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  56. ↑ "Ways to Make Sunshine by Renee Watson". Publishers Weekly. 2020-02-06. Archived from the original on 2022-08-08. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  57. ↑ Smith, Julia (2021-02-15). "Ways to Grow Love". Booklist. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  58. ↑ "Ways to Share Joy". Kirkus Reviews. 2022-07-12. Archived from the original on 2023-04-01. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  59. ↑ Laman, Tasha Tropp (March 2012). "Rethinking Popular Culture and Media". Language Arts. 89 (4): 267–269 – via ProQuest.
  60. ↑ Gillespie, Tim. "Rhythm and Resistance: Teaching Poetry for Social Justice". English Journal. 105 (6): 84–88 – via ProQuest.
  61. ↑ Savarese, Ralph (2020-02-10). "Disability Studies and the Personal; Or How You Can Learn to Stop Worrying and Love Neurodiversity". NeuroClastic. Archived from the original on 2023-09-24. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  62. ↑ "Black Enough: Stories of Being Young and Black in America by Tracey Baptiste (et al.)". Publishers Weekly. October 22, 2018. Archived from the original on June 8, 2023. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  63. ↑ "The Other F Word: A Celebration of the Fat and Fierce by". Publishers Weekly. 2019-09-11. Archived from the original on 2023-05-28. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  64. ↑ "The Talk: Conversations About Race, Love, & Truth by". Publishers Weekly. 2020-09-30. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  65. ↑ "Every Body Shines: Sixteen Stories about Living Fabulously Fat by". Publishers Weekly. 2021-05-13. Archived from the original on 2022-08-11. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
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