Richard Wright and the Library Card

Richard Wright and the Library Card is a fictionalized account of a scene from Wright’s life. As a seventeen-year-old black male living in Memphesis, Tennessee in the 1920s, Richard Wright did not have access to the same opportunities—such as borrowing books from the library—as his white counterparts. Convinced that education was his ticket to freedom, Wright desperately wanted to gain access, and with the aid of a white co-worker he was able to do just that. Christie’s impressionistic illustrations in acrylic and colored pencil enhance Miller’s portrayal of this young man’s struggle to acquire knowledge in the face of segregation. Even though this depiction is not strictly accurate, it captures the spirit of the encounter. Moreover, this picturebook would pair nicely with Wright’s autobiography, Black Boy, and the discrepancies can fuel a discussion regarding writer’s craft.

Richard Wright and the Library Card by William Miller; illus. by Gregory Christie
Primary
Lee & Low Books, Inc.
32 pp.
Published 1997
ISBN 978-1880000571
$15.95

Comments

Decloaking Wakanda: Creating Space for BIPOC Nerds

On February 9, 2023, at the fourth Joint Conference of Librarians of Color (JCLC), I had the exhilarating experience of guiding a discussion that focused on the need to connect with nerd culture and create a welcoming environment for the BIPOC fandom. The soul of this session had been several years in the making and built on countless heart-to-heart moments. So, I couldn’t imagine a better venue for seeing it actualized than my first JCLC. Furthermore, for this session, I had the honor of being in conversation with fellow nerds and comics librarians Jean Darnell and Deimosa Webber-Bey . To my eternal amazement, our talk was met with a standing room only reception, and afterward we were repeatedly regaled with tales of being turned away at the door. In hopes of capturing a small portion of that day's magic, this post grew out of that discussion. *** For the past 30 years, BIPOC nerds have existed in the cringe-worthy shadow of Urkel. What if, instead, they’d had portrayals such as

Standing TALL: Choosing to Apply to the Texas Library Association's TALL Texan Leadership Institute

After having attended the Texas Library Association's TALL Texan Leadership Institute, another library worker reached out to me with questions about my experience. Below are the answers that I provided in response to her questions. *** Why did you apply to Tall Texans? Originally, I heard about TALL Texans as a new school librarian - within my first five years - and at the time it was described to me as an opportunity to gain meaningful leadership training in the field of librarianship that was specific to the Texas Library ecosystem. Thus, it was something that I'd aspired to for quite awhile. However, as time went on I made my way toward leadership without having attended the institute and began to second guess the value of the investment. However, when I mentioned to my supervisor that I was mildly interested in attending, she strongly encouraged me to apply - stating that not only would the library pay for my tuition but that she believed I would particularly benefit from

This Barbie is a Comics Librarian: My 2023 Comic-Con International Recap

Although we did NOT pull up in a pink convertible, Russell and I DID arrive in sunny San Diego mid-morning on Wednesday, Preview Night. After leaving the airport, we quickly dropped off our bags at the hotel and took the ferry over to Coronado Island for lunch and a cycling adventure. Since my fellow panelist—Jana Tropper—and I had coordinated Barbie lewks for a grand first time in-person meeting, Russell and I entertained the locals looking like real life Barbie and Ken on our day of leisure before launching into the heart of the fandom. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to connect with Jana until the following day. The next two days were a whirlwind of learning from and networking with my fellow comics educators and information professionals at the lovely San Diego Central Library. Thursday was full of library panels that ran the gamut from discussing libraries and the challenges they currently face to comics pedagogy; whereas, Friday was a parade of publisher panels showcasing a pleasa

CET Writes

Search This Blog