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Jason Reynolds doesn’t write boring books. A #1 New York Times bestselling author of over a dozen young adult novels, Reynolds famously writes to Black children, but for all children.

“Ten years ago, when I first started writing, I thought not writing a boring book was all about action. Now, when I write, I ask myself ‘how can I be honest with myself on the page?’ in the hopes that young people read that honesty as thoughtful and considerate of their lives.”

Based in Washington, DC, where he grew up, Reynolds was inspired by hip hop early on, publishing several poetry collections before debuting his first novel in 2014. After the release of his critically acclaimed novel, Ghost, a National Book Award finalist, Reynolds went on to receive an NAACP Image Award, a Newbery Honor, and multiple Coretta Scott King Awards among other accolades.

As both a poet and author, his prose and poetry practice inform, and some might say, fortify, each other.

“If we think of water as a metaphor for life, then writing a novel is like jumping into a swimming pool and swimming around. Whereas, poetry is me pouring water into a single glass, and making it happen perfectly. Both are explorations of life,” Reynolds says.  “The latter is distilled and specific, while the former has room for exploring the breadth of our lives.”

His novels have been called “both frank and age-appropriate,” spanning topics such as divorce, incarceration, young romance, and racism – topics some might believe are too heavy for young audiences. Thinking about what distinguishes Y.A books from adult fiction, Reynolds believes it begins and ends with tone.

After publishing his latest novels, Look Both Ways, winner of the Carnegie Medal, and Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, Reynolds looks forward to the one thing that eludes him: balance.

“I look at my life and am proud of what I've accomplished. But, what I've yet to accomplish is balance and rest.”