TOMORROW!!!

Tomorrow, Tuesday the 21st, is the book launch for RONIT AND JAMIL at Books of Wonder, probably one of the most beautiful children's book stores in NYC. I am honored to have my launch event here, and also so proud of this beautiful collection, which has been getting great reviews and much recognition in the world. I am going to take a blogcation after tomorrow, so I can gather my energy for the next book event, a staged reading on February 28th at City College's Aaron Davis Hall.

This book is the culmination of years of hard work and research, yet the book has come to mean so much more since the election. I view RONIT AND JAMIL as a metaphor of all that is RIGHT WITH THE WORLD, as compared to what our country, America, is becoming. My book represents my deep-seated value system: that two divergent sides can get along; that it is WRONG to dismantle families and build walls; that we are all immigrants and also all refugees; that LOVE is always the better, stronger way to tackle challenged issues; that authoritarian rule-by parents, a president, anyone-never works; that fighting back against injustice will make our world kinder, gentler, more loving. 

We are all created equal, and the AMERICA I know is one where a RONIT AND JAMIL can live side by side, can marry, have children and launch positive seeds in the world. I know I am an optimistic person and this book plays into my vision of the world. I recently saw a few movies: Baldwin's "I Am Not My Own Negro," "Hidden Figures" and "Loving." All three films show the enormous power of resistance, and I hope RONIT AND JAMIL-through the power of language and readers-will demonstrate that GOODNESS will always win, that cowardice is ugly and that the fight is worthwhile because it is our future, and the future of our children. This is about honesty, decency, integrity. This is about building bridges and dismantling walls.