Say 'Yes' to Your Story

Words have power. Ideas have influence. To bring this message to residents, Vernon Area and other public libraries across Illinois are partnering to present “Saying ‘Yes’ to Your Story: A Conversation with Kwame Alexander” for young people and their families on Wednesday, February 8, from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. on Zoom. Admission is free. Sign up on Zoom to receive the link.

Alexander will share ways anyone can harness the power of words and storytelling for change. He will recount his own writing journey and offer encouragement and ideas of how to stay strong when faced with initial rejection.

Kwame Alexander is a poet, educator, publisher and New York Times bestselling author of 36 books, including “Swing”; “Becoming Muhammad Ali,” coauthored with James Patterson; “Rebound,” which was shortlisted for the prestigious UK Carnegie Medal; The Caldecott Medal and Newbery Honor-winning picture book “The Undefeated,” illustrated by Kadir Nelson; and his Newbery Medal-winning middle grade novel, “The Crossover,” which is also a TV series on Disney+. A regular contributor to NPR's Morning Edition, Alexander is the recipient of numerous awards, including The Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award and The Coretta Scott King Author Honor. In 2018, he opened the Barbara E. Alexander Memorial Library and Health Clinic in Ghana as a part of LEAP for Ghana, an international literacy program he co-founded. Alexander’s novel “The Door of No Return'' was featured at the 2022 National Book Festival.

This event is made possible by Illinois Libraries Present, a statewide collaboration among public libraries offering premier events.