The daughter of Cuban immigrants, writer Meg Medina helped mastermind the former Twitter campaign #WeNeedDiverseBooks, which went viral in 2014. Since then, she’s been on a mission to write realistic portrayals of Latino culture that rebuke negative stereotypes as they generate pride among the Latino community.
A nationally acclaimed author of books for children of all ages, Medina lives in Richmond. Beyond the River City, she’s a national voice for representation of all children in literature and an advocate for libraries. In 2019, she received the Newbery Medal, the highest honor bestowed by the American Library Association for the year’s most distinguished children’s book. Last year, she was appointed by the Librarian of Congress to be the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature.
On Tuesday, Sept. 17 at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Cabell Library, Medina will speak in conversation with Sri Lankan-American novelist and short story writer S.J. Sindu, an assistant professor in VCU’s department of English. The two will discuss creative strategies for storytelling that share elements of culture broadly while expanding readers’ understanding of the world.
Medina worked in publishing and taught in the New York City and Florida public schools before becoming a freelance journalist writing articles and nonfiction pieces, work that taught her how write with impact and edit mercilessly [disclosure: She has contributed for Style Weekly in the past].
“I try to capture the humor and the sadness that goes along with family life, displacement, and having to merge your family’s culture into the U.S. landscape.”
The shift to writing for young readers began once she moved to Richmond, where her time as a teacher merged with her journalism skills. She’d seen how children’s literature helped kids make sense of their growing up. “I’d had such a tough go of growing up myself, so anything that could help alleviate some of that burden for kids seemed so appealing to me,” she explains. “And, of course, back then, I was a young mother. That gave me a close window on the lives of kids and their current concerns.”
As a first-generation Cuban American, Medina takes pride in giving voice to the experience of kids who have never been on the island, buy still identify as deeply Cuban. “I love that my stories celebrate ordinary people, and that they resonate across many immigrant groups,” she says. “I try to capture the humor and the sadness that goes along with family life, displacement, and having to merge your family’s culture into the U.S. landscape.”
Looking back at her childhood, Medina couldn’t think of a single book that featured a character who was Latine. She acknowledges that’s changing, albeit not fast enough. “Invisibility implies lack of value, so it’s vital to kids’ self-concept to provide them with a way to see themselves and their classmates,” she says. “We need library collections and reading lists that offer books featuring many different life experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives.”
Since 2011, Medina has written 13 books, nine of which have Spanish versions, including “Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass,” which was also released as a graphic novel. Medina acknowledges that while her stories don’t specifically reflect her own experiences, they contain elements of her life. Her goal is to tell the emotional truth of an experience and to craft a good story. “That’s it. I trust young readers to do the rest,” she says. “Any decisions I make along the way have to do with storytelling: Is it clear? Does it open a reader’s thinking? Does the action keep the reader turning the pages?”
As National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Medina understands the challenges in developing lifelong readers. She sees many, but at the core, it’s the need to return the joy to kids’ reading lives. “So often, reading is presented as a chore, as a school subject, as a burden, something that is assessed and measured. I think that approach saps the fun and exploration that you can experience in the pages of a book,” she says. “My number one recommendation is to provide young people with lots of opportunities to interact with books and stories – library visits, author events and festivals, having books in your home, talking about books at the kitchen table – and giving them free choice about what they read.”
Fortunately for parents of young readers, Richmond provides plenty of libraries, author events and festivals. Medina has grown to love Richmond and its many offerings that allow for every taste. She told us about her top three that always make her happy.
Like so many others, she’s drawn to the Tyler-Potterfield Memorial Bridge. “It’s beautiful to walk out over the river and see it rushing beneath you. The historical quotes on the walkway are fascinating, and afterward, you can walk over to have margaritas at Casa del Barco.”
Her guilty pleasure is enjoying a cup of coffee at the VMFA sculpture garden, especially in the fall. “I like the pond, the art, and the neighborhood pooches out for a stroll.”
Just recently, she’s become enamored with Richmond’s farmer’s market scene, especially the RVA Big Market held every Saturday morning in Bryan Park. “I like the alternative to shopping at a supermarket, as well as the idea of supporting our ag community,” she says. “And those hot cider doughnuts at the First Stop Donuts food truck are nothing to ignore there, either.”
“Meg and Me: An Evening with Meg Medina” takes place on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 7 p.m., VCU Cabell Library, 901 Park Ave. Library.vcu.edu
