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CHILDREN’S LITERATURE LEGACY AWARD ACCEPTANCE SPEECH

On Remembering—Everything And you wait, are awaiting the one es and thoughts about how it should thing be brought to the English language, that will infinitely increase your life; the essence of the poem remains the the powerful, the uncommon, same. Each translator having a deep the awakening of stones, respect for what the poet is saying depths turned toward you. and what the poet wants us to feel. Rilke was a writer of his time. Sent Dimly there gleams on the book- to military school as a young boy, shelves he was rescued by an uncle who saw the volumes in brown and gold; him for who he was—a gifted child, and you think of lands traveled a lyrical poet. I think often about what it means to be a writer of one’s Photo Credit: Carlos Diaz through, of paintings, of the garments time. Especially, now—during this of women found and lost again. time we’re living in when there are Jacqueline Woodson received the days, as the writers and artists in this 2018 Children’s Literature Legacy room know, when we wonder if we And all at once you know: that was it. Award for her significant and will ever be able to create again at all. lasting contribution to literature You rise, and there stands before you And when we finally do—because for children. She delivered her a bygone year’s anguish the truth of it is—of course we will. acceptance remarks at ALSC’s and form And prayer. (This is our life-blood, our air, the awards banquet on Sunday, June way we have figured out how to stay 24, 2018, during the American sane and keep moving through the Library Association Annual hose are the translated words world.) When we finally create again, Conference. of Ranier Marie Rilke’s poem we will be setting the backdrop not T Remembrance. Or in Ger- only for the time we’re living in, but man—Erinnerung. Written in 1918, also showing who we truly are. Our the many translations are all slightly writing reveals us. It shows the world different—the above remaining my who we are, how we think, what we favorite over the years. Still, every want. It is the deepest essence of our interpretation I’ve read of this poem true selves translated through char- has struck me. While translators acter and setting and plot. come to it from their own experienc-

Jacqueline Woodson is the 2018-2019 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. She received the 2018 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award and was the 2014 winner for her bestselling memoir Brown Girl Dream- ing. In 2015, Woodson was named the Young People’s Poet Laureate by the Poetry Foundation. Her recent adult book, Another , was a National Book Award finalist. She is the author of more than two dozen books for young adults, middle graders, and children; among her many accolades, she is a four-time Newbery Hon- or winner, a four-time National Book Award finalist, and a two-time winner. Woodson is also the recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement for her contributions to young adult literature. She lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York. CHILDREN’S LITERATURE LEGACY AWARD ACCEPTANCE SPEECH

I’ve spent many hours thinking about Great, thoughtful movies. The Chi. SELECTED TITLES BY how creative writing has moved Atlanta. Blackish. Grownish. Even the JACQUELINE WOODSON through time—what has lasted and occasional streaming of The Boon- what didn’t quite work for the not yet docks. All of it has allowed me to es- born readers—the so-called Future cape. To laugh. To think. To figure out Generations. Rilke’s poem is one I what more I can be doing. have kept in the back pocket of my Many of you know I am a New Yorker brain since my early twenties and ev- by way of South Carolina by way of ery time I’ve needed to pull it out, it’s a Christian and Muslim background been relevant and timely and moving. by way of a belief that every body in It’s been a tough year. If we think not, this world has a right to be here. Every we are either in deep denial or on hel- single one of us has a right to safely la good meds. Brown bodies. Indig- move through this world. But for too enous bodies. White bodies. Oh my long, too many bodies have not been lord, the brown and white and Indig- safe. enous bodies. The little brown bodies being separated from their families. I thought a lot about this talk—how The Indigenous bodies fighting for people who wanted to publish it and their land. The wealthy white bodies record it were asking for it like ‘last that saw no more reason to live. The yesterday in March’ and I had to keep young black bodies being brutalized saying, “But we don’t know what’s or worse, killed by cops. The grown happening tomorrow and I can’t write Jacqueline Woodson up black and brown and indigenous a talk in March that would be com- Nancy Paulsen/Penguin, 2014 bodies being mass incarcerated. The pletely irrelevant by May. Or June. Or women’s bodies. Our. Bodies. July.” I swear, it felt like I got the call and the next call was like, “Where is We write about bodies. We think your talk?” So I did what writers do so about bodies. What is happening in well—I thought about the thing I had our country right now is happen- to write lots and lots. For a long time, ing to bodies. To bodies that breathe I didn’t write it. and bleed. Bodies that cry and laugh. Bodies that were once babies whose The evening I got the call saying I’d heads were sniffed and diapers were be receiving this award, I was sur- changed. Human. prised. (I was to find that it was going to be a year of surprises but this was For me, and for so many like me, the beginning!) And, facts—I was be- it’s been art that has helped me get yond grateful to be asked to accept an through the pain—of everything. award that was a praise-song to the Jokes and memes and clever com- work I’ve done. I never expected to ments on Twitter. Books and au- write as much as I’ve written. I truly diobooks and comic books. Music.

After Tupac & D Foster Jacqueline Woodson G.P. Putnam’s Sons/Penguin Books for Young Readers, 2008 CHILDREN’S LITERATURE LEGACY AWARD ACCEPTANCE SPEECH

didn’t think I had this much to say! And I thought—this is it, isn’t it? At SELECTED TITLES BY But the world keeps spinning and we this moment, this is the only place JACQUELINE WOODSON hold on and try to make sense of this I’m supposed to be. Here in this room place. We try to make sense for our- with my fellow awardees, talking selves and for our readers. We try to about what it means to be a writer make sense of the past to get a grasp who really does want to do that work of our own futures. But when the call that shines a light on the beauty of all came, I was not ready. people without picking and choos- ing whose body is worthy and whose Because I knew the story. I knew is not, whose body should be looked the lines in the beloved books that down upon, be warned against, weren’t kind. I knew of the minstrel deemed frightening. The work I was show and the disparaging remarks brought here to do is the work I’m about the Indigenous people whose doing and hope to continue to do. It land we walk, sleep, eat, love, fight, is the work to make people feel safe grow, and die on. I knew my own girl- and seen in this world—not just to- hood of wincing when I read lines or day—but in future generations. And saw illustrations that seemed to be not just thoughtful narratives but dishonoring…me. But how could this narratives with no sharp edges, no be? After all, hadn’t everyone been demeaning words or phrases laced Jacqueline Woodson taught what I feel like I heard every inside of beautiful stories. Illus. by Hudson Talbott single day of my childhood—if you G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2005 have nothing nice to say, don’t say While I am deeply honored to be on anything at all. this stage, while I am beyond grate- ful to the committee who not only So when the call came, my first chose me for this award but contin- thought was Ding-dang, isn’t there a ues to do the work of questioning and less controversial award out there ya’ll challenging the name of it, while I am can give a sister? grateful to my publisher, my amaz- And then I thought of Rilke. Of the ing editor, the hardworking publi- poem I go to like prayer … cists and agents and assistants who helped get me here, while I wouldn’t And you wait, are awaiting the be here if it wasn’t for my family and one thing that will infinitely in- my friends that are my family, while crease your life. the past years have turned us upside The powerful, the uncommon, down and back again and the past the awakening…of stones… weeks have reminded us daily of how much work we still have to do, I stand Depths turned toward you. here reminded again of writing’s complicated journey—how it contin-

Miracle’s Boys Jacqueline Woodson G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2000 CHILDREN’S LITERATURE LEGACY AWARD ACCEPTANCE SPEECH

ues to reveal ourselves to us. How it shows us our grace. But more than anything, my hope is that it continues to remind us of the work ahead—and the people we’re doing the work for. The future generations. The young people. Who, more than anything, deserve a world they can spend their whole lives safely walking and running and jumping…and reading through.

In the words of Rilke:

You rise, and there stands before you

a bygone year’s anguish

and form And prayer.

Thank you.

2018 CHILDREN’S LITERATURE LEGACY AWARD COMMITTEE Rita Auerbach, Chair, New York, N.Y. Viki L. Ash, San Antonio Public Library Susan Faust, San Francisco Laura Koenig, Boston Public Library Merri V. Lindgren, Cooperative Children’s Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin- Madison.