June Newsletter: Summer Previews
Glimpses of two new releases, a book giveaway, and some upcoming events
Photo by Amy Sullivan
In my last newsletter, I mentioned that I was getting some new photos taken. Here’s one of them. During school visits with younger kids, I often tell them about my childhood quest (still ongoing) to find a portal to another world. So when I saw that photographer Amy Sullivan had some portal-y photos in her portfolio, I asked if she would do one for me as well. I’m not sure what the professional application will be for a photo of me stepping through a tiny doorway, but I like having it.
The Jeanines of Summer
Speaking of portals to other worlds, my Kurt Vonnegut Speculative Fiction Prize-winning story, The Jeanines of Summer, will be in the Summer issue of the North American Review. You can order your copy now. Here’s the beginning:
To read more, click here.
If you’re not a big reader of short stories, please check out Rebecca Makkai’s terrific post about the joys (and perils) of short fiction.
Accountable: The True Story of A Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives It Changed
My new nonfiction narrative, five years in the making, is out on August 22. You can preorder it now, and I hope you will, as preorders really do a lot to help a book get noticed. The book is a Junior Library Guild selection and has received some pretty terrific blurbs (I’ll be sharing those in an upcoming newsletter). The San Francisco Chronicle just included it in its list of highly-anticipated summer releases, noting that it’s perfect for adults as well as teens. Last week, Kirkus came out with the book’s first review, calling it, “Thorough, thought-provoking, and all too relevant.” Here’s more:
The author of the acclaimed The 57 Bus delves into another complex story involving teens, personal choices, and societal forces. . .The book will spark deep reflection on degrees of complicity, whether and when to forgive, what contributes to genuine remorse and change, and what parents and educators could have done differently.
My Substack on Justice & Accountability will be devoted to issues raised in Accountable and The 57 Bus. It’s getting ready to launch and I’ll be sending the first post to subscribers of this newsletter so you can get a taste. I hope you’ll subscribe. In fact, why not subscribe now?
A Giveaway For The 57 Bus
My publisher will be giving away 10 hardcover copies of The 57 Bus in June via Goodreads. Enter between June 1 and June 22 by registering here.
And on June 11, the ebook will be on sale for just $2.99. Mark your calendar as the sale will last one day only.
Upcoming Events
Saturday, June 3, 2023, 11:20 am - 12:30 pm
Meet-and-Greet at Children’s Fairyland Book Festival, 699 Bellevue Ave, Oakland, California
Sunday, June 11, 2023, all day
$2.99 Ebook sale for The 57 Bus. Order here.
Tuesday, August 22, 2023, 7:00-9:00 pm
In Conversation Launch Event for Accountable, hosted by A Great Good Place for Books at Montclair Presbyterian Church, 5701 Thornhill Dr, Oakland, California
September - October, 2023
Stay tuned for news about Accountable events in Boston, Chicago, Washington DC, and Denver, as well as throughout the Bay Area.
As always, thanks for reading all the way to the end.
I bow to you,
Dashka
Love the pic! Congratulations on your upcoming book. Can't wait to read (listen) to it. I'm hoping there is an audiobook. :-)
I'll be at Fairyland too this Saturday! My shift is 10-11:20am. See you there!