Back Virginia Hamilton and the Transformation of American Children’s Literature

LOA Live: A talk with Jacqueline Woodson and Carla Hayden

October 6, 2021 — Winner of the National Book Award, the Newbery Medal, and a MacArthur Foundation “genius” grant, Virginia Hamilton (1934–2002) wove Black folktales and narratives of African American life and history into a body of work that forever changed American children’s writing and made her its most honored writer. Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden joins award-winning children’s book author and memoirist Jacqueline Woodson (Brown Girl Dreaming) for a conversation about Hamilton’s life and wildly inventive novels, newly collected in a Library of America volume edited by Hamilton biographer Julie K. Rubini.

Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

LOA LIVE programs are made possible by contributions from friends like you, and we encourage you to consider making a donation to support future presentations. Visit loa.org/loalive to donate.

We thank our promotional partners: The Association of Literary Scholars, Critics & Writers; Bolinga Black Cultural Resources Center @ Wright State University; the Library of Congress; Ohio Humanities; the Toledo Lucas County Public Library; Yellow Springs Community Foundation.

Library of America
CURATOR

A champion of America’s great writers and timeless works, Library of America guides readers in finding and exploring the exceptional writing that reflects the nation’s history and culture.

Learn More
PUBLISHER

From poetry, novels, and memoirs to journalism, crime writing, and science fiction, the more than 300 volumes published by Library of America are widely recognized as America’s literary canon.

Browse our books Subscribe
NON-PROFIT

With contributions from donors, Library of America preserves and celebrates a vital part of our cultural heritage for generations to come.

Support our mission