Connecting with My Friend Walter Dean Myers, Talking Dysfunction & Diversity in America

The first time I met, Walter, aka Walter Dean Myers, we connected, and this led to an odd friendship of a sorts. The thing that bonded us was our similar childhoods, though decades apart. Walter was born in August 1937, my mamma was born in April 1937. Walter lost his mother when he was 2, and my mamma and her sister Dolores lost their daddy even earlier. Walter was given to Florence and Herbert Dean after his mother’s death, my mother, her sister and her mamma moved in with their gramma who raised them for the next few years until their mamma married again.

Walter saw me and knew who I was the moment he laid eyes upon me, never asked why I had a copy of Hoops in my hand. He just understood. As a child, I grew up in a predominantly black neighborhood in Racine, Wisconsin, which I write about here. It was rough and tumble, which I also write about, and that was something Walter understood too as he and I both had to use our fists to defend ourselves at an early age.

His family became dysfunctional with alcohol and grief when his uncle was killed, mine when my step-father and sister died because of an explosion. The library and its books became my refuge, as books were a refuge and a solace for Walter.

Reading pushed us both to discover new worlds. For me, the classics. Treasure Island. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Robinson Crusoe. The Time Machine. The Invisible Man. Journey to the Center of the Earth. The Last of the Mohicans. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Around the World in Eighty Days. A Christmas Carol. Frankenstein. Dracula. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The Lost World. And on and on.

Though never an apt pupil, Walter wrote well in high school and his English teacher recognized this, encouraging him to never stop writing no matter what happened to him. My English teacher in the 4^th grade recognized my writing skill and encouraged me to write for and edit the school newspaper, as did my Uncle Wally and both of whom told me to never stop writing, never stop challenging myself.

Walter dropped out of high school and joined the army at 17. I joined the air force at 17 after finishing high school because I was homeless and had no other options.

Walter was one of the most prolific writers, with more than 110 books to his credit, and is the recipient of a lifetime achievement award in writing for young adults, as well as many other awards. I also became one of the most prolific writers, with more than 250 books to my credit and counting, and have been nominated several times for lifetime achievement awards in writing.

After Walter passed away in 2014, I blogged about one of his last essays decrying a lack of diversity in writing, saying that diversity existed in writing it just wasn’t always plain to see. Diversity in my books has led to controversy. I haven’t let controversy change my views or my writing, nor have I kowtowed to White publishing, nor to the conscientious objectors who worship at the altar of George RR Martin and abhor veterans.

How odd that even after decades and decades, books must still be thought of as white or black, or for whites or for blacks. It was, after all, an interracial award for children’s books that put my friend Walter Dean Myers in the spotlight in 1969. We humans excel at putting up fences, we just don’t know how to take them down.

Thanks for reading, I’m William Robert Stanek, Microsoft’s #1 author for nearly 20 years, and author of over 250 topselling books.

Diversity in Children’s and Young Adult Novels: Making a Difference and Taking a Stand

This post is dedicated to Walter Dean Myers who inspired and guided me through his writing. As a writer, I’ve always seen it as my responsibility to infuse my work with diversity. After all, we live in a world of color and diversity, a world of many peoples, beliefs and religions – and writing, especially children’s writing, should mirror, reflect and embrace this diversity. Sometimes my embrace of race, religion and belief systems has made my work controversial, but controversy hasn’t changed my views or my writing.

A few months before his death, Walter wrote a blistering essay about the lack of diversity in children’s books, “Where Are the People of Color in Children’s Books?” And I wanted to reply to my old friend: That there are many diverse books in print. That there are many books that present diversity honestly and compassionately. Though clearly, not enough, and perhaps not in ways some expected, and yet perhaps also because books that embrace diversity can come in many forms.

Can a contemporary fiction or nonfiction story embrace diversity? Yes, it can—but so can other types of writing from children’s picture books featuring cute little critters to fantasy, dystopian and science fiction novels.

Anyone who has visited Bugville, the BIG little place where my more than 100 Bugville Critters, Bugville Jr and Bugville Learning picture books take place, knows Bugville is as diverse as our own world. Not only is Bugville a place where the real problems of our world exist, it is a place where light shines on darkness, a place that invites children and their parents to discuss important issues and our natural world.

The critter friends are of many races, religions and beliefs and come from all levels of socioeconomic standing. There are many different types of bugs in Bugville, which do in fact honestly and compassionately reflect the peoples of our world:

* The Ladybug family is upper class, with a mom who is the CEO of her own company, a dad of color who is the mayor, and children who are from different marriages.

* The Bee family is working-class, with a blue-color dad who is a factory worker, a stay at home mom, and three children.

* The Dragonfly family has an unemployed working-class dad, a mom and two children.

* The Caterpillar family has a single mom who works at the Post Office and a special needs daughter.

* The Silkworm family, who recently emigrated from Japan, has a daughter who is having trouble adapting to the cultural changes of her new home and difficulty learning English as a second language.

Anyone who has visited the Magic Lands, where my Ruin Mist: Magic Lands stories take place, knows that underlying themes relate to race, color and the rights of indigenous peoples. Ray and his people are people of color. Their lands, beliefs and rights are being encroached upon by outsiders. Ray faces difficult decisions when his spirit journey takes him into the outsider’s world and cultures clash.

The themes in Magic Lands aren’t overt, rather they are subtle, integral parts of the story that reflect the challenges of a diverse world. A world that is just like our own, whether you are on the inside looking out or the outside looking in.

The world of Ruin Mist is in fact a very diverse place. The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches and In the Service of Dragons books, peoples of many different backgrounds, religions, beliefs and nationalities are central to the story. The characters thoughts and actions reflect their heritages, belief systems and religions. The people's of the southern kingdoms are peoples of color. The elves of Greye are as well, as is Uver, the father of modern elves.

There often are racial and other prejudices at work.The ancient hatred between the Men of the Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches. The banning and burning of books. The purges to cleanse the world of all that is magical, be it creature, man or device. The clashes between beliefs and religions.

Though a character’s prejudices and preconceptions can shape his or her thoughts and actions, preconceptions and prejudices can and do give way to understanding and tolerance. Again, these themes aren’t overt, but they are integral parts of the story that reflect the challenges of a diverse world. A world that is just like our own, whether you are on the inside looking out or the outside looking in.

After reading this, I hope you’ll look at Walter Dean Myer’s works. Read "Monster," "Hoops," "Dope Sick" or my personal favorites, "Fallen Angels" and "Sunrise Over Fallujah".

Until next time,

Robert Stanek