…everything changes.
This picture of Coretta Scott King (with Jesse Jackson, incidentally — didn’t notice that at first) was taken before I was born, in the year that the first Coretta Scott King Award was won. It was for Lillie Patterson’s biography, Martin Luther King, Jr. Man of Peace, and I imagine the woman herself was present to applaud the winner.
The Coretta Scott King Award is for the most distinguished portrayal of African American experience in literature for children, and without a doubt, it would be an honor to receive such an award — and to know that you had done your best to shine a light on a piece of the American experience which reflects the same light that Mrs. King did, the light of justice and rightness and peace.
MARE’S WAR has won a Coretta Scott King Honor, and I’m really grateful for all the people — including my MFA thesis team, my writing group, my SAM, and my editor — who were so supportive and amazing in what was a long process. Thank-you, sincerely, my dears.
And WOW, am I shocked. It sort of grew… quietly. I had NO CLUE, and finally turned on my email/Facebook about noon, to check in with the world at large. My Google Reader came up, and I zipped over to my Poetry Princess buddy, Tricia, who… was congratulating me. I decided I should really read my email — immediately. And there was a note from my editor with the word YOU! in the subject line.
OH.
I was trying for nonchalant. And now, with the growing number of authors “friending” me on Facebook and the notes from my editor, still in Boston, and calls from my SAM — still no call from The Committee, but they only call the winners, I’m sure, not the Honors — I’m going from nonchalant to sort of …weirdly giddy.
Wow.
Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Thank you, ALA and Coretta Scott King Award team.
Photo courtesy Academy of Achievement, Museum of Living History, Washington, D.C.
Thank you, you guys! Little Willow, I KNOW you are screaming for me. I expect I'll be able to hear you all the way in D.C.
Congratulations! I'm so happy for you.Now you know I gotta go get the book, and I hope everyone else that doesn't already have it will go get it too.Don Tate
Hurrah!
Congratulations! I am so happy for you and your work. Thank you for sharing this with us.
I remember when you were writing MARE'S WAR, and I was all excited that you were doing a WWII book. And now you've got a shiny sticker. Crazy. So proud of you.<3
Congratulations! Awesome news.Paz
CONGRATULATIONS, Tanita!!!!!!!!!
I'm coming in a day late, too, but no less thrilled for you (and for us!). It's going to be a real kick asking friends, "Have you read Mare's War and A La Carte by Coretta Scott King Honor award winner Tanita Davis?" I'm kvelling.
Tanita,I'm a day late–but my congratulations are heartfelt. I'm so happy for you! I'm so happy for ALL the winners of 2010 ALA awards I've come to know through blogging!
THANK YOU, EVERYONE!Miss Attitude: You are so sweet. I liked your first review JUST FINE, but I THOROUGHLY understand the urge to revise. You sound like a writer in bloom to me.
So, so happy for you. What a day to win this honor! Congratulations1
Holy smokes, congrats!What a great way to start your day. 🙂
Be giddy, Tanita! Well-deserved!
so, so happy for you!!
Mazel Tov, as they say in Scotland. And, yeah, I friended you way before all those other folks. -Anne L.
Loads of Congratulations!!!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!
CONGRATULATIONS!! I'll have to go buy another copy so that I can have a cover with the award on it!
YAY!!! Tanita, Congratulations!!! I'm so excited for you. Sending warm thoughts and hugs over the pond from Boston.
Congratulations, Tanita. I am so, so happy for you. I only wish I were there to jump up and down with you, as you did with me a few summers ago… I'll never forget how supportive you were – you are – and I hope you can hear me cheering you on from here! 🙂
Yay YOU!! Let's spread the giddiness with abandon.
YAY YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Congratulations, Mare's War deserves the honor! Yay!!!!! I love Mare and I'm sure she expected it ;)I acutally think I'm going to go back and re-read it and review it better since I reviewed it so early and my first review is not so well-written. I've gotten better.
I was so happy when I saw the news this morning. YOU! Congratulations, You! Giddy, giddy times. I keep wondering how Mare would take it all :)And how did I not know you were on Facebook?CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Go, Tanita!
Tanita, I am so, so happy for you! Congratulations!
Congratulations, Tanita! I'm so SO happy for you! And what a perfect day to receive such great news!
Woweeeeeeeeeeee!!! That's wonderful!
Tons of congratulate-ness!!!!
Well, I'm glad I friended you a long time ago. ;^)Seriously, congratulations! A well-deserved win for a wonderful book AND a wonderful person.
CONGRATULATIONS!!