Catching Up with Coe—SLJTeen Interview

Jeff Rivera -- School Library Journal, 5/6/2009

What have been some of your favorite moments since Tyrell was published?

Wow, I’ve had so many it’s hard to pick just a few. Without a doubt, having my book reviewed in the New York Times Book Review was one of my favorite things ever. I’ve also loved going to conventions and meeting librarians and teachers and some of my favorite authors. I once signed books next to Ann M. Martin, and that was one of my favorite surreal moments!

Are you concerned about being pigeon-holed into writing only books about kids from the inner city?

No, not at all. Writing about inner-city kids is near and dear to my heart, especially considering the fact that I used to be an inner-city kid myself! And since I live in the Bronx, it’s only natural that I’d be inspired by the things I see around me. At the same time, I feel free to write about kids from anywhere, and I probably will someday.

Some adults have described your books as being gritty. What’s your take on that?

While some people refer to my books as being gritty, I prefer to think of them as being real. For a lot of my readers, Tyrell and Kendra reflect the reality of their lives; that’s why they’ve connected to the books. It always surprises me when some adults try to shield teenagers from books when the reality of these teens’ lives are often much more complex and “gritty.” And for teens whose lives are nothing like Tyrell’s or Kendra’s, reading the books can give them a way to see how other teenagers live, and it may help prepare them for the world they will be entering—and the people they will be meeting—after high school.

You do a lot to help young people. Can you tell us about your volunteer work?

My main volunteer work is with ACT-SO (Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological, Scientific Olympics) a national program for high school students sponsored by the NAACP. I also work with teenage writing students to help them develop an essay, short story, or play they can compete with on the local and national level. It’s a great program, one that should get a lot more attention than it does. I love working with teenagers, especially those who want to become writers. I try to inspire them and truthfully, they inspire me, too. They keep me in touch with my “inner teen.”

Do you think a large enough audience of teens of color exists that would convince major publishers to invest more in books like yours?

No doubt there is a large audience for books like mine, but I write my books for all teens, not only teens of color. I think that’s one of the most frustrating things I deal with—the belief that books about black teenagers are only written for black teenagers. I have readers of all races writing to tell me how much they can relate to my books, even when their own lives are nothing like the lives of my characters. So, yes, I do think more books about teens of color will get published as more publishers broaden their scope and realize these books can appeal to a wider audience. The good thing is, that’s already starting to happen.

Why did you decide to work with incarcerated teens?

Talking to incarcerated teens has become my favorite kind of school visit. It started when I was invited to visit a couple of juvenile detention centers in the Bronx and Brooklyn. The students were so enthusiastic and friendly, and completely engaged in the discussion of the book—and all the various topics that seemed to come up!

Since then, I’ve traveled across the country and visited more juvenile detention centers and boot camps. I love talking to these students because they are often overlooked or simply forgotten, and they are so grateful to have an author come to visit them. Most of these teens were not recreational readers, and I think they were surprised that they actually wanted to finish reading Tyrell or Kendra. They definitely saw their own lives reflected in those books.

Most of these teens will not be incarcerated forever. They need the same kind of encouragement every kid needs in order to succeed in life. And if my books help spark an interest in reading for them, that’s a wonderful thing!

What’s your next book about?