when it came to having conversations with editors, I felt really prepared to be like, “I want to know how many folks of color you’ve published. I wan… - Elizabeth Acevedo

What does it mean to say, “Alright, I can be Black and not be Black American and still be in solidarity with Black Americans.” Recognize perhaps we have similarities, but also, like in supporting you, you might have differences. You might have things that you have going on because you generationally lived in this country that I may not understand. So I can stand here and be like, “I am Black, too, but I will be quiet because right now, this is a different beat. I can learn here.”

I’m still learning a lot. For me, it’s like, “Where could this be going?” Alright, let me do that work now.

(How do you distinguish Y.A. books from adult fiction?) Partly voice, but my own personal ethos is that Y.A. requires hope. I’m less stringent on my requirement for hope in books for adults.