Renée Watson (born July 29, 1978) is an American

teaching artist Teaching artists, also known as artist educators or community artists, are professional artists who supplement their incomes by teaching and integrating their art form, perspectives, and skills into a wide range of settings. Teaching artists wo ...

and author of children's books, best known for her award-winning and

New York Times bestselling ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. John Bear, ''The #1 New York Times Best Seller: intriguing facts about the 484 books that have been #1 New York Times ...

young adult novel ''

Piecing Me Together ''Piecing Me Together'' is a 2017 young adult novel by Renée Watson. The first person novel tells the story of Jade, an ambitious African American high school student. The book, a ''New York Times'' best seller, was well reviewed and won seve ...

,'' for which she received the John Newbery Honor,

Coretta Scott King Author Award The Coretta Scott King Award is an annual award presented by the Ethnic & Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table, part of the American Library Association (ALA). Named for Coretta Scott King, wife of Martin Luther King Jr., this award rec ...

, and Bank Street Children's Book Committee's

Josette Frank Award The Josette Frank Award is an American children's literary award for fiction given annually by the Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College of Education. It "honors a book or books of outstanding literary merit in which children or young peo ...

for fiction. Watson founded the nonprofit I, Too, Arts Collective to provide creative arts programs to the Harlem community.

Early life

Watson was born in Paterson, New Jersey and grew up in northeast

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

, Oregon after her parents' divorce. Her mother's family is originally from West Virginia. Watson attended Vernon Elementary School, Binnsmead Middle School, and

Jefferson High School This is a list of memorials to Thomas Jefferson, the 3rd president of the United States and the author of the United States Declaration of Independence. Buildings Elementary schools *Jefferson Elementary School, in Cammack Village, Arkansas *Thoma ...

in Portland Oregon. She was a member of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church where she recited poetry on holidays and special occasions. She loved poetry from a young age and read the work of poets like

Maya Angelou Maya Angelou ( ; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, popular poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and ...

and

Langston Hughes James Mercer Langston Hughes (February 1, 1901 – May 22, 1967) was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist from Joplin, Missouri. One of the earliest innovators of the literary art form called jazz poetry, Hug ...

. When she first read poems by Hughes in elementary school, Watson felt a strong connection to them and sense of herself, her family, and her neighbors reflected in his work.

Sandra Cisneros Sandra Cisneros (born December 20, 1954) is an American writer. She is best known for her first novel, ''The House on Mango Street'' (1983), and her subsequent short story collection, ''Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories'' (1991). Her work ex ...

' ''

The House on Mango Street ''The House on Mango Street'' is a 1984 novel by Mexican-American author Sandra Cisneros. Structured as a series of vignettes, it tells the story of Esperanza Cordero, a 12-year-old Chicana girl growing up in the Hispanic quarter of Chicago. Based ...

'' was one of the formative works of her childhood. From a young age, she knew she was interested in writing and was encouraged to pursue this by her teachers and family. In middle school, she wanted to be a lawyer for a time. This was also when she wrote her first play, which her middle school produced as their spring show. While in high school she participated in a mentorship and has since returned to mentor others at her former high school. As a senior she also assisted in teaching poetry to underclassmen. Watson describes herself as a teaching artist, having spent twenty years teaching poetry and theater before becoming a novelist. She moved to New York in 2005 where she attended

The New School The New School is a private research university in New York City. It was founded in 1919 as The New School for Social Research with an original mission dedicated to academic freedom and intellectual inquiry and a home for progressive thinkers. ...

to study creative writing and art therapy. While she was in school she published her first book. In the future she hopes to publish adult fiction and poetry books in addition to her young adult and children's books.

Career

Teaching

Watson has spent over 20 years as a teaching artist throughout the country. She has partnered with outside organizations to lead workshops and to be an artist in residence at various schools. She has taught poetry, writing and theater classes around the US. For example, she has taught poetry at DreamYard, a Bronx-based youth educational nonprofit, and is a member of the DreamYard 2019 Board of Directors. Additionally, Watson has run poetry and theater workshops that aim to help children deal with traumas from various sources (such as natural disasters and sexual assault). Likewise, Watson was a Writer in residence at the Schools and Self Enhancement Inc, a Portland-based nonprofit organization that works with underprivileged youth in the North-Portland area. Watson has also put on professional development workshops for teachers and adult artists.

Writing

In 2019, Watson celebrated 10 years of being a published writer. Watson has been writing since she was in the second grade, when she wrote a 21-page story. Her first children's book, ''A Place Where Hurricanes Happen,'' was published June 22, 2010 and is a product of her nonprofit work in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Watson's second picture book, ''Harlem's Little Blackbird: The Story of Florence Mills,'' was published October 23, 2012, and received multiple awards and nominations. Watson's Young Adult novels include ''This Side of Home'' (published February 3, 2015), ''Piecing Me Together'' (published February 14, 2017)'', and Watch Us Rise'' (Feb 12, 2019). Her poem, "Black Like Me," was published by Rethinking Schools, along with other articles and interviews Watson wrote. Her poetry also appears in the Theatre of the Mind and With Hearts Ablaze. ''Ways to Make Sunshine,'' a middle-grade novel was published on April 28, 2020. Watson uses her position as an author to speak up about seeking counseling and therapy when needed. Watson performed "Roses are Red Women are Blue," a one-woman show, at the

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 millio ...

in New York City.

I, Too, Arts Collective

When Watson first moved to New York and explored Harlem landmarks, she was disappointed to learn that the former home of

Harlem Renaissance The Harlem Renaissance was an intellectual and cultural revival of African American music, dance, art, fashion, literature, theater, politics and scholarship centered in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, spanning the 1920s and 1930s. At the t ...

author Langston Hughes was not open to the public. In 2016, after growing concerned that the historical home may be lost to gentrification, Watson found the current owner and shared her vision to open up the home to visitors. The owner agreed if Watson could afford to lease the brownstone, and in just 30 days, Watson raised the necessary money by starting the fundraising campaign #LangstonsLegacy. Watson founded the I, Too, Arts Collective named after the famous Langston Hughes' poem, "

I, Too "I, Too" is a Poetry, poem written by Langston Hughes that shows a want for Racial equality, equality through patience whilst going against the idea that patriotism is limited by race. It was first published in Hughes' first volume of poetry, ''The ...

." The board of the nonprofit decided that Hughes' former brownstone should not be turned into a museum, but should be a creative space for the Harlem community. Since opening the space to the public in 2017, the collective provides creative arts programs such as poetry workshops and drum classes for children and adults. They also host a range of literary events such as book launch parties and readings. Watson originally hoped to raise enough money to buy the landmark and renovate the second floor. She wanted to provide fellowships for out-of-town artists to stay in the house in exchange for providing creative workshops to the community. On November 4, 2019, The I, Too, Arts Collective announced on their website that they will be closing when their lease ends on December 31, 2019. They were unable to come to a new lease agreement with the owner. Their digital archives will remain available on their website. Caleb Watson is her nephew

Selected works

Watson's first picture book ''A Place Where Hurricanes Happen'' was inspired by her work with students who had experienced

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

. After working with the kids to create their own poetry she wrote this book which follows four kids as they tell about life before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina. She initially wrote it as part of a creative writing assignment while at The New School and was encouraged to publish it by her professor. Watson's second young adult novel, ''Piecing Me Together'', was published by Bloomsbury in 2017. It tells the story of Jade, a poor African-American teenager at a predominantly white Portland, Oregon high school who struggles with the prejudice of the people surrounding her. It debuted at number nine on the New York Times young adult hardcover bestseller list on March 18, 2018. It also received several starred reviews, won the Coretta Scott King Author Award and the Bank Street Children's Book Committee's

for fiction, and was a Newbery Honor Book. Watson's relationships with the black women she knew growing up and a 2014

NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E.&nb ...

report exploring struggles exclusive to African-American girls inspired her to write this novel. Together with the subject's daughter,

Ilyasah Shabazz Ilyasah Shabazz (born July 22, 1962) is an American author, most notably of a memoir, '' Growing Up X'', community organizer, social activist, and motivational speaker, and the third daughter of Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz. Early life Shabazz ...

, she co-authored ''Betty Before X'', a fictionalized account of civil rights leader Dr. Betty Shabazz's life in 1945 Detroit prior to meeting

Malcolm X Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an American Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figure during the civil rights movement. A spokesman for the Nation of Is ...

. Watson's third young adult novel, ''Watch Us Rise'', about two best friends who start a women's rights club in their high school, was published by

Bloomsbury Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural, intellectual, and educational institutions. Bloomsbury is home of the British Museum, the largest mus ...

in 2019. It's co-written with author Ellen Hagan. For both her first picture book ''A Place Where Hurricanes Happen'' and her latest middle grade novel ''Some Places More Than Others'', Watson worked with illustrator Shadra Strickland.

Bibliography

Picture books *''A Place Where Hurricanes Happen,'' illustrated by Shadra Strickland (

Random House Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...

, 2010) *''Harlem's Little Blackbird: The Story of Florence Mills,'' illustrated by

Christian Robinson Christian Robinson (born August 2, 1986) is an American illustrator of children's books and an animator. He is based in Sacramento, California and has worked with The Sesame Street Workshop and Pixar Animation Studios. He graduated from the Calif ...

(Random House, 2012) *'' The 1619 Project: Born on the Water'', co-written with

Nikole Hannah-Jones Nikole Sheri Hannah-Jones (born April 9, 1976) is an American investigative journalist, known for her coverage of civil rights in the United States. In April 2015, she became a staff writer for ''The New York Times.'' In 2017 she was awarded a Ma ...

, illustrated by

Nikkolas Smith Nikkolas Smith is an American contemporary artist, illustrator, and activist. He predominantly depicts African-American marginalized voices, as well as social justice in his works. His digital paintings are widely shared on social media and have b ...

(

Penguin Young Readers Penguin Group is a British trade book publisher and part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by the German media conglomerate Bertelsmann. The new company was created by a merger that was finalised on 1 July 2013, with Bertelsmann initially ...

, 2021) Young adult novels * ''This Side of Home'' (Bloomsbury, 2015) * ''

'' (Bloomsbury, 2017) *''Watch Us Rise'', co-written with Ellen Hagan (Bloomsbury, 2019) *'' Love is a Revolution'' (Bloomsbury, 2021) Middle Grade novels *''What Momma Left Me'' (Bloomsbury, 2010) *''Betty Before X'', co-written with

(Macmillan, 2018) *''Some Places More Than Others'' (Bloomsbury, 2019) *''Ways to Make Sunshine'' (Bloomsbury, 2019) Contributions * Forward, ''The Hunter Maiden: Feminist Folktales from Around the World'' by Ethel Johnston Phelps (The Feminist Press, 2017) * "Half a Moon," ''Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America,'' edited by

Ibi Zoboi Ibi Zoboi is a Haitian-American author of young adult fiction. She is best known for her young adult novel ''American Street'', which was a finalist for the National Book Award for Young Adult's Literature in 2017. Early life Born in Haiti as ...

(Balzer + Bray, 2019) * ''The (Other) F Word: A Celebration of the Fat and Fierce,'' edited by Angie Manfredi (Amulet, 2019) * "Letting Go," ''Every Body Shines: Sixteen Stories About Living Fabulously Fat'', edited by Cassandra Newbould (Bloomsbury YA, 2021)

Awards and Recognitions

*2011: Bank Street Children's Book Committee Best Books of the Year for ''What Momma Left Me'' (Bloomsbury, 2010) *2011: Bank Street Children's Book Committee Best Books of the Year for ''A Place Where Hurricanes Happen,'' illustrated by Shadra Strickland (

, 2010) *2013: Bank Street Children's Book Committee Best Books of the Year for ''Harlem's Little Blackbird: The Story of Florence Mills,'' illustrated by

(Random House, 2012) *2016: Bank Street Children's Book Committee Best Books of the Year for ''This Side of Home'' (Bloomsbury, 2015) *2018: John Newbery Honor for ''Piecing Me Together'' (Bloomsbury, 2017) *2018: Winner, Coretta Scott King Author Award for ''Piecing Me Together'' (Bloomsbury, 2017) *2018: Winner of Bank Street Children's Book Committee's

for fiction and Best Books of the Year with "Outstanding Merit" for ''Piecing Me Together'' (Bloomsbury, 2017) *2019: Bank Street Children's Book Committee Best Books of the Year with "Outstanding Merit" for ''Betty Before X'', co-written with

(Macmillan, 2018) *2019: Bank Street Children's Book Committee Best Books of the Year with "Outstanding Merit" for ''Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America,'' edited by

, containing an entry by Renée Watson (Balzer + Bray, 2019) *2020: Bank Street Children's Book Committee Best Books of the Year for ''Ways to Make Sunshine'' (Bloomsbury, 2019) *2020: Bank Street Children's Book Committee Best Books of the Year for ''Some Places More Than Others'' (Bloomsbury, 2019) *2022: Bank Street Children's Book Committee Best Books of the Year for ''Love Is a Revolution'' (Bloomsbury, 2021) *2022: Bank Street Children's Book Committee Best Books of the Year with "Outstanding Merit" for ''The 1619 Project: Born on the Water'' co-written with

, illustrated by

(

, 2021) *2022: Bank Street Children's Book Committee Best Books of the Year for ''Every Body Shines: Sixteen Stories About Living Fabulously Fat'', edited by Cassandra Newbould, containing an entry by Renée Watson (Bloomsbury YA, 2021)

References

External links

The Schools and Self Enhancement Inc.

DreamYard

I, Too, Arts Collective

Black Like Me

Rethinking Schools
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, Renée Living people Women writers of young adult literature 21st-century American women writers 21st-century American novelists African-American novelists Writers from Portland, Oregon 1978 births 21st-century African-American women 21st-century African-American writers 20th-century African-American people 20th-century African-American women African-American women writers African-American history of Oregon