Unban Coolies

Cynthia Kadohata is a Newbery Medal and National Book Award-winning author whose work has forever changed the landscape of children's literature. Born in Chicago to Japanese American parents and raised across Georgia, Arkansas, and California, Cynthia draws from real-life experiences of hardship, resilience, and identity. Her novels — including Kira-Kira, Weedflower, Cracker!, and The Thing About Luck — center voices often overlooked in American history: immigrant families, war survivors, and working-class kids. In this heartfelt interview, Cynthia reflects on growing up without seeing her family's story in textbooks and how she now writes the stories that history forgot. We talk about the emotional roots behind her books, the importance of difficult truths in children's literature, and why, despite today's book bans, young readers have greater access to powerful stories than ever before. To understand why Cynthia’s work matters so deeply, it’s important to remember how Japanese American history was treated — or ignored — when she was growing up. While most American textbooks today mention Japanese American internment — especially in World War II units — that wasn’t always the case. For much of the 1950s through the 1980s, many textbooks either skipped over the topic entirely or reduced it to a few sanitized sentences, often framing it as “relocation for protection” rather than acknowledging it as a major civil rights violation. Even now, how much coverage internment receives varies widely by state: schools in places like California and Hawaii teach it more thoroughly, while in other areas it may be little more than a paragraph or an optional side note. When Cynthia Kadohata was growing up in the 1960s, it’s very likely that her school textbooks barely touched on Japanese American internment — if they mentioned it at all. It wasn’t until later, especially after the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 formally apologized for the injustice, that efforts to include it more seriously began. Even today, internment is often under-discussed compared to other major historical events like the Holocaust or the Civil Rights Movement — making voices like Cynthia’s essential for filling in the silences history books left behind. If you believe that every story deserves to be told — even the ones history tried to erase — this interview is for you.

Elana K. Arnold is one of the boldest voices in young adult literature today. Her award-winning books — Damsel, Red Hood, What Girls Are Made Of, and more — tackle power, consent, and girlhood with unflinching honesty. But with that truth-telling comes backlash. Her stories have earned national honors—and been pulled from shelves.In this powerful and personal interview, Elana reflects on the experiences that shaped her voice, the emotional weight of censorship, and why she keeps writing for readers who need her stories most.🎙 What we cover in this interview:How her upbringing shaped her voice as a writerThe emotional toll of seeing her books bannedHer hopes for young readers and their right to chooseThe courage it takes to write truthfullyWhat shifts when writing for younger kids vs. teens📚 Learn more about Elana K. Arnold: https://elanakarnold.com/✨ Subscribe for more interviews with banned and award-winning authors who are reshaping the literary world.#ElanaKArnold #BannedBooks #UnbanCoolies #YAfiction #RedHood #Damsel #WhatGirlsAreMadeOf #Censorship #FreedomToRead #AuthorInterview #BookBanning #GirlhoodInFiction

Graci Kim is the diplomat turned award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of the Gifted Clans series: The Last Fallen Star, The Last Fallen Moon, and The Last Fallen Realm. Featured in TIME Magazine for Kids, and dubbed a “sparkling yarn” by Entertainment Weekly, the Korean mythology-inspired trilogy is being translated into multiple languages. The Last Fallen Star was named a 2021 Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Best Children’s Book, an Amazon Best Book, an Indigo Best Book, a Barnes & Noble Young Reader Pick, and a Whitcoulls’ Kids Top 50. In 2022, Graci was awarded the Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best New Talent. The first book in her new series, Dreamslinger, will be released in April 2025. In a previous life, Graci was a New Zealand diplomat, a cooking show host, and once ran a business that turned children’s drawings into cuddly toys. She now lives in Aotearoa New Zealand with her husband and daughter. You can join her newsletter, follow her on Instagram, or write her a letter at gracikim.com

Timothy Patrick McCarthy is an award-winning scholar, educator, and human rights activist who has taught at Harvard since 1998. At HGSE, he is Core Faculty in the Equity and Opportunity Foundations Curriculum, Online Master’s Program in Education Leadership, and Higher Education Concentration. At HKS, where he was the first openly gay faculty member and still teaches the school’s only course on LGBTQ matters, he is Faculty Chair of the Global LGBTQI+ Human Rights Program at the Carr Center and Faculty Affiliate at the Center for Public Leadership. McCarthy is the Academic Director emeritus and Stanley Paterson Professor of American History for the Boston Clemente Course, a free college humanities course for lower income adults in Dorchester and co-recipient of the 2015 National Humanities Medal from President Barack Obama. He has taught in Clemente since its founding in 2001 and was honored with the 2014 Codman Square Health Center Outstanding Community Service Award for this work. He currently serves on the national Board of Directors for the Clemente Course in the Humanities. The adopted only son and grandson of public school teachers and factory workers, McCarthy graduated with honors in History and Literature from Harvard College and earned his M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. in History from Columbia University. He has published five books, most recently Reckoning with History: Unfinished Stories of American Freedom. He is a frequent media commentator whose work has been featured in Salon, Huffington Post, The Daily Beast, Pangyrus, Gay and Lesbian Review, The Nation, NPR, Al Jazeera, and BBC, and numerous podcasts. In June 2019, Dr. McCarthy was special guest editor for The Nation’s historic “Reclaiming Stonewall 50” forum. He is a principal in several documentary films, including A Reckoning in Boston and Building a Bridge, which premiered at the Boston Independent Film Festival and Tribeca Film Festival in 2021. Twice named one of Harvard Crimson’s “Professors of the Year,” McCarthy has received many awards for his commitment to students, including the 2019 Manuel C. Carballo Award, the Kennedy School’s highest teaching honor, as well as the 2015 HKS Dean’s Award for Exceptional Leadership on Diversity and Inclusion. McCarthy was also one of ten faculty members from across the university whose teaching was first showcased in HGSE’s Instructional Moves Project. In May 2020, amidst the COVID pandemic, Kennedy School graduates chose him to deliver the faculty address (“Precedented Bravery”) at their virtual Class Day ceremony, and HGSE graduates selected him to deliver the 2023 Faculty Commencement Address (“Brave Awakenings in an Age of Bullies”). McCarthy was honored with the 2022 Outstanding Alumnus Award from the Philips Brooks House Association and the 2023 Evelynn M. Hammonds Award for Exceptional Service to BGLTQ+ Inclusion at Harvard University. Inspired by the activism and organizing of his student years, McCarthy has devoted his life to public service and social justice. As founding director of Harvard’s Alternative Spring Break Church Rebuilding Program, he spent fifteen years (1997-2013) organizing hundreds of students to help rebuild Black churches destroyed in racist arson attacks throughout the United States. A respected leader in the LGBTQ+ community, he was a founding member of Barack Obama’s National LGBT Leadership Council, gave expert testimony to the Pentagon Comprehensive Working Group on the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” was part of the first-ever LGBTQ delegation from the United States to Palestine and Israel, and was a 2023 honoree in Portraits of Pride, a public art installation that showcases “luminaries of the LGBTQ+ community in Massachusetts.” He currently serves as Board Chair for Free the Slaves, a leading global NGO in the fight against modern slavery, and is a longtime advisory board member and creative collaborator with the Tony Award-winning American Repertory Theater.

Cynthia Voigt is an acclaimed American author best known for her contributions to young adult and children’s literature. Born on February 25, 1942, in Boston, Massachusetts, Voigt has crafted a prolific career centered around stories that often explore themes of family, resilience, and personal growth. She is perhaps most famous for her "Tillerman Cycle," a series that includes the Newbery Medal-winning “Dicey's Song” (1982). Voigt's work is celebrated for its depth and emotional honesty, offering readers complex characters and compelling narratives that resonate with both young and adult audiences.Throughout her career, Voigt has received numerous awards, including the Margaret Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults. Despite her success, Voigt is known for maintaining a relatively low public profile, granting interviews infrequently and focusing instead on her writing and personal life. Her stories continue to captivate readers around the world, making her a significant and enduring voice in American literature.visit her website: www.cynthiavoigt.com

https://planetwordmuseum.orgAnn B. Friedman, the visionary Founder and CEO of Planet Word. Ann led the transformation of the historic Franklin School into the museum’s innovative home. Her passion for literacy has been a constant throughout her life, fueled by her love of reading, early roles as a copy editor and translator, and her impactful work as a beginning reading and writing teacher in Montgomery County Public Schools. Between 2010 and 2016, Ann chaired the Board of the SEED Foundation, the organization behind the nation's only public, inner-city, college-prep boarding schools, where she continues to contribute as Vice Chair. Recently, she was elected as a trustee of the American Alliance of Museums. Ann has dedicated over a decade of service to the National Symphony Orchestra's board in various capacities. Additionally, she is a founding board member of the Downtown DC Foundation. Ann resides in Bethesda, MD, with her husband, Thomas L. Friedman, a prominent New York Times foreign affairs columnist. They have two adult daughters. In this interview, Ann shares how she founded Planet Word, along with her inspiration and goals for the museum’s future.Planet Word925 13th Street NWWashington, D.C. 20005

Jerry Spinelli, born on February 1, 1941, in Norristown, Pennsylvania, is a renowned author specializing in children's novels that explore themes of adolescence and early adulthood. Among his celebrated works are STARGIRL, MANAIC MAGEE, and WRINGER. Notably, Spinelli received the prestigious Newbery Medal for MANIAC MAGEE and a Newbery Honor for WRINGER, recognizing his exceptional contribution to children's literature. Spinelli's passion for writing was sparked at the age of 16 when he wrote a poem about his high school football team's significant victory. His father secretly submitted the poem to the local newspaper, which published it. This experience led Spinelli to realize his ambition to become a writer, abandoning his dream of playing major league baseball. During his time at Gettysburg College, Spinelli honed his writing skills by penning short stories and serving as the editor of the college literary magazine, The Mercury. After graduating in 1963, he earned an MA from Johns Hopkins University in 1964. Spinelli then spent the next two decades working various day jobs, allowing him to write fiction during his free time, including lunch breaks, weekends, and evenings. Initially, Spinelli wrote novels for adults, but all were rejected by publishers. His fifth novel, intended for adults, eventually became his first published children's book, SPACE STATION SEVENTH GRADE, in 1982. This shift marked the beginning of his successful career in children's literature. In 1977, Spinelli married Eileen Mesi, a fellow children's author. Eileen, writing as Eileen Spinelli, has collaborated with illustrators to produce numerous picture books since the 1980s. Jerry Spinelli currently resides in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, where he continues to inspire young readers with his insightful and heartfelt stories.