Public Service Announcement #24
Borders are a fiction/Los Angeles + Libraries are Havens update + books!
Borders are a fiction / Los Angeles and beyond
“Borders are a fiction. Fences are a lack of imagination.”
“Las fronteras no son reales. Los muros son una falta de imaginaciōn.”
Art to accompany my short poem by the wonderful, talented children’s book illustrator Addy Rivera Sonda!
Please check out all the terrific, adorable children’s books Addy’s illustrated. Recent favorite: Bobby and the Big Valentine written by Tommy Woitas. And Addy’s IG !
Addy even made coloring pages! Download the English version and the Spanish version.
I live in Downtown Los Angeles. Saturday, I ran into a friend along with tens of thousands of Angelenos. People I know and hear about have been out there every day before and since to keep checking on and pushing for people’s lives, rights, and dignity. The targeting and terrorizing of individuals, families, students, children, workers, communities, and dissenters is dehumanizing, disturbing, and destructive.
CHIRLA (The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights) is a vital organization if you’re looking for ways to help. LA Public Press is doing excellent reporting, as always. You can also use 5 Calls to contact your reps a couple of times a week to ask them to step up for affected communities—this makes a giant difference. And you can support mutual aid efforts in your area or an affected city (donations, food delivery, care of all kinds, legal assistance, helping those who are “on watch” for community members, etc.).
Here are many ways to help and stay engaged from LA Public Press!
“Libraries are Havens”campaign: goal exceeded! Thank you!
Thank you! The campaign to support two IBBY library communities in Gaza EXCEEDED our goal of $10,000 USD! Final numbers are still being tallied and transfers set in motion, but last we heard from @ibby.international, the donation amount was at least $15,900 USD and very much still counting!
This means tangible humanitarian aid for IBBY Palestine and represents love for and solidarity with the children, librarians, and families.
If you were able to be share this with someone, thank you! If you were able to give, thank you! You should’ve received a thank you letter from IBBY.
Hearing from librarians Abla and Mahmoud about their experiences with their own families and the children from the libraries was harrowing, their stories, care, and endurance precious and incredible.
“Libraries are Havens” was a project from IBBY (International Board for Books on Young People) and Story Sunbirds.
Artwork for the campaign was created by Yasuko Toda.
two favorite novels of the last decade read recently
The last six months brought me two novels (both listened to) that will go down as forever favorites. They spoke to and changed me. Despite the very different dramas with distinct tones and time-periods, at their core, they’re both about colonization’s mechanisms and fallout.
Babel: An Arcane History by R. F. Kuang (the author of Yellowface). This was recommended by a friend and blends Asian and British history with fantasy and love-of-language. It is infused with awakening, friendship, and revolution. It’s gripping!
The Antidote by Karen Russell. Another blend of history (set during the Dust Bowl) with a fantastical element. At its core it’s about how we colonize Indigenous land and people, about memory, about how everything from then flows to now. Also gripping!
These books will stay with me forever. I hope you get to read them too.
a picture book I edited is available for pre-order!
Some friends wrote a special, personal picture book together that comes from one family’s experience with trichotillomania (the urge to pull one’s hair out). It was a privilege and delight to edit this story about an extremely helpful topic from folks I admire.
Tricky Trichotillomania written by Christina M. Ishibashi, Marné Boulware, Jeannie Olander & Julie Ann Taylor, illustrated by Jessica Woo.
“Christina’s determination to overcome trichotillomania disorder is an inspirational, heart-warming boost for anyone who knows the challenges of mental health struggles, compulsions, or feels full of self-doubt. Through her parents’ care and perseverance, therapy, and gradual self-acceptance, Christina discovers that her best quality is not her hair, but the compassion she shows herself and others.”
And a really nice thing! The project manager and co-writer, Jeannie Olander, had the following to say about working together. Thank you, Jeannie!!
“Danielle is a brilliant picture book editor who brings a broad spectrum of talents to the projects she shepherds - from diligently catching the minutest details to expertly providing creative and targeted feedback. She is a gifted collaborator who responds swiftly, as well as a great communicator, infusing a breath of fresh air into her clients’ pursuits. Most importantly, she is a master of supporting the writer's intent while maintaining and magnifying the voice and spirit of the picture book.
—Jeannie Olander
*I recently re-did my web page about my coaching, editing, and critique offerings to check out if interested. And my editor portfolio is sparkly and new too!
Thank you for spending this time with me and for reading! I hope it served you as moments well spent. And please do tell a friend, leave a comment, or stay tuned for the next PSA from Danielle Davis.