6 S UNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2022What books are on your night stand?
Right now, it’s an advance reading copy
of Ocean Vuong’s latest collection, “Time
Is a Mother,” which is remarkable. Also,
Jamaica Kincaid’s “Talk Stories,” John
Irving’s “A Prayer for Owen Meany,”
which I’m rereading, and an ARC of
NoViolet Bulawayo’s “Glory,” which is
genius. Honestly, I keep books on my
night stand for the morning. I like to
wake up, read a few pages of something
to spark my creativity and the work I
might do that day. At night, I look at art
books that I keep stacked in the nest
cubby beneath my night stand.What’s the last great book you read?
You know, if I’m being honest, the last
book that I really loved (which makes it
great to me) was probably “Iggie’s
House,” by Judy Blume. I’d read it long
ago, but I recently reread it and suddenly
it feels even more... alive. It’s not one of
her most popular books, but when I think
about the fact that it was published in
1970 and addresses white flight, I’menamored by Jude Blume’s courage and
decision-making in the work.Describe your ideal reading experience
(when, where, what, how).
A fall day in Arizona, preferably in an
outdoor bathtub. There’s something
about a desert breeze, the silence and
stillness of the terrain, and the big sky
that always gets me. Yes, even more than
the beach. Oh, and the book needs to be a
tougher read. Something I have to con-
centrate on to enjoy.How do you distinguish Y.A. books from
adult fiction?
I’m still trying to figure that out. You
know, I’m working on some adult fiction
right now, and based on what I’m learn-
ing from my edits, it has more to do with
tone than anything else. My issue is that
people create this massive chasm be-
tween the two, which sometimes feels
like a way to diminish the work written
for young people. Because of my disdain
for that, I’ve tried really hard to pushagainst the dividing line but ultimately,
I’m learning there is a difference. I’m
just not sure it’s as drastic as we try to
make it. With a shift in tone, “Salvage
the Bones” might be a young adult novel.
And that would make it different, cer-
tainly, but not a lesser work.Which young adult books would you
recommend to people who don’t usually
read Y.A.?
“Monster,” by Walter Dean Myers,
“Shout,” by Laurie Halse Anderson,
“Maus,” by Art Spiegelman, “Fun
Home,” by Alison Bechdel, “Brown Girl
Dreaming,” by Jacqueline Woodson,
“Nothing,” by Janne Teller, “Platero y
Yo,” by Juan Ramón Jiménez, and “Mon-
day’s Not Coming,” by Tiffany D. Jack-
son. There’s many, many more, but this
is a start.What book might people be surprised to
find on your shelves?
The entire Captain Underpants series.
But you’d only be surprised if you don’t
know me.What’s the best book you’ve ever re-
ceived as a gift?
When my father passed away, I was
given his devotional book, “Grace for the
Moment,” by Max Lucado. It’s not a book
I would’ve ever bought, and reading
daily devotionals isn’t really my thing,
but to have this item with hundreds of
tabs in it because he’d reread it every
year is incredibly special. Sometimes I
try to pick a page that he’s marked all up
just to see why he kept coming back to it.
It makes me feel like there’s something
he’s trying to teach me. Still.You’re organizing a literary dinner party.
Which three writers, dead or alive, do
you invite?
This is the question I’ve been waiting
for! OK, so this is selfish of me, but how
about I excuse myself, and invite a
fourth to take my place. Toni Morrison,
Jesmyn Ward, James Baldwin and Kiese
Laymon. We can tape it so I can see it
later. I don’t need to be there. But I’ll
make fish plates beforehand. And leave a
deck of cards on the table. And a case of
wine. And what I’d hope to see (on the
playback) is a tremendous amount of
laughter, and maybe even a few tears.
Jesmyn and Kiese will probably deflect
all this but, hey, we love y’all! And I’m
certain they would’ve too.What do you plan to read next?
I think I’m gonna check out the Magritte
biography by Alex Danchev. 0Jason ReynoldsThe Y.A. author, whose latest book is ‘Ain’t Burned All the Bright’ (with
art by Jason Griffin), keeps the entire Captain Underpants series on
hand: ‘You’d only be surprised if you don’t know me.’An expanded version of this interview is
available at nytimes.com/books.By the BookILLUSTRATION BY REBECCA CLARKEN D AY , N O V E M B E R 9 , 2 0 0 8
Independent publishers and
authors of not-so-independent
means receive special
discounted advertising rates
every Sunday in The New York
Times Book Review.For more information,
please contact Mark Hiler
at (212) 556-8452.Reach an influential audience
for less.The BookReviewPodcastNew episodes every week.
Listen wherever
you get your podcasts.