Using that 'writing muscle'

 

“Writing is a muscle that needs to be exercised.” – Nikki Grimes

Born this date in 1950, Grimes grew up in Harlem where, she said, "Books were my survival tools. They were how I got by, and how I coped with things. Books carried me away."

Also a poet and journalist, her interests and talents are as widely diverse as her writing skills, including award-winning photography, fiber art, and beading.

On the board of directors for the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance, her work has earned her honors and recognition from a number of prestigious organizations including the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children, and (a remarkable 4 times) the Coretta Scott King Author Award for her fiction – Bronx Masquerade, Dark Sons, The Road to Paris, and Talkin’ About Bessie.

In 2017, she received the Wilder Award as an author or illustrator whose books have made a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.

“Originally I had planned to write just a couple      

  of children's books and then, return the focus on adult literature,” she noted.  “(But) A funny thing happened along the way - I kept having new ideas, and then I looked up one day, and 30 years had passed!”

 

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