Its a frank admission fromNic Stone, the No.
1 best-selling author ofDear Martinand other YA hits.
An understandable one, too.
Illustration by Rachelle Baker for EW
From opposite coasts, the pair gathered over Zoom for a candid discussion.
They’re actually claiming Dr. King’s name in this.
We don’t talk about that.
Random House (2)
Like, we are beyond stress.
We are beyond anger.
We are in a state of duress.
This was literally one of the catalysts forDear Martinin the first place.
I remember working onDear Martinand thinking about how Dr. Kings teachings had been softened, sanitized, and weaponized.
But knowing the origin of the success makes [it] feel not as successful.
Youre going to feel this in a minute, Kim.
JOHNSON:I feel it.
I cant imagine how Ill feel when my book is out.
STONE:Your book is hyper-relevant.
Here we are again in 2020.
And this is no different than the Birmingham children’s crusade.
Im disappointed that it is relevant again.
JOHNSON:I started writing it at the moment Eric Garner [died] six years ago.
I have a 12-year-old and a six-year-old.
My [older child], he saw the video and was like, Why are they doing that?
And that is such a small picture.
It doesn’t even scratch the surface of the issues that are actually impacting the Black community.
But even Eric Garner, that didnt wake people up.
Things people would think were outlandish, but that I knew were truth, are now truth.
Because I work with college students.
That’s what I see.
When I was exposed to African-American characters in books, they were always suffering in some way.
Now, five [of my] novels are out in the world.
The one that sells the best is about racism, where a Black kid dies.
I think about Tom Robinson from The Great American Read.
This notion of colorblindness, “We don’t see color.”
STONE:Like you, I debuted with a book that looks at ways that Black people are oppressed.
I want to know, did you feel pressure to come out of the gate that way?
To write this jot down of book?
Do you feel like you’re able to write a different pop in of book?
And I wanted to bring a voice to it.
This is the book I wanted to write.
I felt there was a spirit that moved in me to write this story.
I needed to doThis Is My America.
Is that the expectation they will always hold for a Black writer?
STONE:An editor [I know of] wanted to enter the auction forThe Hate U Give.
This is back when he was at Simon & Schuster.
That is a thing that just sorry.
They dont want to read the books where we are actual people.
JOHNSON:[Pause] I’m just trying to catch my breath from everything that you said.
Focusing solely on Black pain is problematic.
My issue actually is in pushing back with publishing, pushing back with schools, pushing back with readers.
It’s been a thing used to uphold the status quo.
They were rich and they were white.
Girls weren’t even taught to write in the beginning.
Slaves were taught to read the portions of the Bible that supported their enslavement.
And that was it.
Just like it bums me out that healthcare is a for-profit industry.
Learning how to read or write is the thing that you have to pay for.
That is a thing that I find intensely heartbreaking.
It is f—ed up on a number of levels.
And I say this as a person who is a descendant of slaves.
I am descended from slaves on both sides of my family.
I know because I’ve done the heritage.
I’ve looked and figured out who was bought from where, et cetera.
Im glad youre writing what you write.
I cant wait to see it in everybodys car and on everybodys bookshelf.
Im thankful we [can] both thrive in our career paths, but its also very bittersweet.
That needs to be acknowledged.
JOHNSON:I’m a mystery writer.
I write Black books with Black folks.
I am interested in history and justice.
I want my book to be on a panel with other crime writers.
Why aren’t we amplifying them together?
I think of readers like me.
I read all kinds of crime books as a kid.
Nancy Drew was my jam!
Let me be the next version of her.
STONE:It’s a weird time, especially in YA.
The newHunger Gamesbook, the newTwilightbook, Kiera Cass (The Selection) has a new book coming out.
So it’s more just boosting the voices that already make a lot of money.
JOHNSON:We’re in a time of protest and young people, too.
And I do have just some thoughts, especially for young people: I want you to read.
I want you to be engaged.
I want you to listen.
You have the ability to vote.
I want you to vote.
I want you to vote educated.
You have this entire summer to actually make what’s going to happen mean something and do something different.
STONE:The young people that I have encountered are already better humans than any adult that I know.
And these young people, they do care.
So my word to young people is: You don’t have to ask for permission.
You don’t need permission to be compassionate.
You don’t need permission to care about other people.
You don’t need permission to disagree with your parents.
No successful movement in this country was successful without youth voices.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
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