Tag Archives: Book Launch

Word Up – Book Launch: ALL THAT SHINES by Ellen Hagan with Renée Watson and Jennifer Baker

Friday, September 15, 2023 – 6:00pm to 8:30pm
RECIRCULATION A project of Word Up
876 Riverside Drive (near 160th St.)
New YorkNY 10032

 

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Join Word Up Community Bookshop for the launch of local author Ellen Hagan’s latest YA novel All That Shines (out 9/5/23), a contemplative novel in verse that questions what it means to lose everything you once treasured and rediscover yourself, falling in love along the way. In conversation with Hagan are Renée Watson and Jennifer Baker.

Ellen Hagan  & Jennifer Baker will both be at Word Up’s mini children’s festival Uptown Kid Lit on Sunday, September 10, 2023 in Inwood Hill Park for a panel and signing.

“If you want to read something that will break your heart with poetry and then make it feel like you’re falling in love on the cool bluegrass under a warm Kentucky summer night sky, All That Shines is the book for you.” —Jeff Zentner, award-winning author of THE SERPENT KING and IN THE WILD LIGHT

This event is a $5 suggested donation ticket with 50 max attendees. Please register in advance.

In compliance with Word Up Community Safety guidelines, masking is highly recommended.

Recirculation, a project of Word Up Community Bookshop, is located at 876 Riverside Drive (near 160th St.) in Washington Heights, NYC. You can take the 1 train to 157th St., A/C train to 163rd St., and the M4 and M5 to Broadway and 159/160th.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Chloe Brooks has only ever known what it’s like to have everything. Her parents’ wealth and place in society meant she had all she wanted, and friends everywhere she turned. Until it all crashes down: Her father is arrested in the middle of the night, under investigation for fraud.

Bankrupt and facing foreclosure, Chloe must forgo her lavish summer plans as she and her mom are forced to move into one of the rundown apartments they still own, just outside Lexington, Kentucky. Without her riches, Chloe loses her friends, her comfort, her confidence, and her sense of self, unsure of who she is and if she is even worth anything if she nothing to offer.

To Chloe’s surprise, she bonds with her neighbors, Clint, Skye, James, and Natalia, and they introduce her to the side of Kentucky she’s long ignored. Her new friends are the only ones who see her for who she truly is, but will they stay by her side once they discover her family’s true identity, or will Chloe lose them, too?

In her signature captivating verse, Ellen Hagan encapsulates the hesitant joy of reshaping your identity and rediscovering yourself.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Ellen Hagan is a writer, performer, and educator. She is the author of Don’t Call Me a Hurricane and Reckless, Glorious, Girl and the coauthor with Renée Watson of Watch Us Rise. Her poetry collections include Blooming Fiascoes, Hemisphere, and Crowned. Her work can be found in ESPN Magazine, She Walks in Beauty, and Southern Sin. Ellen is the Director of the Poetry & Theatre Departments at the DreamYard Project and directs their International Poetry Exchange Program with Japan, South Korea and the Philippines. She co-leads the Alice Hoffman Young Writer’s Retreat at Adelphi University. Raised in Kentucky, she now lives in New York City with her family.

Renée Watson is a #1 New York Times bestselling author. Her novel, Piecing Me Together, received a Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Award. Her books include the Ryan Hart series, Some Places More Than Others, This Side of Home, What Momma Left Me, Betty Before X, cowritten with Ilyasah Shabazz, Watch Us Rise, cowritten with Ellen Hagan, andLove Is a Revolution, as well as acclaimed picture books: Summer Is Here, Maya’s Song, The 1619 Project: Born on the Water, written with Nikole Hannah-Jones, A Place Where Hurricanes Happen, and Harlem’s Little Blackbird, which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award. Renée splits her time between Portland, Oregon and New York City.

Jennifer Baker is a publishing professional of twenty years, the creator and host of the Minorities in Publishing podcast, and editor of the short story anthology Everyday People: The Color of Life. She has volunteered with organizations such as We Need Diverse Books and I, Too, Arts Collective, and spoken widely on topics of inclusion, the craft of writing, podcasting, and the inner workings of the publishing industry. Her fiction, nonfiction, and criticism have appeared in various print and online publications.


WORD UP COMMUNITY SAFETY GUIDELINES

CANCELLATION POLICY: Word Up Community Bookshop reserves the right to cancel events for any reason, including but not limited to safety concerns.

CODE OF CONDUCT: Please note Word Up has a zero-tolerance policy for harassment or intimidation of any kind during any event, virtual or in-person. Please read our Safe Space Policy for more information. Anyone violating these rules will be expelled from the event at the discretion of the organizers. Please report all harassment to events@wordupbooks.com immediately.

PHOTOS & RECORDING: Events may be recorded, and video and photos may be posted on our website, social media, and elsewhere. If you would prefer not to be visible, please let a Word Up team member know.

PRIVACY: Registrants will be added to the Word Up mailing list. Your contact information will never be shared or sold. You may unsubscribe or update your subscription at any time.

ACCESSIBILITY: Recirculation is a wheelchair-accessible space with one ramp from the street level down to the store. Most of the shelves are on wheels and can be moved to provide additional access. The bathrooms are not yet ADA compliant and do not yet have a changing table but are gender neutral. The events are mic’d for sound and videos are captioned when possible. Free ASL interpretation is available for most programs upon request. Please email events@wordupbooks.com to request interpretation as early as possible. If you have specific questions about the space or how an event can be made more accessible to you, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@wordupbooks.com

All That Shines By Ellen Hagan Cover Image
$19.99
ISBN: 9781547610211
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Bloomsbury YA – September 5th, 2023

Forgive Me Not By Jennifer Baker Cover Image
$19.99
ISBN: 9780593406847
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Nancy Paulsen Books – August 15th, 2023

Pre-Order Now Badge
Ways to Build Dreams (A Ryan Hart Story) By Renée Watson, Nina Mata (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Renée WatsonNina Mata (Illustrator)
$17.99
ISBN: 9781547610181
Availability: Coming Soon – Available for Pre-Order Now
Published: Bloomsbury Children’s Books – October 17th, 2023