Shared Humanity, Powerful Speeches, and Stories of The Unhoused with Author Roxanne Chester

Please welcome my friend and fellow Picture Book Peep, author Roxanne Chester! If you’re a writer looking for a bit of encouragement, light, and connection, look no further! Some Highlights: The joy of community and connection within the writing world. How stories unite all of us with shared feelings. Finding a way to forgive yourself when you don’t have the headspace or heartspace to push through and come back to writing afterward. Being kind to yourself as a writer. The benefits of creative expression. More about This is My Bag: An unhoused person carries a bag through the streets, to a shelter, to a house, to the subway, and the park. With each changing location, the protagonist and their bag also changes, reflecting the various faces and reasons for homelessness and asking the reader to contemplate themes of community, self-reliance, and the meaning of "home." Links Mentioned🔗: Roxanne’s website This is My Bag: A Story of the Unhoused illustrated by Abraham Matias on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop The 12x12 Picture Book Challenge NY Writers Coalition Black Writers Program Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Picture Book Peeps on Instagram and Substack (new podcasts monthly!) Book Recommendations📚: This is My Bag illustrated by Abraham Matias Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower, Parable of the Talents, her short writings Martin Luther King Jr.’s Speeches Thank you so much to Roxanne for coming on the show and to you for listening! Stay tuned for the next episode with kidlit author-illustrator Jenny Alvarado!