Best-selling YA author Stone speaks with educators, community at Maxwell

By Rakiyah Lenon | Co-editor in chief

Nic Stone, author of New York Times best seller “Dear Martin,” discussed book banning and human experiences with local teachers and members of the community in the Maxwell Theatre on May 3.

Augusta University’s Writing Project hosted the event as part of its ongoing series on speaking with authors. Stone’s visit was co-sponsored by AU’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion. 

Stone, who was born in Atlanta and graduated from Spellman College, has written several books, including novels for Marvel and a sequel to “Dear Martin” titled “Dear Justyce.” Stone’s book “Dear Martin” was banned by Columbia County schools in 2019. The issue has appeared again as discussion about critical race theory and censorship has risen within recent months. 

Teachers from the Augusta area who were in attendance asked Stone questions about how they can integrate inclusive literature in their curriculums. Stone spoke about connecting with others, “being human” and acknowledging respect for the experiences of individuals. 

“Feel your feelings,” Stone said.

Rebecca Harper, associate professor and director of the AU writing project, said that Stone’s visit was beneficial for the surrounding community. 

“You don’t have to be an educator to see the value in diversity,” she said. “As a literacy educator, I want people to enjoy reading and to see themselves in literature.” 

She said that Stone’s visit was also useful to aspiring writers and authors.

Summerstar Stegent, a junior education major, said that books and classroom discussions contribute to student’s understanding of crucial topics. 

“Reading would help me calm down as a kid and taught me that it was okay to feel emotions just like characters in the books,” she said. 

Stegent said that discussion about topics such as race can be done in a productive and informative manner. 

“If we want an inclusive environment in the classroom, we have to talk about hard hitting topics that happened in the past,” she said. “We can implement teaching issues about race in a kid friendly manner. If they can learn about the Civil War in the third grade, then they can learn about race issues.” 

Stegent said that having a choice about whether a student should or should not read a book should be decided depending upon the situation. 

“In elementary, if it is not appropriate, I would say that it needs to be banned,” she said. 

She said that parents’ concerns should be addressed in a way that allows for a choice. 

“I understand parents’ concerns, that is why I think before reading a controversial book they should be sent a permission slip and have a say,” she said. “If it is an age appropriate book, I don’t think it should be banned.”

David Hutchison, owner of the Broad Street bookstore The Book Tavern, said that when books are banned they tend to see an uptick in their sales. 

“You actually encourage people to read it,” he said. “They produce more dialogue and more thought, and for book seller, it sells books.” 

Harper also said that a similar pattern follows when a book is banned. 

“When you ban books, in a lot of ways, it makes people want to read more, so it has the opposite effect,” she said. 

She said that though the banning of a book can contribute to its interest and popularity within the public, it could limit the opportunity for others to read the book. 

“The negative for me is when you ban a book, when you pull it from a public library, from a school library, you’re denying access for somebody who might not have another way to get that book,” she said. 

Harper said that decisions about book banning should be carefully considered and that she supports educators who choose to speak out. 

“I think we have to think really hard about who gets to decide what’s appropriate, who gets to decide what we should read,” said Harper. 

Hutchison said that though Stone’s books are in the young adult fiction category, he would recommend them for other audiences as well. 

“I think any of Nic’s books would be great to read,” he said. “All these books are for us too.”

Kiondra Broadway, deputy chief diversity officer of Augusta University’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, said that they helped to sponsor the Stone’s visit and support similar events. 

“Authorship can take you to so many different places, so I definitely think it’s a great opportunity for students to see that visually…talk to her [Stone], you know, and have an opportunity to engage with her [Stone] personally,” she said.

Contact Rakiyah Lenon at rlenon@augusta.edu.