Please join us at the bookstore as we welcome poet, educator, producer and #1 New York Times Bestselling author Kwame Alexander to celebrate and discuss his newest book, An American Story! Kwame will be in conversation with Dare Coulter, the artist, muralist, and sculptor who created the artwork for the book. This is a FREE event; RSVPs are strongly encouraged (please email rsvp@buxtonbooks.com to reserve your spot!). After the talk - which will include a Q&A portion - Kwame and Dare will be signing and personalizing books!
About Kwame Alexander:
Kwame Alexander is a poet, educator, producer, and #1 New York Times Bestselling author of 36 books, including The Door of No Return, An American Story, Becoming Muhammad Ali, co-authored with James Patterson, Rebound, which was shortlisted for prestigious UK Carnegie Medal, The Caldecott Medal and Newbery Honor-winning picture book, The Undefeated, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, and his Newbery medal-winning middle grade novel, The Crossover. A regular contributor to NPR's Morning Edition, Kwame is the recipient of numerous awards, including The Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, The Coretta Scott King Author Honor, Three NAACP Image Award Nominations, and the 2017 Inaugural Pat Conroy Legacy Award. In 2018, he opened the Barbara E. Alexander Memorial Library and Health Clinic in Ghana, as a part of LEAP for Ghana, an international literacy program he co-founded. He is the writer and executive producer of The Crossover TV series on Disney+.
About Dare Coulter:
Dare Coulter is an award-winning artist, muralist, and sculptor. Her mission for her artwork is primarily to create positive imagery of black people and families. Her most recent notable work includes a 200ft mural (with Kotis Street Art) in Greensboro honoring oft-unmentioned black cowboys and a commission of a painting of Nina Simone from the National Trust for Historic Preservation that was used to raise funds to restore Nina Simone's childhood home. She has illustrated three children's books, including You Are My Sunshine and My N.C. From A to Z, written by Michelle Lanier and commissioned by the North Carolina African American Heritage Commission. Her primary focus is monumental sculpture—fundraising for her first sculpture was just announced!
She was born in Augusta, GA and raised in Lorton, VA. For the second half of her life she has lived in and around Raleigh, NC where the bulk of her public art work has been created. She graduated from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor’s in Art + Design, but considers herself a graduate of Meredith College’s art program, as well.
About An American Story:
#1 New York Times Bestselling and award-winning author of The Undefeated, Kwame Alexander, pens a powerful picture book that tells the story of American slavery through the voice of a teacher struggling to help her students understand its harrowing history.
From the fireside tales in an African village, through the unspeakable passage across the Atlantic, to the backbreaking work in the fields of the South, this is a story of a people's struggle and strength, horror and hope. This is the story of American slavery, a story that needs to be told and understood by all of us. A testament to the resilience of the African American community, this book honors what has been and envisions what is to be.
With stunning mixed-media illustrations by newcomer Dare Coulter, this is a potent book for those who want to speak the truth. Perfect for family sharing, the classroom, and homeschooling.