2018

Clay McLeod Chapman; Author (Keynote speaker)
Image courtesy of The Picking Brain Podcast
Author of the Tribe trilogy, Clay McLeod Chapman has published extensively including short story collections, novels, comics, screenplays, and the stage.  His works have been adapted for the screen as shorts and a feature length film, and he created and wrote for the two decade long Pumpkin Pie Show storytelling sessions. Clay joins us courtesy of the Brooklyn Public Library to talk about his career behind the pen, and will run a creative writing workshop afterwards.

Image courtesy of celiacperez.com

Debut author and Chicago librarian Celia Pérez joins us to share the art of zine-making!  The First Rule of Punk, both a 2018 Pura Belpré Honor Book, as well as winner of the 2018 Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award, follows the journey of a punk rock middle schooler negotiating her identity and zine-making her way through challenging transitions of a new school and new city.

 

La Bruja; Poet, playwright, singer/songwriter

Image courtesy of pepatian.org

Caridad de la Luz is a Bronx-based performer of poetry, song, and theater. She has performed on Def Poetry Jam, released two music albums, written for the stage, television, and film. La Bruja is a multi-talented artist whom we are thrilled to have both perform her poetry and lead students in a poetry writing workshop.
Image courtesy of centerforbookarts.org
The Center for Book Arts is dedicated to exploring the book as an art object. Their Manhattan facility holds exhibitions of book art, runs book and print making programs, and has a working print-making studio.  They join our line-up to teach students how to sew their own hand-made books.
Puppeteer
Image courtesy of wnyc.org
Activist, puppeteer, educator, and musician Joseph Therrien joins us for the 5th time this year!  Having brought to life giant puppets, stick puppets, and puppet shows, this year he brings us the next logical step in our puppet education- sock puppets.
Programming the Switch for Labo
Image courtesy of nintendosoup.com
This April, Nintendo released a new product for the Switch- a set of DIY cardboard projects that players bring to life with the Switch. Technology strategist, Dion Bailey, and tech designer, Erin Sparling, will talk about infrared and gyroscopic technology and facilitate a student exploration with LABO materials.