“When I was in school, I was very much into just sports, mostly basketball, and didn't really see myself as much of a student. But once I got into college, I figured I wasn't going to be play beyond college. I started to think what was I going to do, since I wouldn't be able to make a living with basketball. There were a couple of things I liked to do. I wrote poetry, spoken word mostly.” ThinkingPlayAbleSchoolSportsStudentsCollegeCoupleBasketballSpoken Word Author:Matt de la Pena
“The second book, which was probably more from a professional standpoint - when I read Junot Díaz's Drown, I was like, Oh my god, you can write these stories and people will actually read them beyond your own little community. This guy's book is blowing up and it seems like [he's writing about] the neighborhood that I grew up in. That was a big deal. I read that in graduate school, so that's when I was really taking writing seriously, but I didn't know you could do it. I didn't know you can actually be an author. It was a weird epiphany.” PeopleKnowsWritingLittlesBookStoriesBigsSeemsSchoolGuyCommunityDealsGrewGrew UpNeighborhoodGraduatesThis GuyBig DealStandpointEpiphanyGraduate SchoolBlowing Up Author:Matt de la Pena
“As an author, you go into the school, it gets written about in the paper. It sucks that your book was banned, but you almost benefit from it. The bummer is all of the incredible educators. Nobody is writing about them. They are on the frontlines still, to this day, fighting to reinstate those programs.” WritingStillsBookSchoolFightingWrittenPaperBenefitsProgramIncrediblesThis DayEducatorBannedBummerFrontline Author:Matt de la Pena
“But mostly I remember every morning before school. How she'd say "Hey, honey!" just I was walking out the apartment door. And me stopping and turning around and saying "What?" And her saying "I love you." And me rolling my eyes like I just wanted to hurry up so I didn't miss the bus. I'd start going again and she'd say "Hey, honey!" and I'd pretend I was so annoyed 'cause she was wasting time and I had to go catch the bus. And how secretly it was my favorite part of every day.” EyeWantedSchoolRememberCausesMorningDoorsLove YouMissingWalkingMy FavoriteHeyBusHoneyWasting TimeEvery MorningApartmentRollingStoppingAnnoyedSay I Love YouWalking Out Author:Matt de la Pena
