You Should See Me in a Crown: In Conversation with Leah Johnson

Get your (queer) prom queen crown on and join debut author, Leah Johnson, as she discusses her new book, You Should See Me in a Crown. Friday, June 19, at 4:00 pm.

Join via Zoom

In Johnson’s book, Liz Lighty has always believed she's too black, too poor, too awkward to shine in her small, rich, prom-obsessed midwestern town. Focused on getting into Pennington College and out of Indiana, things change when the financial aid she was counting on unexpectedly falls through... until she's reminded of her school's scholarship for prom king and queen. There's nothing Liz wants to do less than endure a gauntlet of social media trolls, catty competitors, and humiliating public events, but despite her devastating fear of the spotlight, she's willing to do whatever it takes to get to Pennington. The only thing that makes it halfway bearable is the new girl in school, Mack who is also in the running for queen. Will falling for the competition keep Liz from her dreams . . . or make them come true?

Leah Johnson is a writer, editor and eternal Midwesterner, currently moonlighting as a New Yorker. She is a graduate of Indiana University and Sarah Lawrence College, where she received her MFA in fiction writing, and currently teaches in their undergraduate writing program. When she’s not writing, you can usually find her on Twitter, ranting about pop culture and politics. You Should See Me in a Crown is her first novel.

Awards and Distinctions for You Should See Me in a Crown:
Kirkus Starred Review
Publishers Weekly Starred Review
2020 Junior Library Guild Selection
Summer/Fall 2020 Indies Introduce Selection
June 2020 The Bronx is Reading Book Club Selection
June 2020 Well-Read Black Girl Book Club Selection
Children’s Book Council Spring 2020 Champions of Change Selection

Press for You Should See Me in a Crown:
Interview with Leah Johnson on The Write Type podcast
28 Highly Anticipated YA Books That Are Coming Out In 2020 (BuzzFeed)
12 LGBTQ2 books you won’t want to miss in 2020 (Xtra Magazine)
25 YA Novels Feminists Should Read in 2020 (Bitch)
50+ YA Books Starring Queer Girls Hitting Shelves IN 2020 (BookRiot)
2020 Already Has a Diverse Lineup of LGBTQ+ YA Books (POPSUGAR)

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For more information, call 845-758-6822, e-mail [email protected],
or visit https://studentactivities.bard.edu.

Time: 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm EDT/GMT-4

Location: Oline Event

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