Sometimes the industry itself loses one of its giants. This month, children’s literature said goodbye to Jane Yolen.
Jane wrote more than 450 books, won more awards than I could possibly list here, and helped shape generations of readers, writers, and illustrators. Books like Owl Moon, The Devil’s Arithmetic, and so many others have become part of the fabric of children’s literature.
But numbers and awards tell only part of the story. Ask around the kidlit community and you’ll hear about Jane’s generosity, encouragement, mentorship, and welcome.
I experienced that firsthand. We wrote a few books together, and I had the pleasure of editing others she wrote. I also brought her to Florida once to meet with students. During that trip, she stayed at my house, and we threw a Jane-Yolen-themed party with local kidlit friends.
That’s the kind of memory I’m holding onto right now: Jane in the middle of books, students, writers, laughter, conversation, and a table full of food inspired by her stories.
So, instead of our usual Industry Insider feature this month, it felt right to simply say:
Thank you, Jane.
For the stories.
For the wisdom.
For the example.
And for helping make children’s literature the remarkable community that it is.
She had the magic touch and will truly be missed. I loved watching her and Heidi laugh together and listening to her keynote speeches. Love you, Jane. I’m BIC’ing right now.
For those who haven’t heard her say it, BIC = Butt in Chair (to do the writing, of course). Thanks for this, Julie!!
A lovely post. Jane held my feet to the fire whenever I gave up. Her faith in my writing was an honor.
So nice to hear. Jane was generous enough to do similar things for many writers. She genuinely wanted people to improve and find success. That’s one of the things I appreciate most about the kidlit world–so much support and guidance vs other areas of writing that get overly competitive. Jane modeled the kidlit world vibe and work ethic well.