Anyone who has heard author Jason Reynolds speak knows he has a charismatic personality. Outgoing and energetic during his events, he is a great storyteller who captivates you with his style and choice of words, and entertains you thoroughly.
It was during Covid-19 that I first became aware of Jason Reynolds. I had just won the 2020 Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Emerging Voices Award. I was invited to their winter conference in Los Angeles, which was unfortunately canceled and switched to a remote group video call instead. On day 3 of the conference, Editor Caitlyn Dlouhy of Simon & Schuster and author Nic Stone “[dug] deep into acclaimed novelist Jason Reynolds’ writing process and discussed the keys to developing a unique voice and the steps to building a meaningful career.” Although my internet decided to have a hiccup fit that day, the bit I heard from Jason Reynolds was enough to leave a lasting impression on me. It wasn’t what was said so much as how it was told. Reynolds spoke with comfort and ease. The words flew from him like autumn leaves, gently and gracefully falling to the ground. As an aspiring writer with a fear of public speaking, this was a mind-blowing experience.
In early September of this year, an email from The New School informed the community about the launch for Jason Reynolds’ new book. The event would be on Wednesday, October 9th. I registered immediately and counted the days in anticipation.
The Tishman Auditorium was nearly packed that night. The atmosphere was vibrant. The audience—mostly MFA students, professors, writers, and a few publishing professionals, including Reynolds’ editor—sat waiting for the show to begin. In front of the audience and next to the podium in the center of the room, a single chair juxtaposed a round coffee table. A bottle of coconut water waited on it.
After the lights dimmed, the event began. Peter Glassman, the founder of Books of Wonder, introduced Reynolds as the number one New York Times bestselling author of many award-winning books. He briefly spoke about Reynolds’ new book before going through all the awards Reynolds has received—even a MacArthur fellowship—and all the media outlets where Reynolds has appeared, including the Late Night Show with Stephen Colbert and CBS News. He passed the mic to Reynolds before returning to join the audience
Sitting alone in front of the room, Reynolds drew laughter and applause from the audience when he commented about his rejection from The New School for Graduate School, but that he was “glad to be here tonight.” He had decided not to have anyone in conversation with him for this book tour. Nowadays, he pointed out, authors often talk to other authors during book tours, because it’s easier to navigate the discussion. However, he chose not to because he wanted to engage in a dialogue with the audience. This was when he began discussing his new book, Twenty-Four Seconds From Now, which is about first love, the first time having sex, and all the nerves that come along with it.
Reynolds tapped into his own life experience, and drew himself close to the protagonist in his book. It made the story vivid and relatable. He recounted his first kiss, and when he lost his virginity, with an easy sense of humor that entertained the audience along the way.
But Reynolds didn’t stop there. His own life experience and sexuality were not the only reasons he wrote Twenty-Four Seconds From Now. Visiting young black boys incarcerated on the West Coast, and talking to librarians around the country, he realized that there were not many books addressing “black boys’ tenderness.”
After relating all the tales and examples about his life and experience with sexuality and his motivation and inspiration for writing Twenty-Four Seconds From Now, Reynolds rose from his chair and recited the first chapter of his book from memory. He walked around the space, his words like music to the ears. His every step seemed to dance to the rhythm of that music.