This episode is for you, aspiring English majors! If you are a teen writer considering a future in the book world, you have come to the right place. How on earth does the publishing process work? Is an English degree useful? Do I need a literary agent to submit to publishing houses?

That’s where episode one of The Scholastic Awards Podcast comes in—your destination for your burning publishing questions finally answered. Listen as the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers interviews publishing professionals from all angles of the industry.

(2:01): Marc Brown is an American author and illustrator of children’s books, best known for creating the Arthur books and television series. Follow Marc on Instagram: @marcbrown333 or visit his website: https://marcbrownstudios.com/.

(26:45): Alexandra Franklin is an associate agent at Curtis Brown Literary. Alexandra is particularly interested in upmarket and literary fiction, narrative nonfiction and memoir, and select literary YA. See Alexandra’s query guidelines here: https://curtisbrown.com/agents/alexandra-franklin/.

(56:19): Emi Nietfeld is a writer and software engineer. Her essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Rumpus, Vice, and more. Follow Emi on Instagram @eminietfeld or visit her website: https://www.eminietfeld.com/.

Today’s episode has a little bit of everything for both writers and artists, no matter the stage of your creativity journey.

We chat about fighting perfectionism and knowing when a project is complete, taking inspiration from your creative idols without compromising your individuality, and so much more.

Guests:

(3:00): Sarah Nerboso is a 1999 Scholastic Awards alumna and screenwriter, currently writing on HBO Max’s Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai. After graduating with an M.F.A. in Film from Columbia University, this guest has written for a variety of animated shows, including Nick Jr’s Nella the Princess Knight, Apple TV’s Doug Unplugs, Imagine’s Tiny Chef, as well as several not-yet-announced upcoming projects.

/ nerbosowriterofworlds
https://www.max.com/shows/gremlins-se...

(17:05): Ashley Binstock is a 2022 gold medal portfolio winner in writing. This talented young writer wrote a collection of works that highlighted the underlying issues and topics stirred up by the pandemic. Today, she is a student at the University of St. Thomas studying environmental science and creative writing.

/ ashley.binstock
https://www.flipsnack.com/artandwriti...

(36:08): Lily Arnold is a 2022 gold medal portfolio award winner in Mixed Media and Printmaking. This guest’s art centers on her Asian American identity as an adoptee growing up in predominantly white spaces. Today, she is a fashion major at Savannah College of Art and Design.

https://lilygarnold43.wixsite.com/lil...

In today’s episode, we discuss the magic of fusing art mediums, how to be vulnerable in your work, putting yourself out there creatively, and writing cross-genres.

Guests:
(2:45): Gabrielle Civil won a Scholastic Award in 1990 for nonfiction writing before becoming a feminist performance artist and writer. Today, she teaches in the MFA program in Creative Writing and the BFA program in Critical Studies courses at CalArts and has premiered fifty original performance artworks around the world.

(18:33): Brittany Cavallaro won a gold medal in 2003 for her writing collection of poetry, flash fiction, and nonfiction. She then went on to publish two collections of poetry and a variety of Young Adult novels spread across multiple genres such as historical fiction, fantasy, thriller, and more. Her newest book, Sunrise Nights, in collaboration with Jeff Zentner, is on sale July 9.

(38:55): Shaeley Lincoln is a 2022 Gold Medal Portfolio Award winner. This young artist’s winning portfolio explores the injustices against People of Color and celebrates cultural values. She is currently a sophomore majoring in Sculpture at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Follow our guests!

Gabrielle Civil
https://www.gabriellecivilartist.com/
/ gabrielle_civil

Brittany Cavallaro
https://brittanycavallaro.com/
https://www.instagram.com/bricavallar...
Pre-order a copy of Sunrise Nights: https://www.harpercollins.com/product...

Shaeley Lincoln
Learn more about Shaeley's portfolio!