Toward the end of her press conference, Flannery stated, The only magic I ve ever seen in the world is between a book and a reader. A long voyage to Birmingham by an African American family, frightening bullies, and an author s life are just three topics young journalists can learn from the experience of an accomplished author. Area students visited YSU Friday, April 23, where some had the pleasure of interviewing Christopher Paul Curtis, author of The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963 . Curtis discussed his writing with the students. He said the key to writing is to practice and to love it.
Writing is an unusual thing.
It s a strange profession. It s something you do all by yourself, Curtis said. Curtis s book, which in part deals with the Civil Rights Movement, is being used in classrooms. Although this use wasn t intended, Curtis is pleased because he feels it is important to teach what happened when segregation was common and legal. I ve learned to admire teachers a great deal. . . .