#AMMconnect Bio

Howdy, howdy, hi. My name is Richard B. Knight (The B stands for Brontosaurus) and I write Contemporary YA fiction. I am also dipping my toe into MG after reading the stellar Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh, and The Best Man by Richard Peck.

My current book (The one I hope is selected) is called East of Maplewood, and it's about a black teenager who identifies with being white since he grew up around white people. But when he's forced to move to a predominately black neighborhood, he suffers an identity crisis since he feels he doesn't fit in with these kinds of black people. It's not until he meets some black and brown teenagers at his new school who have similar interests as him, that he learns to not only accept his black culture, but also to celebrate it. He also learns that it's not about what you are, but who you are that truly matters. I teach seventh graders, and I find that a lot of my students suffer from identity issues, and I wrote this book for them. :)

I think I'd make a great mentee since I'm super receptive to feedback. I'm in two writer's groups, and I'm always paying close attention to what my fellow writers have to say about my work, and I'm always using it to better my storytelling. AMM sounds really great, and I'm glad my friend tuned me into it. It looks like a blast!