Dana Davidson is the author of two novels for young adults, Jason and Kyra (Hyperion/Jump at the Sun 2004) and Played (Hyperion/Jump at the Sun 2005). Booklist calls Jason and Kyra a book that “teens won’t be able to stop reading….” About Played, School Library Journal says, “Davidson’s understanding of teen motivations and language is apparent….” For the third day of 28 Days Later, the Brown Bookshelf is pleased to present Dana Davidson!
Dana Davidson, the Reluctant Writer
Many African-American Children’s Lit authors see Dana Davidson as a trailblazer. Her first novel, Jason and Kyra, was one of the first romance novels to feature middle-class African-American characters. However, Dana never aspired to be an author, at least not at first.
Dana grew up a fan of romance novels, but as a kid, there weren’t many romance novels that portrayed African-Americans as the “hero.” Her desire to see successful, African-American characters in novels manifested itself in her first novel, Jason and Kyra.
Wearing Two Hats (or How the Teacher Influences the Author)
In addition to being an author, Dana is also a teacher, and was awarded the Newsweek/WDIV-TV Outstanding Teacher Award in 2001. However, when beginning a novel, she refuses to let her “teacher” side interfere with her writing process. It it’s until later, as she revises and reflects on a novel, that she allows herself to see her work through her teacher lens.
Dana’s second novel, Played, takes a unique look at the influence of underground high school fraternities. While the idea of foolish and immature fraternity initiations played a part in crafting the novel, what Dana really wanted to show was the inherent beauty of her characters—and in a way, the inherent beauty of her students. She wanted to write a novel where the characters were forced to “see” each other.
When asked to pick her favorite novel, Dana was hesitant to name one specific novel. “I like both of them equally,” she said. “I love the romanticism of Jason and Kyra. In Played, I like that Kyle and Ian become better young people.”
The Path to Publication
After writing a portion of Jason and Kyra, Dana went to a writing conference and met the editor of African American Famliy, a Michigan-based publication. The editor suggested that Dana look into representation from the Marie Brown Literary Agency. After speaking with the agency, Dana was quickly signed by Janell Walden Agyeman. Agyeman shopped the manuscript around to two houses. One passed because the novel wasn’t “edgy” enough—which is exactly why Hyperion/Jump at the Sun picked up the novel. Their vision was similar to Dana’s—to publish novels that portray a broader view of African-American culture.
Advice for Aspiring Authors
Dana Davidson encourages anyone trying to write to first read a lot of books, then write a lot. She also encourages would-be authors not to be afraid to rewrite, and to constantly work toward completion of a writing goal.
Dana’s next novel will feature characters that fans are already familiar with—Greg Hoover (from Jason and Kyra) and Diana Love (from Played). Look for it sometime in 2009 or 2010.