HoCoPoLitSo welcomes all to the May edition of the Wilde Reading Series, proudly continuing its ongoing tenth season of highlighting local authors in Howard County. This month’s reading features Vonnie Winslow Crist and Lakita Wilson, hosted by Ann Bracken. Please join us at independent bookstore Queen Takes Book on Tuesday, May 12th at 7 p.m., at 6955 Oakland Mills Rd, Suite E, Columbia MD, 21045. Please spread the word— bring your friends, family, and students!

Our warm and welcoming open mic follows the featured authors and we hope you will let us hear from your stories, poems, or other piece. Please prepare no more than five minutes of performance time (about two poems) and sign up when you arrive. Books by the featured authors will be available for purchase.

Below, get to know Vonnie and Lakita!

Who is the person in your life (past or present) that shows up most often in your writing?

Vonnie: Me! Often my characters (good and not-so-good) begin with a part of me. Then, I add to that seed. I’ve also used many of my relatives (grandparents, great-aunts, uncles, sisters, etc.) as beginning places for characters. Fair warning, anyone I meet, talk with, or observe is likely to be added to a character.

Lakita: My younger self shows up most in my writing. My deepest fears as a kid, my excitement about reaching new milestones, my nervousness about what was to come in the future. All of these things make it into the spirit of my main characters. The other characters are always a composite of my closest friends and families. Jokes they tell. Conspiracy theories they believe. I thread fragments of my closest loved ones into all of my stories, because they are the people I find most interesting.

Where is your favorite place to write?

Vonnie: In a perfect world, at my computer desk with the basement quiet. In my real world, wherever I can snatch a few minutes to scribble a page or two down. I’ve found I can write almost anywhere — especially if there’s something inspiring nearby.

Lakita: I always write on one specific section of my living room couch. When I first began taking myself seriously as a writer, I purchased a really nice desk, that I still love to look at. But, I never, and I mean, never write there. I always find my way back to my emotional support couch.

Do you have any consistent pre-writing rituals?

Vonnie: Make sure the dog has been out and she has water to drink. Make sure the next meal (lunch or dinner) is basically done so I can write until it’s time to take a break and eat with my husband. And have some tea nearby.

Lakita: I drink one mini can of Pepsi every morning. Please do not tell on me to my doctor. She will not be pleased with this.

Who always gets a first read?

Vonnie: My daughter-in-law, Dawn, is my first reader. She’s an avid reader, offers honest feedback, and loves me enough to be gentle when something needs a major revision.

Lakita: My agent always gets the first read. Most recently, I have started writing in the adult space, and I took a chance and slipped a draft or two to a few trusted friends. But, I am always so nervous about my early drafts that I can’t stomach anyone else viewing how bare-bones and messy it all is before deep revisions.

What is a book you’ve read more than twice (and would read again)?

Vonnie: Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit are favorites which I’ve read several times. I marvel at Tolkien’s worldbuilding skills. Because I’m a mom and granny, I’ve also read several children’s books many times — sometimes, just for the pleasure of the words.

Lakita: Kin by Tayari Jones earned an immediate second read as soon as I reached the last page. It is an absolute masterpiece. I also read Silver Sparrow once a year, because I adore that book. Valley of the Dolls is also my annual guilty pleasure. I love the soapiness of that book! The drama was so good. I can only imagine what it must have been like to read that book when it first released in the 1960s! Scandalous!

What is the most memorable reading you have attended?

Vonnie: Sherman Alexie did a reading years ago which had the audience laughing, shaking their heads, and crying before the end. The presentation, I hesitate to call it just a reading, included personal experiences, inspirations, and other tidbits. He’s also one of my favorite writers.

Lakita: I was in the audience as Elizabeth Acevedo read from her latest novel and gifted us one of her poems. She gave me chills!

• Vonnie Winslow Crist, SFWA, HWA, SCBWI, is author of the Shivers, Scares series, The Enchanted Dagger, Beneath Raven’s Wing, Dragon Rain, Owl Light, The Greener Forest, and other award-winning books. Her writing is included in over 200 publications in Australia, India, Japan, Italy, Spain, Germany, Finland, Canada, the UK, and USA. Believing the world is still filled with mystery, miracles, and magic, she strives to celebrate the power of myth in her fiction and poetry.

Vonnie’s personal website is vonniewinslowcrist.com, and she can be found on Facebook @WriterVonnieWinslowCrist or through her Baker Artist Portfolio.

• Lakita Wilson is the author of several novels and nonfiction projects for children and young adults, including What Is Black Lives Matter? a part of the New York Times bestselling Who HQ Now series, the middle grade novels Be Real, Macy Weaver and Sparkle, and YA romances Last Chance Dance and Pretty Girl County. Lakita’s books have been a part of several state lists as well as recognized by the American Library Association.  Lakita received her MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Lakita lives in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

She can be found online at lakitawilson.com and on Instagram as both @LakitaWrites and @LakitaReads.