137 Quotes by Jason Reynolds

Rappers were my storytellers.

We've always been told to pretend as if we're not afraid.

I try to create characters people want to sit with, even if nothing is happening.

I love, loved, loved 'We Real Cool' by Gwendolyn Brooks.

The people who know me do not ask me about the next book or how it's going. They ask, 'Jason, are you sleeping?' because they know my brain will not shut down.

Boston is pretty infamous for race relations.

I wanted to be a poet. I fell in love with poetry around eight years old, but not through literature. Instead, it came through hip-hop lyrics and my obsession with reading liner notes. Queen Latifah's 'Black Reign' is the album that stands out the most.

I read 'The Young Landlords' and felt almost a chemical change. What I realized while reading that book was that I could write in my voice, use my tongue, my language, my style, and write a story.

I am a consummate metaphor addict.