Events Upcoming and Past

I will be on two kidlit panels at NCTE 2024 in Boston.

Authentic Neurodiversity & Disability Representation As Resistance Against Misinformation and Passive Curricular Violence In The Classroom with authors and illustrators Crystal Allen, Federico Erebia, & Katie Mazeika

Heart, Hope, Humanity & Happiness: Bringing Queer Picture Book Joy to the Classroom with authors and illustrators Jeanette Bradley, Vicki Johnson, Lesléa Newman, Joelle Retener, Eric Rosswood, Allen Wells, & DeAnn Wiley

More information will be posted on the NCTE website as it gets closer to Fall.

This year's NCTE annual conference logo is a black heart with "Heart, Hope, Humanity 2024 NCTE Annual Convention November 21-24th, Boston, MA" on it and purple, green, orange, and pink behind the heart.

What makes for an autistic affirming book for kids? This talk will provide family and friends, as well as school and community folks who work with children some things to look for in autistic representation in children's literature. Attendees will leave with a resource list including some autistic-coded or neurodivergent-coded stories that aren't marketed or described as autistic representation, but are often very meaningful for young autistic kids. The presenter, Meghan Wilson Duff, is the author of the picture book How Are You, Verity? illustrated by Taylor Barron. They are also a former child and family therapist and currently a psychology professor at University of Maine at Machias and will infodump about autistic experience and culture anytime you like. There will be at least 20 minutes for questions and discussion.

This event is free. Link to register (via Zoom)

www.meghanwilsonduff.com

alt text: Finding Autistic Affirming Kid's Book with Meghan Wilson Duff Author and Psychology Professor at University of Maine at Machias Online April 29th 7 pm EST Image is sea life rainbow infinity symbol 

NESCBWI is New England Society for Children's Book Writers & Illustrators. The event is on zoom and costs $10 for members and $15 for non-members. 

Alt Image: 

NESCBWI Virtual ShopTalk Building Online Presence For the Social Media Ambivalent April 24th, 2024 online at 5pm EST

NESCBWI logo image: Mouse on a tortoise's back holding a banner that says "50 Years NESCBWI" by Anna Gregoire 

$10 for members, $15 for nonmembers 

Registration link

Visited one of our Creative Arts Program courses to present on Getting Published: Kidlit as an Industry.

Alt Image: Translating Identity Conference logo: A mountain with a trans symbol in a circle. "Established 2002."

Verity visited four classrooms (virtually) this year. It was a lot of fun. Meghan got asked some very thoughtful questions about writing. Students got to color their own covers courtesy of the a sheet that illustrator Taylor Barron made for them. That sheet is available on the site under resources for kids and schools. 

Alt Text: Purple background with yellow start outlines and illustrated kid Verity holding stack out of books World Read Aloud Day 2024 with Meghan Wilson Duff, Author of How Are You, Verity? Illustrated by Taylor Barron

Meghan visited 1st and 2nd graders at Van Ness Elementary School in Washington, DC. Students had so much to share about what they loved to learn, talk, and think about. It was a lot of fun. 1st and 2nd graders ask so many good questions. Meghan was invited by An Open Book Foundation and had support from Magination Press. 

Alt Image 1: Meghan presenting in front of a group of kids sitting on the floor. They are pointing down to a kid while learning back. Many kids have their arms raised high. One the presentation screen is "What's your favorite sea life?"

Massachusetts Psychological Association 23rd Annual Convention

Raising the Next Generation: Innovation to Address the Evolving Needs of Youth and the Profession

Saturday, November 4th, 2023

Norwood, MA

Double Empathy Problem & Building Rapport with Autistic Young People
Presented by Meghan Wilson Duff, PsyD 

Self-diagnosis or identifying oneself as autistic (or AuDHD) is quite common these days because of social media, online communities, and wider representation of autistic characters and creators in the media. While young people are finding social support in peers who understand, there is a desire for neurodiversity-informed therapists, and more specifically, ones who understand and value autistic experience and culture. This session includes ways in which clinicians might be trying to establish rapport and instead signal disconnection that prompts distrust in autistic young people. We will also cover ways to signal that you’re comfortable with autistic experience and that it is safe to disclose. A very brief overview of Neurodiversity as a framework and social movement will be presented and Milton’s Double Empathy Problem provide context for thinking about challenges to rapport and how to address them. 

Please join us in Merrill Library as we host Dr. Meghan Wilson Duff who will read from her recently published children's book, How Are You Verity? illustrated by Taylor Barron. The book reading will take place on Thursday, September 28th at 6:00 pm. Light refreshments will be served. The event is open to all.

Meghan Wilson Duff is an associate professor of psychology in UMM’s Psychology and Community Studies Program. They hold a doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Antioch University New England and they have previously worked as a child and family therapist and an adolescent substance abuse treatment provider.

Copies of How Are You, Verity?, written by Meghan Wilson Duff, illustrated by Taylor Barron, and released by Magination Press will be available for a $15 donation to Porter Memorial Library.

For more information about the event, call the library at 207-255-3933.

Fun, Creative Provessional Development - on Antioch University Zoom.

You'll learn about:

• Children's Literature (kidlit) as a clinical resource & where to find books
• Why write kidlit? Stretching professionally in a few different ways
• Where to start if you would like to write kidlit?

For more information about joining this Zoom meeting, contact meghan.duff@maine.edu.

Literature for Hope and Change

10:15-11:15 AM Breakout - Neurodivergent Authors Geek out About Neurodivergent Rep in Kidlit.

I'll be joining Halli Gomez, author of List of Ten, Lyn Miller-Lachmann, author of Torch, and Katie Mazeika, author and illustrator of Beulah Has A Hunch.