How Stories Cross – or Create – Borders

How do stories help us respect and cross borders of identity, place, and culture? And once we’ve crossed a border, what do we do with that newfound empathy?

Borders protect our identity, our place, and our culture. But they can also isolate us from the opportunity to give and receive help and understanding from others. To talk about that, we brought together two novelists: Mitali Perkins and Samuel Parker. 

Samuel is the author of Border Son, Purgatory Road, and Coldwater. Besides writing, Samuel is a process junkie and the ex-guitarist for several metal bands you’ve never heard of.

Mitali has written twelve novels for young readers, including You Bring the Distant Near (nominated for the National Book Award, Walter Award honor book), Rickshaw Girl (chosen by the New York Public Library as one of the top 100 books for children in the past 100 years), and Bamboo People (American Library Association’s Top Ten Novels for Young Adults). Mitali was born in Kolkata, India before immigrating to the United States. She has lived in Bangladesh, India, England, Thailand, Mexico, Cameroon, and Ghana.

Meet Your Hosts:

Holland Webb is a full-time freelance writer and editor. He spends his days writing about higher education, B2B technology, and nonprofit organizations. His clients have let him write for U.S. News & World Report, The Learning House, The Red Lantern, and Sweet Fish Media. Holland’s favorite writers are Malcolm Gladwell, Olive Ann Burns, and Flannery O’Connor. In his spare time … are you kidding, what spare time? You can reach him through www.theafterwordpodcast.com or on Twitter at @WebbHollandLyle.

Amy Bowlin is a veteran teacher. She works with 6-year-olds in literacy intervention and shares with college seniors the art of teaching literacy. Balancing both worlds involves commuting which allows her to listen to her favorite podcasts, “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me,” “This American Life” and “Revisionist History.” When she is not traveling to Greece to work with refugees, she likes to write, hike, kayak and spend time with family and friends. You can reach her through www.theafterwordpodcast.com or on Twitter at @albowlin1.