From the Court to the Newbery Stage: Matt de la Peña on Mexican WhiteBoy

Matt de la Peña is the New York Times Bestselling, Newbery Medal-winning author of seven young adult novels (including Mexican WhiteBoy, We Were Here, and Superman: Dawnbreaker) and six picture books (including Milo Imagines the World and Last Stop on Market Street).

In 2016 he was awarded the NCTE Intellectual Freedom Award. Matt received his MFA in creative writing from San Diego State University and his BA from the University of the Pacific where he attended school on a full basketball scholarship.

In 2019 Matt was given an honorary doctorate from UOP. de la Peña currently lives in Southern California. He teaches creative writing and visits schools and colleges throughout the country.

visit his website for school visit info: www.mattdelapena.com

TIMESTAMP:
00:00 - Introduction
00:31 - Inspiration to Become an Author
01:13 - Growing Up Near the Border
02:23 - Challenges and Bans of Mexican WhiteBoy
04:21 - Why Mexican WhiteBoy Was Banned
06:16 - Creative Process for Last Stop on Market Street
08:47 - Influence of Sports and Basketball
11:17 - Using Pickup Basketball Stories in Writing
12:37 - Academic Experiences and Creative Writing
14:30 - Discipline and Professionalism in Writing
15:41 - Closing Remarks

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