Walter Dean Myers is a prolific Young Adult Literature writer. He wrote well over 100 books in his lifetime (see this bibliography; it is pretty incredible!), and is lauded for authentically depicting Black lived experience in the United States. In this powerful opinion piece in the New York Times, written shortly before he died, Myers addresses exactly why Delia and I embarked on this project promoting racially conscious children’s literature. As Myers wrote, 

Thousands of young people have come to me saying that they 

love my books for some reason or the other, but I strongly suspect 

that what they have found in my pages is the same thing I found in [James 

Baldwin’s] “Sonny’s Blues.” They have been struck by the recognition of 

themselves in the story, a validation of their existence as human beings, an 

acknowledgment of their value by someone who understands who 

they are. It is the shock of recognition at its highest level.

Walter Dean Myers spent his lifetime insuring that there would be books out in the world where Black children and young adults could see themselves fully represented. It is also very necessary for white children and children of other races to read these books and find both common ground and a greater awareness of lived experiences with which they might not be familiar.

Darius and Twig tells the story of two 16-year-old boys growing up in Harlem: Twig (Manuel Fernandez) is a long-distance runner, and Darius is a fledgling writer. Like so many of Myers’ works, the novel addresses the difficult topics of race, bullying, alcoholism, parents who have abandoned their children, poverty, drugs, vets, stereotypes (about Blacks and Latinx), gun violence, gentrification, gangs, systemic racism, etc. Perhaps it could be argued that Myers brings in too much for a short novel, but the fact is that many of these are part of the daily lives of far too many Black and Latinx children in America. (I found the scene where Midnight is punched by his father particularly poignant in requiring us to ask where does bullying actually begin, and forcing readers to have compassion for the anti-hero). Myers addresses the dreams and possibilities of young men growing up in a world where so much seems stacked against them, where all too often they feel invisible or unseen. 

I was particularly struck by Myers’ ability to evoke Harlem and greater New York City. A detail like “black women pushing small white children along the park’s edge” (28) reveals so much about the dichotomy between many of the city’s citizens. It is also worth paying attention to the specificity with which Myers depicts Harlem, especially the spaces named for historic Blacks, e.g., Countee Cullen Library, Marcus Garvey Park, Frederick Douglas Boulevard.

Darius and Twig reflects the importance of having a good teacher and the necessity of teachers diversifying the literature they teach in the classroom. Darius is introduced to books in the canon, like Anne Frank’s Diary, A Separate Peace by John Knowles, Dragon Wings by Laurence Yep, and The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane. While these books all have literary value, it is of course striking that not one of them is by a Black author (although there is at least some acknowledgment of diversity since Yep writes about Chinese immigrants, and Anne Frank is the canonical choice for addressing the Holocaust). On his own, Darius reads the work of Black authors, like Cane by Jean Toomer. Myers’ focus on a young Black man yearning to be a writer (surely autobiographical in some sense), offers the opportunity to introduce your own kids to literary masterpieces by Black authors like Richard Wright, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Octavia Butler, and Edward P. Jones, to name just a very few. Darius’ growing awareness of the richness and diversity of Black literature opens a door to being able to honestly write about his own lived experience without fear. 

Myer’s choice of a character who loves running, and another who writes about birds of prey, is an intentional way of addressing these young boys’ desire of somehow escaping their fraught world. Twig’s joy in running is a potent symbol of freedom. At the same time, the book also confronts the deep sadness around the pain of sometimes having to leave your community. This was the plight of many Blacks who chose to leave America (at least for periods of time) to engage with experiences where their blackness wasn’t always threatened. I am thinking particularly of James Baldwin’s time in France and Turkey, or Richard’s Wright self-exile to France. 

I think Myers strength as a young adult writer is that he doesn’t believe in prettifying – he tells it like it is. He offers hope that these young men will succeed, but he doesn’t hide the fact that recognizing one’s personal power within will not magically change the reality of the world. What he does offer is a belief that following one’s dreams – whatever they are – is every young person’s right. Please see the Q & A at the end of the book where Myers’ talks further about passion, having a vision, and the dual power of friendship and independence.

For more information on Walter Dean Myers, please visit: http://walterdeanmyers.net/about/

Questions to pursue further:

o   What stereotypes about Blacks and Latinx appear in Darius and Twig?

o   What is the imaginary falcon, Fury, meant to represent? What animal would you choose to be to reflect your innermost dreams?

o   How does Myers engage with trauma in this book? For example, the two-year-old child is shot but survives. What lasting damage is done both to her, and to those who witnessed the violence? What is the toll on a community that constantly witnesses violence like this?

o   How does this book show that hope and despair can reside side by side?

o   Twig is described as running “light as a bird” in the Delaware race. Elaborate on the metaphor of Twig running with weights. What weight do these kids carry?

o   One of the texts Darius reads in school is Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Why is the symbol of Caliban important?