Nic Stone, author of "Dear Martin," to visit NYS Writers Institute on Thursday, December 7, 2017

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ALBANY, NY (11/21/2017) (readMedia)-- Nic Stone, author of the debut young adult novel Dear Martin (2017), will present a reading and discussion on Thursday, December 7 at 7 p.m. in the Huxley Theatre, NYS Museum, Cultural Education Center, in Albany.

Free and open to the public, the event is cosponsored by the New York State Writers Institute at the University at Albany, Albany High School, the New York State Office of Cultural Education, and the Friends of the New York State Library.

Dear Martin is loosely inspired by a series of true events involving the shooting deaths of unarmed African-American teens. Shaken by a personal run-in with the police, the book's main character starts a journal to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in an attempt to determine if King's teaching remains relevant in the modern world.

New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds, author of All American Boys and a NYS Writers Institute Visiting Writer in 2015, called Dear Martin, "raw and gripping... An undeniably real feast of fury and forgiveness." A Booklist review praised it as "vivid and powerful."

In The Atlantic earlier this month, Adrienne Green wrote, "Dear Martin belongs to a growing body of young-adult literature exploring racial injustice and police brutality from a teen perspective," and added the novel "effectively dismantles the idea that any amount of personal success can shield someone from racism."

In a HUFFPost article titled "Nic Stone On Race Relations And Dear Martin, Her Must-Read Novel About Police Brutality And Black Lives Matter," Stone said, " I am glad I wrote a YA novel because adolescence is the time when minds are being set and people can be reached. We have to be okay with being uncomfortable. We have to understand that it is okay if we don't have all the answers but we should still talk about reality. It builds empathy and understanding."

Stone was born and raised in a suburb of Atlanta. After graduating from Spelman College, she worked extensively in teen mentoring. Growing up with a wide range of cultures, religions, and backgrounds, Stone lived in Israel before returning to the U.S. to write her Dear Martin.

Stone will spend the day meeting with students at Albany High School before presenting to the general public in the evening event at the New York State Museum.

For additional information, contact the Writers Institute at 518-442-5620 or online at www.nyswritersinstitute.org.