Join us for a YA Mental Health Awareness Month Panel with contributors Mercedes Acosta, Rocky Callen, Nora Shalaway Carpenter, Alechia Dow, and Anna Drury.
About the Book:
Ab(solutely) Normal: Short Stories That Smash Mental Health Stereotypes is a powerful and inspiring anthology collection that demonstrates that living with a mental health condition doesn't mean you are defined by it. The stories are written by a diverse array of authors whose experiences are shared with their characters, including Mercedes Acosta, Nora Shalaway Carpenter, Alechia Dow, Patrick Downes, Anna Drury, James Bird, Nikki Grimes, Jonathan Lenore Kastin, Sonia Patel, Marcella Pixley, Isabel Quintero, and Francisco X. Stork.
About the Panelists:
Mercedes Acosta (he/his and she/her) is a mixed Cuban comic artist, storyteller and street medic. Rumors that he can walk up walls are unconfirmed. His debut graphic novel, Cabaret Macabre, is coming out in 2025. You can find him at mercedesdoesart.com.
Rocky Callen (she/her) is the daughter of an Ecuadorian immigrant, and the author of A Breath Too Late. A former behavioral coach and a passionate mental health advocate, she founded the HoldOn2Hope Project, which unites creatives in suicide prevention. You can find her at rockycallen.com
Nora Shalaway Carpenter (she/her) is the contributing editor of the critically acclaimed YA short story anthology Rural Voices: 15 Authors Challenge Assumptions About Small-Town America, and the author of The Edge of Anything. You can find her at noracarpenterwrites.com, on TikTok @norashalawaycarpenter, or on Instagram @noracarpenterwrites.
Alechia Dow (she/her)is a former pastry chef, librarian, author of YA sci-fi fantasies: The Sound of Stars, The Kindred, A Song of Salvation, several short anthology pieces, and middle grade stories Just a Pinch of Magic and The Cookie Crumbles, co-authored with Tracy Badua. You can find her at alechiadow.com
Anna Drury (she/her) holds an MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, as well as an MEd in Library Media Studies from Salem State University. She lives and works in Central Massachusetts and believes it is better to be kind than it is to be nice. You can find her at annadrury.com
Ages 14+
