New York Times bestselling author visits Woodland Hills

New York Times bestselling author Dr. Jewell Parker Rhodes spoke with students from the Woodland Hills Intermediate School and Woodland Hills High School. The joint venture was produced as part of the Woodland Hills Interaction Series and provided by Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures.

Rhodes is a New York Times bestselling author. She has been awarded the American Book Award and the Coretta Scott King Author Honor Award. She is the author of Ghost Boys, Towers Falling, and the Louisiana Girls children’s book trilogy, which includes Ninth Ward, Sugar, and Bayou Magic. Rhodes is also the author of the memoir Porch Stories: A Grandmother’s Guide to Happiness.

Special thanks to Woodland Hills Intermediate literacy coach Joanne Krett for all of the work with the students.

The Woodland Hills Interaction Series (WHIS) started in 2013. The WHIS was created by library media specialist Kevin McGuire and instructional technology coach Jason Coleman with the goal of providing first-class interaction opportunities for students at Woodland Hills Jr./Sr. High School.

During our first seven years, the WHIS has hosted such notable guests as Jennifer Egan (Pulitzer Prize winner), Sara Shepard (New York Times bestseller), Tayari Jones (New York Times bestseller), Colum McCann (National Book Award winner/Academy Award nominated writer), Elizabeth Strout (Pulitzer Prize winner), Dr. Sheri Fink (Pulitzer Prize winner), Terrance Hayes (National Book Award winner/MacArthur Fellow), Jesse Andrews (New York Times bestseller), Dr. Cyril Wecht, S.L. Price (Sports Illustrated senior writer), and Robert Bilheimer (Academy Award nominated director). Additionally, the WHIS has also hosted local writer Dave Newman, poet Jim Daniels, EPA Director Barnes Johnson, nationally syndicated cartoonist Joe Wos, and U.S. Ambassador Bryant Salter. See the district’s website for more details on this program.