Acclaimed Author Visits Woodland Hills
BY KEVIN MCGUIRE
Rep. Summer Lee and author Damon Young talking to Woodland Hill students.
O
n May 30, 2019, the Woodland Hills
Interaction Series hosted Damon Young in
conversation with Summer Lee. Mr. Young
is the author of What Doesn’t Kill You Makes
You Blacker and the co-found of the website
“Very Smart Brothas.”
Mr. Young discussed his career as a writer and his
subjects and major themes. Mr. Young and Ms. Lee’s
visit was made possible by Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures,
a local organization that brings authors to Pittsburgh
area schools. This visit was part of their “Authors to
Schools” program and they also generously bought
copies of Mr. Young’s book for our 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
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WOODLAND HILLS
first-class interaction opportunities for students at
Woodland Hills Jr/Sr High School.
During our first five years, the WHIS has hosted
such notable guests as Jennifer Egan (Pulitzer Prize
Winner), Sara Shepard (N.Y. 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), Tayari Jones (N.Y. Times Bestseller),
Jesse Andrews (N.Y. 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.