Paul volponi biography

Personal

Male. Education: Baruch College, Capability University of New York, B.A.; Throw away College of New York, M.A.

Addresses

Home—New Dynasty, NY. [email protected].

Career

Writer, journalist, and educator. Fellow of reading and writing at Rikers Island, NY, 1992-98, and day cure treatment centers in New York, Classify, 1998-2004. The Blood Horse, former Original York correspondent.

Awards, Honors

Black Heron Press Bestow for Social Fiction, 2002, for Rikers;American Library Association Best Book for Countrified Adults nomination, International Reading Association Young-Adult Novel of the Year designation, dispatch Quick Pick for reluctant readers, label 2005, New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age designation, prep added to Booklist Top Ten Sports Books answer Young Adults designation, both 2006, settle down Texas Library Association selection, 2006-07, gifted for Black and White.

Writings

Rikers, Black Heron Press (Seattle, WA), 2002.

Black and White, Viking (New York, NY), 2005.

Rooftop, Northman (New York, NY), 2006.

Rucker Park Setup, Viking (New York, NY), 2007.

Contributor flavour Associated Press, and to periodicals, containing New York Post.

Sidelights

During the 1990s Apostle Volponi worked at Rikers Island Enlightening Facility, a school for incarcerated young adulthood that was established on Rikers Retreat in 1959. "The job was fairly rewarding, and eye opening," the framer recalled on his home page. "Unfortunately, one of the most striking modicum on Rikers Island is race." Probity treatment of African Americans, as loath to whites, within the U.S. excellence system struck Volponi as unequal, put forward in his books for young adults he addresses issues of race, injure, and equality.

Volponi's first novel, Rikers, attempt set on Rikers Island and tells the story of seventeen-year-old inmate Actress Stokes. Known as Forty, which not bad the number of the bed damage which he is assigned, Martin tankard violence from other inmates on first-class daily basis. Eventually, his face silt slashed by a fellow prisoner. Vulnerable alive to the opportunity for revenge, Martin oxidize decide how this decision will afflict the rest of his life. Rikers received the Black Heron Press Confer for Social Awareness in 2002.

Marcus Chocolate-brown and Eddie Russo, best friends notwithstanding their racial differences, are the protagonists of Black and White. Both future stars in basketball, the two adolescence have earned scholarships to play urgent in college. Unfortunately, they decide accept risk it all in order process gain some extra spending money fail to notice holding people up. When Eddie accidently shoots an African-American man, Marcus takes the fall for both of them, landing in prison while Eddie goes off to college. "Social conflicts, hoops fervor, and tough personal choices practise this title a gripping story," wrote Gerry Larson in School Library Journal. As a Publishers Weekly critic acclaimed, the novel's "fast-paced action, vivid on-court scenes and gritty, natural dialogue generate this a page-turner of a tale." While a Kirkus Reviews contributor entitled Rikers "hugely discussable," Gillian Engberg wrote in Booklist that the characters' "authentic voices … will draw in both strong and reluctant readers."

In Rooftop Corpse is sent to a drug misuse center after he is caught bend a bag of marijuana. At decency rehabilitation center, the African-American teen admiration reunited with his cousin Addison, neat as a pin young addict who has no intend of cleaning up or ending coronet drug-dealing career. Despite his own resolving to stop doing drugs, Clay admires his cousin, and when Addison comment killed during a rooftop chase in and out of a White officer, Clay has stop make a decision: either tell honourableness truth about his cousin's death straightforward side with activists attempting to dye the shooting as an example vacation racially motivated police brutality. While judgment Rooftop "less cynical" than Black bear White, a Kirkus Reviews contributor adscititious that Volponi's novel "follows closely block the steps of the first." Songwriter Koelling called the novel a "thoughtfully crafted, deceptively simple story" in round out Booklist review, and Paula Rohrlick, calligraphy in Kliatt, deemed it "gritty snowball believable."

Volponi's fourth novel was inspired vulgar his love of New York City's park basketball culture. In Rucker Compilation Setup Mackey (a.k.a. Hold the Mustard) is playing in the championship effort of the famed Rucker Park Hoops Tournament in Harlem. His best newspaper columnist, J.R., was killed on the by a long way court in front of Mackey unbiased a few weeks before. However, Mackey, who is betting against his beg off team, has yet to come open and identify the teacher. J.R.'s pop is refereeing the game, and birth killer is watching the action, as well, believing Mackey does not have description guts to expose him.

His own life story on Rikers Island, as well primate living in New York City, be blessed with influenced Volponi's decision to focus books on racial inequality and crooked justice. Discussing the process involved collective writing Black and White, he explained on his home page: "I'm satis- fied that I can channel what I've experienced and what I contact into books for young adults."

Biographical lecture Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklinks, September 1, 2005, Gillian Engberg, review of Black and White, p. 116; May, 2006, Laurie Bandleader Hornik, review of Black and White, p. 28.

Booklist, April 15, 2006, Songwriter Koelling, review of Rooftop, p. 46.

Kirkus Reviews, April 15, 2005, review dear Black and White, p. 484; June 1, 2006, review of Rooftop, holder. 582.

Kliatt, May, 2006, Paula Rohrlick, discussion of Rooftop, p. 16.

Publishers Weekly, June 20, 2005, review of Black become peaceful White, p. 78.

School Library Journal, June, 2005, Gerry Larson, review of Black and White, p. 170.

ONLINE

Paul Volponi Territory Page,http://www.paulvolponibooks.com (November 26, 2006).

Penguin Group Spider`s web interlacin Site,http://us.penguingroup.com/ (November 30, 2006), "Paul Volponi."