Becky Birtha
Biography
Becky Birtha
As a writer, I'm the author of three books for adults: two collections of short stories and a volume of poetry. My short stories have been widely anthologized, and some of my writing has appeared in textbooks. More recently, I've written two children's picture books. I'm also a parent, a Quaker, was an adoption worker for many years and currently live in Delaware County, PA, just outside Philadelphia. I enjoy visiting schools to share about my books.
As a reader, I got my first library card at age seven, and I still approach books in much the same way that I did as a kid. I go to the library a lot. I pick out books on the shelf by the author, or the topic, or --- yes, often, the cover. Usually I skip the jacket copy because I don't want the story spoiled-- I want to make up my own mind about the book. And though I've read plenty of adult books in my lifetime, I mostly read children's books these days --- probably because that's also what I'm writing these days. I'm especially interested in books by other African American writers and with African American, black, or biracial kids as characters. I read lots of picture books. Few things are better than having a bag full of picture books to savor, one a night, before going to sleep.
Becky Birtha
