justin a. reynolds

About Justin

justin a. reynolds is the author of Opposite of Always, an Indies Introduce Top Ten Debut translated into 19 languages, and currently in film development by Paramount Players. His sophomore novel, Early Departures, earned four starred reviews, was a Kirkus Best of 2020, and was hailed by Kirkus as a story "not to be missed" and Booklist as a "virtuoso masterpiece." His Marvel graphic novel featuring Brooklyn’s Spider-Man, Miles Morales: Shock Waves, was an ABA Indie Bestseller, and is the best-selling Marvel graphic novel of all time. In 2023, he co-edited a novel-in-stories titled House Party, a collaboration showcasing the work of ten of the most esteemed young adult authors in publishing. In 2023, justin was the 18th recipient of the annual Denise McCoy Legacy Award for most humorous children's literature contribution, winning the honor for his bestselling MG novel, It's the End of the World and I'm in My Bathing Suit. justin is also the co-founder of the CLE Reads Book Festival, which has featured numerous award-winning and bestselling authors including Angela Davis and Jerry Craft. justin has also contributed to several acclaimed anthologies, including the instant New York Times #1 bestseller, Black Boy Joy, with his story, "Our Dill."

It is my fundamental belief that in workshop, you receive only as much as you are willing to give. I encourage my students to push their creative scope and investigate what makes a story 'work.' But most importantly, I ask my students to come to every discussion with a 'gift' to contribute, an insight or lesson learned from thoughtful consideration of each other's work.