Albert Borris, the Class of 2K9, and the meaning of "Community"

For the 4th of July, we celebrate our country's independence.

I would offer that we should celebrate our inter-connected-ness. Our sense of community. Of brotherhood.

fraternité

is what it's called in French.

And in the world of books for teens, here's a great story about fraternité in action.

Albert Borris

Debut YA novelist Albert Borris has a way with words. Or rather, had a way with words. This past December, just months before the release of CRASH INTO ME (Simon Pulse), Albert suffered a stroke so powerful, his doctors told him he was lucky to be alive.

And alive he is, having made a full physical recovery, enough to roughhouse with his two young sons and work out at the gym. However, Albert is still working on recovering something else: his words.

To be sure, they are all up there in his brilliant mind. He just can’t get them out – verbally or on paper – in the correct order, yet. But he’s working on it.

Prior to his stroke, Albert was a full time teen counselor, husband and father. He also served as Co-President of The Class of 2k9, a group of 22 debut middle grade and young adult novelists banding together to promote their books. Words were his thing. Communicating with others, in person and on the page, was his specialty.

As his friends and fellow debut novelists, we, the Class of 2k9, are making it our business to get the word out about Albert and his novel, CRASH INTO ME.

In a way, this whole real-life story echoes something Albert has up on his blog, in his "A Personal Note," talking about his personal philosophy:

Not all things are good, but good can come of all things.

Albert's stroke was definitely NOT good, but this example of community, and caring, and the kidlitosphere and the Class of 2k9 reaching out to help someone else - an author in need - simply because it's a kind thing to do... That IS Good!

Tomorrow, Albert's book, "Crash Into Me" releases, and I'll post on it. I'll tell you what it's about, which main character in it is GLBTQ, and why it sounds like such a great read!

You can learn more about the amazing group of debut authors that make up the Class of 2k9 here!