Angie Thomas Gets Real

The famous author shares why she writes—and why YOU give her hope

December 2020-January 2021

by Anna Starecheski

Courtesy of Angie Thomas

Angie in middle school. “It was hard for me,” she says. “I was bullied a lot.”

When Angie Thomas was in third grade, she learned about the power of storytelling. Every week, her teacher would let her read the class a chapter of a story she was writing. It was called “Mickey Mouse’s Space Adventure.” Her classmates loved it. And Angie loved sharing it with them.

Now, Angie is a famous author who has written two best-selling books. (One of them, The Hate U Give, was even turned into a movie!) Her third book, Concrete Rose, will come out in January. We talked to Angie about why she loves writing.

What did you want to be when you were a teen?

I wanted to be a rapper. I always loved storytelling, but I didn’t know I could be a writer. I didn’t see many Black women writers in the world. So I thought I could tell stories through hip-hop.

Has that dream to be a rapper influenced your writing?

Yes! I want to write the way a rapper raps. I want my writing to be honest and genuine. And most of all, I want kids to connect to my writing the way I connected to hip-hop.

You write about some tough topics, like gun violence and racism. Why is that important?

I want to write about things that my readers are experiencing in their own lives. I want them to know I see them. But I also want to give them hope.

I want them to know that they have the power to change things.

Paras Griffin/Getty Images for 20th Century Fox (The Hate U Give)

Angie with the cast of The Hate U Give

What skills make you a good writer?

I used to fix computers when I was a kid. I learned that sometimes—if something’s not working—you have to take it apart and start over. That’s been helpful as a writer. Sometimes if a story isn’t working, you just have to start again.

Who inspires you?

Young people. I have so much hope because of them. They’re already fighting to make their world better in so many ways.