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Jason Reynolds' favorite thing is being alone

By Rachel Martin

Published June 12, 2025 at 6:00 AM CDT

A note from Wild Card host Rachel Martin: I want you to think back to when you were a kid — was there an adult in your life who didn't talk down to you? Someone who instantly just treated you like a person, with your own perspectives and life experiences?

Jason Reynolds has built his entire career around not talking down to kids. His best selling and award-winning young adult books include "Long Way Down," "Ghost" and two Miles Morales Spider-Man novels. All of his stories come out of his own experience as a Black kid growing up outside of Washington D.C. Kids are complicated people, and Jason Reynolds treats them that way.

Jason won a MacArthur "genius" award in 2024. His most recent release is an original audio book called "Soundtrack."

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