Asari Beale is an Afro-Latina writer, educator, and leader deeply committed to children’s literacy. She is the Executive Director of Teachers and Writers Collaborative, one of the nation’s oldest writers-in-the-schools programs, and a steering committee member of LitNet, a network serving America’s literary community. She has taught literature and creative writing at Hunter College, Brooklyn College, and Fordham University. Prior to joining Teachers & Writers, she worked with LSA Family Health Service and Reach Out and Read of Greater New York, both organizations which center early childhood literacy. She holds a BA from New York University and an MFA from Brooklyn College, and lives with her family in Harlem, New York City.