On March 27, award-winning author Mark Oshiro (they/them) visited Townsend Harris, offering students a behind-the-scenes look at their writing process, their collaboration with author Rick Riordan on the novel The Sun and the Star, and their advice for young aspiring writers.
One of the main highlights of the discussion was Oshiro’s experience co-writing The Sun and the Star with Rick Riordan, which blended Riordan’s Percy Jackson universe with Oshiro’s storytelling. The novel focuses on characters Nico di Angelo, the son of Hades, and his boyfriend Will Solace, son of Apollo. It tells the story of their journey to Tartarus, the deepest section of the underworld.
“I love exploring trauma and deep complicated feelings we all have,” Oshiro said. “Though I don’t write about universal things, that is something we all feel.”
Having never co-written a book before, Oshiro said they found the process exciting and challenging. From early drafts to the refined final product, they were restricted to staying true to the established fantasy world, while balancing creative freedom. Oshiro said, “So one of the hardest things to write was just making sure it all made sense and it still sounded like the characters. And then when I was trying new things, it still sounded like the Percy Jackson world.”
Oshiro shared that the collaboration allowed them to learn from Riordan’s expertise. “We have very, very different styles. One thing Rick taught me is that in middle grade adventure books, it’s kind of cool to end chapters with a plot twist or something really big, scary, or weird, to keep kids wanting to immediately turn the page and read the next chapter.”
Oshiro encouraged aspiring writers to embrace uniqueness. “There is always someone looking for the story that you tell and that you’re doing. Do not listen to people who are asking you to water it down. ‘It’s not going to sell. It’s not going to be interesting.’ Do not listen to those people,” said Oshiro. “Because I feel like it’s very obvious that there are those of us who aren’t white or straight, and want our own stories told.”
Oshiro also shared the importance of persistence in improving one’s writing. They advised students to experiment with various styles of writing. “Just write and find a style you like. Most of my books are centered on queer people of color, which is just sort of my thing. It’s my brand.”
Freshman Samara Ray said, “When I was in 6th grade I really wanted to write a book, but I didn’t know where to start, or who to get advice from. But now that I’m here, Mark Oshiro gave super insightful advice that I feel will stick with me.”
The event allowed students to peek into the process behind storytelling and engage with authors firsthand. Samara said, “When I first came to realize that Mark Oshiro was visiting, I was really happy. This is the second time I’ve read this book, and I really love the deep perspective of Nico in it. This is my first author visit experience and I was really nervous at first, but Mark Oshiro is a really good speaker and made us feel comfortable.”
English Teacher Katherine Lipinski organized the event, through Lambda Literary, a program that provides books for students and arranges author visits. “Mark Oshiro was our top pick, and so we are really fortunate they were able to come to our school,” Ms. Lipinski said.
As part of a unit in Ms. Lipinski’s class, students were introduced to The Sun and the Stars prior to Oshiro’s visit. Students were divided into different teams: The Designs team, Narrative Response team, and Creative Expression team. At the end of the visit, students presented projects from their respective teams including soundtracks, fan artwork, and analyses. They also provided thank-you cards to express gratitude for Mark Oshiro.
After answering questions and seeing the student’s slideshow, Oshiro signed books and took pictures with students.
