Straw Bag, Tin Box, Cloth Suitcase: Three Immigrant Voices

Jane Yolen is the author of over 400 books for children. She has won numerous awards, including a lifetime achievement award from the Association of Jewish Libraries and the Caldecott Medal. Six colleges and universities have given her honorary doctorates for her body of work, so-she jokingly says-you could call her Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Yolen though she can't set a leg. Marjorie Lotfi is an Iranian-American who has lived in the UK for over 20 years. Her first collection of poetry, The Wrong Person to Ask, was published in 2023. Marjorie is a Founder and Director of Open Book, a charity that supports over 1200 reading and creative writing sessions each year across Scotland, including in prisons, shelters, and with refugee and migrant groups. In her spare time, Marjorie is the Chair of the Board of Trustees for StAnza, Scotland's International Poetry Festival, and an editor of New Writing Scotland. Raquel Elizabeth Artiga de Paz emigrated from El Salvador to Massachusetts. Raquel is learning English, working as a caretaker with people in their own homes, and singing in a chorus. She and Jane Yolen met at the Center for New Americans and with the help of translator Laurie Millman (head of the Center), they worked on her part of this book together.