Minh Le

Minh Lê is the award-winning author of picture books and graphic novels. His picture books include The Blur, the Eisner Award-nominated Lift, and Drawn Together (winner of the 2019 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature). His first middle grade graphic novel Green Lantern: Legacy (a Junior Library Guild Gold selection) was one of the first titles published under the DC Comic Graphic Novels for Kids imprint.  
 
Minh has several forthcoming projects, including A Lotus for You, the authorized picture book biography of the world-renowned Zen Buddhist monk and Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Thich Nhat Hạnh. Minh serves on the board of We Need Diverse Books and has been a contributor to a number of national publications, including NPR, the Huffington Post, The Horn Book, and the New York Times. 
 
In addition to his life as an author, Minh is a Federal early childhood policy expert and has worked in education at the national, state, and local levels—both in and out of the classroom. He received his BA in psychology from Dartmouth College and an MA in education from Harvard University. 
 
Outside of spending time with his wonderful wife and kids at their home in San Diego, Minh’s favorite place to be is in the middle of a good book.
 

Q&A with Minh Lê

How did you come to teach at Hamline MFAC? As an undergrad I majored in Psychology, but the one class that really stuck with me in my four years was an Introduction to Children's Literature that I took my senior year. I've always been drawn to the artistry of picture books, but that class gave me the tools (and license) to really look at children's literature from an academic/literary perspective. From that point on, I knew that I wanted to have a life in children's literature in some way. Since that class meant so much to me, it has always been a dream of mine to teach at the university level. So I've had my eye on Hamline for a while, admiring it quietly from afar. When I received the invitation to join the faculty, I absolutely jumped at the chance. The world of children's literature has meant so much to me, I love being in a position to help others become a part of it too.
What’s your favorite part of residency? The deep sense of camaraderie. The bonds made between students, faculty, staff, and alumni... as a new faculty member attending my first residency, I was so impressed by the true and unique sense of community that is cultivated by the program.
How would you describe your faculty advising style? As a faculty advisor, my hope is to ask the right questions that will help students unlock the full potential of their work. In that way, I think of my role as being a guide—with some hopefully useful tips and tools—to help as you find your way in the world of writing.
What’s your favorite book to recommend to MFAC students? For picture books, The Sound of Silence by Katrina Goldsaito and Julia Kuo is my go-to recommendation for an example of a perfect picture book. Seriously, I've personally apologized to Katrina and Julia for talking about their book ALL THE TIME. As for graphic novels, since everyone under the sun knows to recommend Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud as an entry point into the world of comic storytelling, I'll go with What We See When We Read by Peter Mendesund (author and book designer extraordinaire), which is a fascinating (and fun) dive into how our experience of reading is shaped by the physical and psychological realities of how we process visual information.
Image	We asked you to send a photo that represents a favorite Hamline memory. What's happening in your photo? This kinda blurry photo is from backstage at the graduation ceremony during my first residency, right before the graduates were about to take the stage. Even though we had all just met during the residency, I already felt like I got to know many of them and was already invested in their work... so it was such a joy to be there to celebrate their accomplishment.

Middle grade graphic novels