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Young adult (YA) literature is a dynamic and expanding genre that has moved well-beyond the adventure series of the 19th and 20th centuries, into novels that explore sexuality, identity, prejudice, life choices, substance abuse, and family. At the Tampa Special Collections, Children’s and Young Adult Literature is a main collecting area with over 25,000 titles, dating from the early 1800s to the present. One of our most dedicated donors and supporters of this collection is Dr. Joan F. Kaywell, USF Professor Emerita from the College of Education. In honor of National Support Teen Literature Day, we wanted to highlight the wonderful work Dr. Kaywell has done over the years, helping children and teens find books that could save their lives.
Dr. Kaywell began her career at USF in 1987, and served for 32 years as a professor of English Education. In the span of her career, she made nearly 200 national and state conference presentations, with many of them based on her fervent belief that teachers and authors have the power to save teenagers on the brink of self-destruction by putting the right book at the right time in their hands. “Books offer teenagers hope and knowledge that they are not alone, and sometimes, a different perspective on life’s many challenges,” she shares. Dr. Kaywell is published in several journals, and has 16 books credited to her name — one of which is Letters of Hope, intended to inspire students to choose reading as a healthy escape from life’s circumstances.
For over three decades, Dr. Kaywell served on the board of the Florida Council of Teachers of English (FCTE) and served as its President twice. In 2012, FCTE created the Joan F. Kaywell Books Save Lives Award in her honor, recognizing her many years of service to the profession and her mission. Since then, Dr. Kaywell has given the award annually to representative authors who write books that have the potential to save lives. The author-awardee is celebrated every February at an annual event hosted by the USF Libraries. Local middle and high schools are invited to participate in meeting the author, as many classrooms assign the winning book as part of their curriculum.
Dr. Kaywell is also a proud supporter of the Hipple Collection of Young Adult Literature housed at the USF Tampa Special Collections, which she founded in honor of her mentor Ted Hipple in 2007. The Hipple Collection is comprised of over 10,000 autographed titles, making it one of the largest Young Adult literature collections in the country. The collection also inducts the Books Save Lives winner’s novel each year, further celebrating its impact.
USF Libraries Associate Director of Development, Christina Wisz, sat down virtually with Dr. Kaywell to discuss her impressive career at USF, her YA literature special collection, and life after her retirement.
How have books saved your life? Any in particular that were especially transformative?
Books were always my escape while growing up. When I was reading, no one would bother me. Reading increased my vocabulary and enabled me to articulate my feelings so I could get the help I needed as an adult. It also enabled me to read many parenting books, which I claim is the reason I have such a healthy and happy relationship with my son.
Who is Ted Hipple?
Dr. Theodore Hipple was my mentor. He invested in me and mentored me as an undergraduate student, a doctoral student, and throughout my career. He showed me life in a myriad of ways, modeling a wonderful professor, colleague, friend, and father figure.
What inspired you to create the Dr. Joan F. Kaywell Books Save Lives endowment within the USF Libraries?
Because the Ted Hipple Collection is housed at USF, I asked the FCTE board members if they could attach the Joan F. Kaywell Books Save Lives Award to the Collection. If they agreed to its transfer, I said I would endow the award. At present, the award gives $1,500 to an author of a book selected by the committee, which best represents an adolescent’s overcoming a situation — not of his or her own making — in such a way to provide significant insight and hope to a reader. To receive the award, the author agrees to give a talk about the book to the USF community in February. The presentation is intentionally scheduled to coincide with the FCTE Professional Development Institute, so the author has another opportunity to share their work. In that way, several communities get exposed to life-saving books, as well as the authors who write them. Additionally, these authors dedicate their books to the Collection where they are available to readers for perpetuity. It’s a win-win for all.
Tell me about this year’s award.
This year the Books Save Lives event was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The winner was Janice Lynn Mather, author of Learning to Breathe. Although we missed gathering in person, the event had a great turnout with local middle and high school students, USF faculty and staff, and friends of the Library. What I love most about the USF Libraries is the people who work there, because there is always a way to make good things happen. Thanks to the efforts of Dean Todd Chavez, yourself, Ginny Puckett, and several of the USF Library staff, Janice was able to make her presentation safely in her home in Canada. Next February we are hoping that Julia Drake, the author of The Last True Poets of the Sea, will be able to speak in person and receive her award for 2021.
Who is your favorite YA author, and do you have a favorite work from the Hipple Collection?
I have too many favorites to name, and many who I love dearly. One thing about authors is that they see the world with a detail that they are able to put into words that most of us cannot articulate. They are superb conversationalists.
What have you been up to in retirement?
All things related to food: I have a large garden, I’ve been taking fishing courses and putting that knowledge to work — I LOVE to cook.
Thank you to Dr. Kaywell for your immense impact and legacy in working to save lives through literature. To learn more about the Dr. Joan F. Kaywell Books Save Lives Award or the USF Libraries, email Christina Wisz, USF Libraries Associate Director of Development, at cwisz@usf.edu or call 813-974-3888.