Author Interview with Gayle Pitman

Why do you write books for children?

I have a friend who is a children’s book author and illustrator, and several years ago she decided to quit her job as a tenured professor in order to pursue a more creative life. She started teaching classes about writing and illustrating children’s books, and she encouraged (well, pressured, really) me to sign up. I said I would – I have a hard time saying “no” – and then thought “oh wow, what did I just get myself into?” But it turned out to be one of the best things I ever did. I also had no idea how hard it is to write a high-quality story for children! It’s much harder than it looks. Taking that class showed me how to be creative in an entirely new way, and writing for children fuels me in ways that I can’t really put into words.  

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There’s another reason why I do this, though. Not long after I took that class, I started playing with the idea of writing a story about an LGBTQ+ Pride celebration. When I was researching comps, I was stunned to find that not only were there very few picture books featuring LGBTQ+ themes, but only one had ever been written about a Pride parade (and it was published almost thirty years ago). That was so disturbing to me – that LGBTQ+ people were virtually invisible in children’s books. And I see on a daily basis what that invisibility does to a community. Most of my college students (including those who are LGBTQ+ identified) have never heard of the Pink Scare, or the Stonewall Riots, or the AIDS crisis, for that matter. They know about HIV, but they don’t know how the gay community was decimated by it. That lack of knowledge is terrifying to me, and I want children AND adults to know about our history, our culture, and how we got here. That’s why I wrote books like This Day in June, When You Look Out the Window (a book about Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin), and Sewing the Rainbow (my latest book about Gilbert Baker and the creation of the rainbow flag).

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Author Q&A with Jen Wilde

Tell us about your most recent book and how you came to write/illustrate it. 

THE BRIGHTSIDERS follows a teen drummer in a famous rock band as she deals with being labelled a tabloid train wreck, coming out as bisexual, family struggles and new feelings for her best friend and lead singer, Alfie. All my books are about fame and fandom in some way, and while my last book (QUEENS OF GEEK) focused more on the fan’s point of view, THE BRIGHTSIDERS is from the perspective of a girl being thrust into the spotlight and dealing with the fallout of that.

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Do you think of yourself as a diverse author/illustrator?

Yes, as I’m queer, nonbinary, and autistic. Those parts of my identity definitely influence the stories I write and the way I see the world in my daily life.

Who is your favorite character of all time in children’s or young adult literature?

Oh, wow. This is a tough question! I have a few, but the one that I really connected with as a teen was Adrian Mole of the Adrian Mole series, so he’ll always have a special place in my heart.

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Five Favs: Books with LGBTQ Characters

lakecountylibrary:

What do you read if you love fantasy and representation? I highly recommend the following:

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Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

A fantasy heist novel featuring a racially diverse cast of characters, including a bisexual gunslinger and a gay demolitions expert. Part of a duology (book two is called Crooked Kingdom).

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

What’s the opposite of bisexual erasure? Because basically everyone in this series is bi. V.E. Schwab has stated that “it is a world that cares about magical hierarchy more than heteronormativity.”

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

How many fantasy novels do you run across with an asexual main character? Not enough (and in fact, this one is technically a novella). Here you will also find a transgender character and explicit discussion about gender roles and nonconformity.

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard by Rick Riordan

Each of Riordan’s novels is more inclusive than the last, but we don’t meet my favorite argyle-wearing pottery-making genderfluid einherji until book two (The Hammer of Thor). Book 1, of course, is still well worth the read (Muslim Valkyrie? Yes please.)

The Will of the Empress by Tamora Pierce

The Circle of Magic books were a staple of my childhood. Imagine my delight when one of the main characters comes out as a lesbian in book 9! Plus, in books 1- 8, we get Lark and Rosethorn, two ladies living together in domestic bliss who raise our main characters. Start this series with Sandry’s Book.

Happy Pride, and happy reading!

See more of Robin’s recs…