R259. Revolutionary Voices: The Queering of Young Adult/Teen Literature

Room 505, LA Convention Center, Meeting Room Level
Thursday, March 31, 2016
3:00 pm to 4:15 pm

 

What do we mean by “queering” young adult literature? Is it a process? Can any writer do it? What are the challenges of bringing LGBTQI2-S characters/topics to a largely heterogeneous (read: heterosexual) literary genre? How does the intended reader’s age determine what topics are explored? How is diversity represented by LGBTQI2-S characters/subjects? Four authors that have published books in the genre share the lessons they have learned from writing “queer” literature for a YA/teen readership.


Participants

Andrew Demcak is the e-resources librarian for Oakland Public Library and author of three popular YA/Teen novels: If There’s a Heaven Above (recommended by The American Library Association as Outstanding for Older Teens, 17+), Ghost Songs, and A Little Bit Langston.

Michelle Tea is the author of five memoirs, most recently How to Grow Up. Her fiction includes a Young Adult trilogy she is currently writing for McSweeney's; the most recent installment is Girl at the Bottom of the Sea. She is the founder of RADAR Productions, a literary nonprofit.

Skye Allen is the author of Pretty Peg, a YA LGBT fantasy novel. Her second novel, The Songbird Thief, is forthcoming.

Kaya Oakes is the author of four books of nonfiction, including The Nones Are Alright, Radical Reinvention, and Slanted and Enchanted. She was the Distinguished Visiting Writer in Nonfiction at St. Mary's College in 2014. She teaches writing at the University of California, Berkeley.

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February 7–10, 2024
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Kansas City Convention Center