R126. Making Monsters: Exploring Otherness in YA/MG Literature

Room 510, LA Convention Center, Meeting Room Level
Thursday, March 31, 2016
9:00 am to 10:15 am

 

The recognition and ownership of one’s own monstrosity, in terms of being extraordinary, can be powerful and liberating. On the other hand, being labeled as a monster can strip a person of her humanity, the results of which can be devastating. Five young adult and middle grade authors representing sci-fi/fantasy, magical realism, and contemporary fiction discuss the literal and figurative monsters in their stories and how the idea of monstrousness relates to the experience of growing up.


Participants

Moderator:

Samantha Mabry's debut novel, A Fierce and Subtle Poison, is forthcoming.

Jeramey Kraatz is the author of the children's book series The Cloak Society. His work has been featured in places like Salon, McSweeney's Internet Tendency, and Gizmodo. He's a graduate of the MFA program at Columbia University and teaches writing at Texas Christian University.

Stephanie Kuehn is the William C. Morris Award-winning author of Charm & Strange, Complicit, Delicate Monsters, and the forthcoming The Pragmatist. She writes realistic young adult fiction and holds a doctorate in clinical psychology.

Micol Ostow has written many books for teens, including the Sydney Taylor Notable So Punk Rock. She spent eight years as a young adult editor, and she has taught YA writing at MediaBistro.com, Miami Dade College, and the Highlights Foundation. She received her MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Nova Ren Suma

#AWP24

February 7–10, 2024
Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City Convention Center