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Life in a small town can be tough when you're a little different, but for a fifteen year old transgender kid it can truly be hell. Clark is harassed daily at school for his effeminate behavior and appearance. He has no friends and a brother that is as likely to be on the teasing as to prevent it. When Clark is offered a job babysitting for the Pirella family, it seems like a godsend. The money is good. He bonds with the girls almost instantly. The father, Tony, works in computer security. Tony and Clark strike up a friendship based on a mutual love of computers and hacking. As Tony becomes aware of Clark's transsexuality and his growing feminine alter ego, Clarissa, things become incredibly complicated. Will Tony be Clarissa's salvation, or her undoing?
'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the city, not a creature was stirring... Except for Bad Kitty.
The Angel was Ambushed.
The Books were all Bumped.
The Cards were all Crushed.
The Drums were all Dumped.
When a greedy Bad Kitty doesn't get all the presents she wants for Christmas, she takes off on a wild caper across town and through three complete alphabets. Along the way she makes a new friend, and when and old "friend" finds her, together they learn the true meaning of Christmas. Or not.
"I will be purchasing and burning that book and any other that I come across with such a reference in it if I can not get the school to remove the book from their library.
Shame on you for writing this in your book for little kids to read and forcing us to explain this matter to them."
"When I first began writing “A Bad Kitty Christmas” a few years ago I recognized that there would be people - such as yourself - who would be offended. I recognized that. So I debated with myself. I debated about whose interests would best be served. Do I edit myself to appease people who could be so outraged that they might even do something as drastic as to BURN a book? Or do I write a book that could potentially speak to that kid out there who actually has two Mommies. That kid won, because -- like it or not, Concerned Grandparent -- believe it or not, Concerned Grandparent – that kid exists. In fact, there are a lot of those kids. And those kids deserve to see their world represented in a mainstream book as much as any other kid out there."
Charlie Beresford would rather be doing anything this summer than hauling furniture for a moving company. Come September, he’ll be leaving for college, away from the awkwardness of Augustinian Academy, away from his father’s constant hints about prospective girlfriends.
Then Kevin Conroy—the Mighty KC—joins the moving crew. A star baseball player bound for the big leagues, Charlie is shocked when cool, confident KC suggests hanging out, especially when KC asks him to stay over—and the happiness their connection brings Charlie.
But the summer is changing Charlie—putting muscles on his skinny frame, compelling him to face hard truths, showing him how it feels not just to lose your heart but to break someone else’s.
"I will act to destroy that [pro-gay marriage] government and bring it down, so it can be replaced with a government that will respect and support marriage, and help me raise my children in a society where they will expect to marry in their turn.”
“I fully understand the position of those seeking a boycott. I really do...What concerns me is that it’s dreadfully ironic that Orson wrote a book about compassion and empathy, and yet he himself is struggling to see that his position in real life is really at odds with his art. And, frankly that’s not unusual. Great art usually rides above the weaknesses and failings of its creators."Geeks Out, a group of queer fanboys and fangirls, is holding firm to its call to boycott the film, saying to Card directly,
"The Bill of Rights protects your freedom of speech but it does not protect your right to a blockbuster opening weekend."I don't want Ender's Game pulled from libraries, but do I want it to do well in theaters?
"Card was initially hired by D.C. Comics to write the digital-first Adventures of Superman comic. Media backlash at the company's choice to hire an outspokenly homophobic writer eventually motivated collaborating artist Chris Sprouse to back out of the project and forced D.C. Comics to feature a story by Jeff Lemire and artist Chris Samnee instead of Card's."
If you are going to say hateful and inflammatory things about a subgroup of the population, then you must be willing to accept the consequences.
Revenge is a game best played blind.
Wes, Brandon, Corey, and Greg have everything: Money, privilege, and unlimited opportunity. Their town, Somerset Hills, New Jersey is one of the wealthiest in the state and all of their friends are just like them. As they prepare to graduate from high school and head off to Cape Cod for a much needed break, their lives are turned upside down.
Corey has a penchant for dating the wrong guy, but this time someone else knows his dirty little secret. Wes thinks his life is perfect until he experiences the ultimate betrayal by a shocking source. Brandon learns a devastating secret, but will he use it to his benefit? Meanwhile, Greg continues to run from his past, but will it be exposed before he can cover his tracks?
One by one, the secrets they've been keeping from each other come back to haunt them. No one is safe, but can they trust each other to uncover their unknown assailant? From blackmail, leaked sex tapes, and mysterious packages, can the guys keep it together before their world explodes?
But things only get worse when one of them goes missing and everything risks being exposed once and for all...
I don’t see why I have to become this new person just because I like guys. Most of who I am has nothing to do with who I hump.
Will's never been obvious about being gay. Not like Daniel, who takes the heat -- and the beatings -- at Spencer High. But then Will's best friend outs him on Facebook, and his small-town life starts to spin out of control. If he's not like everyone else, and he's not like Daniel, then who is he?
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| Me and Lisa Loeb, in the recording studio |
KID LIT with Lisa Loeb is a half hour program for public radio celebrating the best in children’s literature.
Hosted by Grammy®-nominated singer, songwriter, and children’s book author Lisa Loeb, KID LIT is produced by Peabody award-winner Ben Manilla with contributions from Harvard educated children’s literature blogger, Lee Wind, M.Ed.
Developed by On the Strip Radio Network, KID LIT with Lisa Loeb is a bi-monthly program for adults with kids or teens in their lives. Covering book titles across genres and age groups (from birth to 18), episodes are structured around three author/illustrator interviews (each approximately six minutes in length) that give us the story behind the story. Some interviews include author-read book excerpts and each episode’s interviews share a specific show theme, genre, age group, or book type.
In between the featured interviews, short interstitials highlight topics such as the latest technology for kids books, reader/bookseller/librarian book recommendations, best sellers lists, award winners, or publishing industry news.
Every episode also features a Diversity Spotlight and Lisa’s Pick of the Week to round out an entertaining, informative and inspiring half hour exploring the world of children’s and teen literature.
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| Look! Lisa (and the rest of the KID LIT team) are already working on episode two! |
Jeremy is stuck, like most young New Yorkers, in a world between adolescence and adulthood. Just when he thought that he was an average, blend-in-with-the-crowd gay kid, he becomes the victim of a terrible act of homophobia. Thankfully, a mysterious something comes to his aid. Garth is a gargoyle, trapped in stone and cursed to live an immortal life. Human and monster must become friends and confront the mysterious and magical events of the past that have brought them together.
Katie North breezes through high school as an undercover nerd helped by the fact that her best friend is the most popular girl in school. Katie has no clue that she's smokin' hot and the object of a few varsity athletes' drool. She's a pastor's daughter--Miss Goodie Two Shoes--and up until now, her number one priority has been graduating with the highest honors. But, everything changes when Katie falls in love for the first time - with a girl named Jay. Katie's world is blown wide open, and everything changes. Will she find her true self at the cost of her father's love?
Is the idea that queers should resemble the dominant, heterosexual culture—get married, raise kids, join the Armed forces—a lingering remnant of internalized homophobia?Check it out.
Yes, I believe so. We’re accepted to the extent we manifest mainstream values. And express our gratitude for being allowed in.
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| Tourists - and impromptu activists - Richard and Rochelle Cohen |
To President Putin, Russian politicians and all world leaders:
We stand with citizens across Russia who are calling on their government to stop the crackdown against lesbian, gay, bi and trans people that is fuelling anti-gay violence.
We urge leaders around the world and within Russia to work to eliminate all anti-gay laws and protect all citizens from violence and discrimination in Russia.
Spanning the years 1960-1983, Finding Bluefield chronicles the lives of two women who, by seeking love and family, find themselves navigating unknown and dangerous territory during a pivotal time in U.S. history, marked by segregation, the civil rights movement and Martin Luther King's March on Washington, the assassination of J.F. Kennedy, the first man on the moon, Woodstock, free love, and finding the courage to be different.
While it's published for adults, the latter part of the book deals a lot with how their son grows up and his experiences at school, coming from a home with two lesbian mothers.
"We all spend too much time sucking in our guts, trying to look the way we think society thinks we should. Don't waste any more energy trying to compete with everyone else.
It's all smoke and mirrors."
