A Secret From History, Two Books, And Breaking Barriers: Why (starting next week) you’ll be able to read my YA novel for free here on this blog

Background:

Next week is my ten-year blogging anniversary! I’ve highlighted hundred of books for kids and teens with LGBTQ characters and themes; I’ve shared my thoughts on culture and politics; I’ve explored how the history of men who loved men, women who loved women, and people who lived outside gender boundaries has been hidden; and I’ve amplified music and projects that envision a world where all differences are celebrated.

And together, we’ve created a vibrant tribe of LGBTQ young people, LGBTQ adults, and our Allies.

My vision:

Through it all I’ve been writing, with the vision that someday, I could include my books on this blog, too.

The Secret From History:

In 2011 I stumbled upon real-life letters (hidden in plain sight, in multiple sources) that a 30-something Abraham Lincoln wrote Joshua Fry Speed. Letters that, to my eyes, clearly reveal that Lincoln was in love, romantic love, with Speed.

Inspiration:

As I dove into more and more research, I kept thinking about how it would have changed my life if I’d known about Abraham Lincoln being in love with another guy back when I was fifteen years old.

Two Books:

I wrote a YA novel, QUEER AS A FIVE-DOLLAR BILL, that grew from that inspiration. It’s the story of 15-year old Wyatt, who is bullied, and closeted, and desperate for a plan to survive high school. If only there was something that would make being gay in Lincolnville, Oregon no big deal. Working on his Abraham Lincoln book report, Wyatt discovers those same real historical letters, and they convince him that Lincoln was in love with another guy. Thinking it’s exactly what he wished for, Wyatt decides to out Lincoln in his online report. But things don’t go at all the way he expected…

I also wrote a nonfiction manuscript, THE QUEER HISTORY PROJECT: NO WAY, THEY WERE GAY? that focuses on the surprising – and true – stories of men who loved men, women who loved women, and people who lived outside gender boundaries throughout time and around our world. It is packed with primary sources, so young readers can listen to the voices of these people across time and decide for themselves what they think. Abraham Lincoln and his relationship with (and letters to) Joshua Fry Speed is one of the fifteen chapters.

The Dream:

After many, many revisions, both projects went out on submission.

Two years ago, my wonderful literary agent, Danielle Smith, sold the nonfiction book to one of the big five publishers. Publication was scheduled for this month, September 2017. All through 2016 the writing, revising, and editing was going great. In the fall we were talking cover design…

The Barriers:

Two weeks after Trump was elected, there was a phone call.

It takes a lot of courage to publish a book that you know is going to be controversial. And it turns out that big five publisher didn’t have the courage to publish my nonfiction book after all. We got the rights back in January 2017. It has not yet found a new publishing home.

The eighth draft of the novel, a product of an edit and Highlights Foundation mentoring by none other than National Book Award-winner M.T. Anderson, has been out on submission for a full year. It hasn’t yet found a publishing home, either.

Both books are ready. So what’s going on?

My wonderful agent and I both agree that the issue is fear. One editor even said, “I’m eager to be a customer for this book, even if I can’t be an editor.”

Breaking Barriers:

The best response to fear that I can think of is COURAGE.

In the 1950s, the artist Marcel Duchamp argued that “the creative act is not performed by the artist alone; the spectator… by deciphering and interpreting…adds his contribution to the creative act.”

And so what I’ve written – these two books – aren’t complete without readers reading them. These creative acts aren’t complete without you.

Waiting is no longer an option. Given the state of our country, our current leadership, and the anti-LGBTQ atmosphere that is directly impacting Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, Questioning, and Queer youth, this truth – these books – can’t wait any longer.

I’m calling this experiment “No Barriers.”

As of now, it has three phases:

Phase 1:

Starting Friday Sept 15, 2017 (the actual 10-year anniversary of this blog), I will be serializing my YA novel QUEER AS A FIVE-DOLLAR BILL right here. For teens and everyone – for you – to read for free. For 34 weeks (33 chapters and an epilogue), I’ll post a new chapter every Friday.

It feels right to offer the book in a way that eliminates barriers to reading it, especially for those who still feel they have to comment anonymously here on this blog.

You'll be my readers, and I want to hear from you! Your thoughts, your reactions. And if anyone is moved to create #QueerAsAFiveDollarBill Fan Art for the chapters, I’ll share here and on Instagram.

I can’t wait for you to participate in the creative act of QUEER AS A FIVE-DOLLAR BILL!

Phase 2: **Revised as of September 21, 2017

In preparing for Phase 2, I'm getting all this great input and ideas, and some of them need more time. After all, the point isn't to rush. The point is to set this project up for success, so we can
•Empower LGBTQ and Allied teens to know this amazing history of a man who loved another man while shaping our country
•Empower them to question how history has been 'sanitized' to remove the queer parts of people's lives and loves
•Empower them to know there's a proud history of men who loved men (and women who loved women and people who lived outside gender boundaries), and to let that affirm their place in our world today, and give wings to their dreams for the future.

So for now, I'm aiming to run the crowd-funding campaign February 10-24, 2018. (February 12 is Lincoln's Birthday, and February 14 is Valentine's Day. Both dates play a large role in the book… And as a bonus, Monday February 19 is Presidents' Day!)

Stay tuned for more details, and keep reading! Thanks! **

On Friday Oct 20, 2017, the same day I post chapter 6, I will be launching a 29-day crowd-funding campaign to publish an exclusive signed and numbered hardcover edition of QUEER AS A FIVE-DOLLAR BILL. It won’t be available in stores, or online. It’s just for those fans who are willing to pitch in to help me make this manuscript a beautiful, physical book. Heck, it’s a page-turner, let’s have some actual pages to turn!

Details to come…

Phase 3:

Learn from Phase 1 and 2, and take steps to share the nonfiction book, THE QUEER HISTORY PROJECT: NO WAY, THEY WERE GAY?, with readers.

Me + You = Leveraging History To Change The World

All of this, as I said above, is an experiment.

Will my fiction engage you, my community?

Will this story of a teen discovering the true history of Abraham Lincoln loving another man make a difference in our world for the better?

Will the serialization and the crowd-funded hardcover edition help generate some viable publishing options to increase the impact of the book – both books – even more?

Can we take the blinders of prejudice off, and start seeing the true – and queer – loves and lives of people who shaped our world?

Can you and I, together, create a movement?

Join me. And now let’s collaborate to transform QUEER AS A FIVE-DOLLAR BILL from an unread manuscript into a complete creative act – one that’s not just inspired by history, but that makes history as well!

Click here to read the first two Chapters of Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill now.

The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you,

Lee