*If you're 12 or under, it's not legal for anyone to collect your e-mail address. You can subscribe to this blog in a reader and follow me on twitter to get much of the same information, just not put together in tidy packages. But heck, if you're 11 or 12, you already know that life isn't always tidy. Thanks!
The changeover happens this week... so keep an eye out! (And yes, it will still be LeeWind.org)
If you're here to check out the archive, it's all here for you... (on mobile, switch to "view web version" to see the side columns and search bar.) If you want to stay updated, consider signing up for my email list here.
I'm grateful, and excited to continue blogging about books, culture, and more to empower LGBTQ kids and teens and their allies.
See you at the new website!
The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you, Lee
When Booklist wrote it will "inflame passions" they were warning librarians about possible controversy. But what about lighting the passionate fire of all the #LGBTQ youth who will at long last see themselves in history? It does that, too. Flame on!
16 Days Away...
A new tally... 28 copies preordered so far to donated to LGBTQ Kids and Teens through Brave Trails.
15 Days Away...
I felt the same way when I discovered this amazing Queer secret from history! Thrilled to include it in the book, and so fun to see this early buzz on Twitter.
There's an online launch party, and you're invited!
Bruce Coville wrote the groundbreaking short story "Am I Blue?" as well as "My Teacher is an Alien" and more than 100 other books for kids and teens. He's a brilliant storyteller, taught me (and about 1,000 other SCBWIers) the meaning of numinous, and his praising my book – and how it will help young readers – is humbling and awesome.
I'm with Jenny, Anne Lister's secret code was thrilling to discover, and to share. (It's in the introduction to the book.
There's going to be a launch party on April 6, 2021, and you're invited! Details bit.ly/NoWayLaunchParty Hope to see you there. The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you, Lee
Linda Sue Park is an amazing writer. I've learned SO much from her (her 12 minute writing sprints changed my creative life), and her books are this brave and powerful poetry... having her blurb my book made my year.
Getting an editorial review from Foreword Reviews, when they only review books they love and recommend, is a big deal. Having them praise my book's "sense of joyous wonder" is thrilling.
I'm sad that the world of children's literature has lost Kathleen, and at the same time I'm so grateful for her kind words about my book. That someone whose nonfiction for kids I admired so much saw the value in what I wrote... that was (and remains) awesome.
Yeah. Susan really is that funny in real life. Super grateful she read my book, saw the power of it, and was willing to give it such a kick-ass blurb!
There's going to be a launch party April 6, 2021, and you're invited! Details: bit.ly/NoWayLaunchParty
Hope to see you there. The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you, Lee
"Hasbro is making sure all feel welcome in the Potato Head world by officially dropping the Mr. from the Mr. Potato Head brand name and logo to promote gender equality and inclusion," the company said. The rebranded toy launches this fall.
It's interesting that the reporting at first kind of freaked people out, with the fear being that the characters of Mr. Potato Head and Mrs. Potato Head had changed their genders. So much so that Hasbro tweeted:
Hold that Tot – your main spud, MR. POTATO HEAD isn’t going anywhere! While it was announced today that the POTATO HEAD brand name & logo are dropping the ‘MR.’ I yam proud to confirm that MR. & MRS. POTATO HEAD aren’t going anywhere and will remain MR. & MRS. POTATO HEAD
The photo included in the tweet says volumes about how binary the Potato Head universe still is, with the art still showing Mr. Potato Head and Mrs. Potato Head, each on their respective box, under the new more gender neutral brand name, "Potato Head."
I guess rebranding the overall thing to be gender neutral is a step in the right direction.
But if Hasbro really wants to be gender inclusive, perhaps the next step is for them to come up with a character who is part of the Potato Head Universe, who is also gender non-conforming, or Two-Spirit, or gender fluid. And maybe give that Gender Queer character their own box.
Casting call for Mx. Potato Head, anyone?
The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you, no matter your gender.
It's the summer before eighth grade, and thirteen year-old Jorge Fuerte wants nothing more than to spend his days hanging out with his fellow comic-book-obsessed friends. But then everything changes. Jorge's parents announce they're divorcing for a reason he and his twin brother, Cesar, never saw coming--their larger-than-life dad comes out as transgender.
Jorge struggles to understand the father he's always admired, but Cesar refuses to have anything to do with him.
As Jorge tries to find a way to stay true to the father he loves, a new girl moves into the neighborhood: cool, confident, quirky Zoey. Jorge must face his fears and choose between being loyal to his brother or truthful about his family's secret. Although he's no superhero, Jorge already has the world's greatest superpower--if he decides to use it.
Want the scoop on the upcoming virtual launch party for "No Way, They Were Gay?" and the preorder campaign to donate copies to empower LGBTQ kids and teens?
Hi Everyone! I'm Lee Wind. I'm in one of my favorite places ever [the beach] and I'm talking to you about one of my favorite things, which is empowering LGBTQ kids and teens.
Eleven years ago I started on this journey of research and writing and now, finally, No Way, They Were Gay? Hidden Lives and Secrets Loves is coming out in April! (Like I came out, right? Coming out, it's a good word.) In April, April 6, 2021, there's going to be a big launch party [online] and you're invited. It's free for everyone.
I'm going to be interviewed by Alex Sanchez, whose latest book is The Greatest Superpower. He's an amazing writer, we're going to have an awesome conversation about gender, about representation, about Queer characters -- in fiction and in nonfiction -- and I hope you'll join us!
The other cool thing that we're doing for the launch, that I'm doing for the launch...
(But first, some backstory...)
In Hebrew tradition, there's an expression Chai ×—×™, and it means life. It's two letters of the Hebrew alphabet, Chet ×— and Yud ×™, so anyway, the letters add up. They have a numerical value, and they add up to 18. 18 is sort of like a good luck number. So I'm getting some author copies, and I'm going to give the majority of them -- 18 of them -- as a donation to LGBTQ Teens, because I really feel that this book is all about empowering them. Empowering readers.
Because I know if I had had this book growing up it would have changed my entire life. So, I don't have a time machine, so instead I'm going to try to pay it forward. So we're doing this cool preorder campaign. Where, working with my local bookstore, my local indie bookstore PAGES, a bookstore in Manhattan Beach, they're fantastic, and they're helping me. So if you want, you can purchase a copy through their website,
and we'll add them to the 18 I'm donating. And we'll make a donation through this amazing nonprofit, Brave Trails, to give the books directly to LGBTQ kids and teens. Because that's who really it's for. I mean sure, it's for allies, too. And I think that anybody can learn a lot from it. It's really, really a book of my heart.
It's all about primary sources and letting these people speak for themselves. Letting Gandhi tell us the story about how the love of his life was Hermann Kallenbach and not his wife Kasturba. It's about us hearing Sappho's poems and learning from her how we all believe in the power of true love because she loved this woman Anactoria. It's us discovering stories of people who lived outside gender boundaries, like Hatshepsut, the Pharaoh, who in Egypt, over the course of 22 years, changed how they publicly presented their gender.
We have this idea in our culture that LGBTQ people are brand new. That we sprung up since Stonewall in 1969. But you know what? We have thousands of years of stories and legacy and this rich history of men who loved men, and women who loved women, people who loved without regard to gender, and people who lived outside gender boundaries. And that's what the book is about, and that's why I really think it can be so empowering for readers.
I'm very excited, the launch is coming up April 6, 2021. I hope you'll join me at the party, I hope you'll get a copy, donate a book, and come on board. I'm really excited.
The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you.
The quote above is from the video's director, Nang K’uulas / Patrick Shannon.
Angel (who is originally from the Cree community of Mistissini, Quebec) says about the album this song is from,
“I named my EP For Those I Love(d) because I realized the songs all represented love I had or have for people that have come through my life,” Baribeau shares. “Whether they are here still, or on their own path, this project aims to honour the love I felt and feel.
“I had many Moms growing up,” Baribeau continues. “Powerful women that showed me love in the times I needed it most. My Moms gave me the tools I needed to be who I am and, in fact, they did the heavy lifting when it came to building up my own strengths. It was the women around me that taught me to be brave, to exist without apology, and to love without fear. These women were blessings and I am forever grateful for their love.”
Excited to learn about Angel Baribeau, proud of them for standing up and creating this, and delighted to share with you,
Lara's had eyes for exactly one person throughout her three years of high school: Chase Harding. He's tall, strong, sweet, a football star, and frankly, stupid hot. Oh, and he's talking to her now. On purpose and everything. Maybe...flirting, even? No, wait, he's definitely flirting, which is pretty much the sum of everything Lara's wanted out of life.
Except she's haunted by a memory. A memory of a confusing, romantic, strangely perfect summer spent with a girl named Jasmine. A memory that becomes a confusing, disorienting present when Jasmine herself walks through the front doors of the school to see Lara and Chase chatting it up in front of the lockers.
Lara has everything she ever wanted: a tight-knit group of friends, a job that borders on cool, and Chase, the boy of her literal dreams. But if she's finally got the guy, why can't she stop thinking about the girl?
Add your review of "Cool for the Summer" in comments!
"You have to get the story right and the music right." РMatt de la Pe̱a, on writing picture books
"Creativity is a thing that gets me through hard times." – Christian Robinson
My answer to you couldn't do that... "I did it anyway and it went great." – Jean Feiwel
"That new book needs to tell its own story, and not be just a giant epilogue." A new story where characters have a chance to breathe, a chance to discover things about themselves, and discover things about each other." – Becky Albertalli, on writing a sequel
"If I can't do it authentically, I'm not interested in performing it for people." – Adam Silvera, on social media
"I like books that allow me to enter them," and too many words get in the way. – Patricia MacLachlan
Inspiration
My biggest inspirational moment happened during the honor of hosting the LGBTQ+ and Allies social. Coming back from multiple breakout rooms, people spoke about a number of people writing stories with LGBTQ characters and themes where they're writing #QueerJoy.
#QueerJoy - I love that!
Gratitude
My gratitude as well to my fellow members of SCBWI Team Blog for this conference: Debbie Ohi, Lakita Wilson, Jaime Temairik, Jolie Stekly, and Don Tate. And to Lin Oliver everyone at SCBWI who pulled off a virtual conference with over 4,000 attendees, and allowed me be part of it!
So you may have heard I have a book coming out. In April. It's nonfiction, and it's the kind of book that would have totally changed my life if I'd read it when I was 11. Or 15. Or heck, any time up through my writing it. (And I've been working on it since 2010.)
It's called NO WAY, THEY WERE GAY? HIDDEN LIVES AND SECRET LOVES, and it's being published by Lerner Publishing Group's Zest Books imprint. It was honored as a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. And it's all about empowering young LGBTQ people.
So I've cooked up this fun pre-order idea. For folks to buy a copy from my local indie bookstore, Pages: A Bookstore in Manhattan Beach, California, to donate to an LGBTQ teen via this wonderful nonprofit, Brave Trails.
It's all being set up, and there will be a special landing page for the virtual book launch party and everything, but I wanted to let you all know about this. Because, wouldn't it be amazing to put this book into the hands of just the readers for whom it will make a huge impact for the good?
And yes, No Way, They Were Gay? is a book about history, but it's not history like I was taught history, all dates and names to memorize. It's not history as medicine. It's more like chocolate. Empowering chocolate.
Because history is fascinating when you put aside the denials of hundreds of years of historians and actually let people tell you their own truths. Primary source materials - like letters, diary entries, poems, songs, ancient artwork - let us hear the stories of men who loved men, women who loved women, people who loved without regard to gender, and people who lived outside gender boundaries.
It's super cool. And exciting! If you want to get a head start on the preorder donation, you can preorder the book at Pages: A Bookstore now. But you can wait until the launch party event page is up, too. Either way, save the date - April 6, 2021 at 5pm Pacific.
And just to keep the fun going, here are three TikTok posts that are helping build the buzz...
A few weeks ago, Kane Montgomery was in an accident that robbed him of his memory. The only thing he knows for certain is that the police found him half-dead in the river. The world as he knows it feels different—reality seems different. And when strange things start happening around him, Kane isn't sure where to turn.
And then three of his classmates show up, claiming to be his friends and the only people who can tell him what's truly going on. Kane doesn't know what to believe or who he can trust. But as he and the others are dragged into increasingly fantastical dream worlds drawn from imagination, it becomes clear that there is dark magic at work. Nothing in Kane's life is an accident, and only he can keep the world itself from unraveling.
It's one of my favorite times of the year... And my favorite safe space gathering of community within the larger SCBWI community!
And even though the SCBWI Winter Conference is an all-virtual event this 2021, there's still going to be an LGBTQ+ and Allies Social!
Are you writing, illustrating, or translating works for kids, tweens, or teens with LGBTQAI2+ characters or themes? Or are you thinking of doing so? Then this is the social for you!
I'm hosting, and you can join in.
Day: Tuesday February 16, 2021
Time: 4pm Pacific - 5pm Pacific
We'll be gathering in a safe space zoom room, and our special faculty guests will include Jane Yolen (multi award-winning author of 386 books for kids and adults)
The "How Do Dinosaurs..." series may be better known, but this is the most recent of Jane's titles.
Heidi Stemple (author of, most recently, with Jane, I Am The Storm)
Laurent Linn (author/illustrator of the YA novel Draw the Line and art director at Simon & Schuster
along with SCBWI staff moderators April Powers, Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer at SCBWI
Julian Petri,
SCBWI Executive Director Lin Oliver,
Associate Executive Director Sarah Baker,
Director of Special Projects Kim Turrisi,
as well as Claudia Pearson and Debra Schmidt.
Conference registrants will receive a PDF schedule with event links. On clicking to join, you'll have to register for this zoom social with your name and email, and then you'll be welcomed in.
We hope to see you there. Stay safe, Lee
***UPDATE Tuesday Feb 16, 2021 at 11:30am Pacific: If you're registered for the conference, check your email for a special link to this event.***
Pet is here to hunt a monster. Are you brave enough to look?
There are no monsters anymore, or so the children in Lucille are taught. Jam and her best friend, Redemption, have grown up with the lesson that the city is safe for everyone. But when Jam meets Pet, a creature who some might call monstrous but, in reality, is anything but, she must reconsider what she's been told. Pet has emerged from one of her mother's paintings to hunt a true monster--and the shadow of something grim lurks in Redemption's house. No one has encountered monsters in years, though, and Jam's quest to protect her best friend and uncover the truth is met with doubt and disbelief.
A National Book Award Finalist and Stonewall Book Award Winner, you can add your review of "Pet" in comments!
In a world divided by colonialism and threaded with magic, a desperate orphan turned pirate and a rebellious imperial lady find a connection on the high seas.
The pirate Florian, born Flora, has always done whatever it takes to survive--including sailing under false flag on the Dove as a marauder, thief, and worse. Lady Evelyn Hasegawa, a highborn Imperial daughter, is on board as well--accompanied by her own casket. But Evelyn's one-way voyage to an arranged marriage in the Floating Islands is interrupted when the captain and crew show their true colors and enslave their wealthy passengers.
Both Florian and Evelyn have lived their lives by the rules, and whims, of others. But when they fall in love, they decide to take fate into their own hands--no matter the cost.
Add your review of "The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea" in comments!
I'm so jazzed their reviewer (Letitia Montgomery-Rodgers) "got" it, and since Foreword Reviews "only recommends books that we love" it's even more of a grand compliment. Here's another excerpt from the review:
From Gandhi to Eleanor Roosevelt, Wind doesn’t shy away from revealing his subjects in their full complexity. A fellow traveler and guide on a journey of discovery, Wind calls out the shadow sides of those profiled, as well as what’s laudable. His book transmits rare facts and firsthand accounts with a sense of joyous wonder. It also encourages readers to come to their own conclusions about the facts provided. Each chapter closes with some iteration of the question, “What do you think?” Even in regards to his own book, Wind emphasizes that history is an interpretative place that requires critical thinking.
At a time where issues of social justice are often deemed either overinflated or “solved,” Lee Wind makes a powerful case that queer historical erasure is an ongoing issue.
Foreword Reviews is read by over 30,000 indie book lovers, including librarians and booksellers, so that's pretty awesome. It's gratifying to know that this review will help my book reach – and empower – more readers, which is really what it's all about.
Raffy has a passion for bedazzling. Not just bedazzling, but sewing, stitching, draping, pattern making--for creation. He's always chosen his art over everything--and everyone--else and is determined to make his mark at this year's biggest cosplay competition. If he can wow there, it could lead to sponsorship, then art school, and finally earning real respect for his work. There's only one small problem... Raffy's ex-boyfriend, Luca, is his main competition.
Raffy tried to make it work with Luca. They almost made the perfect team last year after serendipitously meeting in the rhinestone aisle at the local craft store--or at least Raffy thought they did. But Luca's insecurities and Raffy's insistence on crafting perfection caused their relationship to crash and burn. Now, Raffy is after the perfect comeback, one that Luca can't ruin.
But when Raffy is forced to partner with Luca on his most ambitious build yet, he'll have to juggle unresolved feelings for the boy who broke his heart, and his own intense self-doubt, to get everything he's ever wanted: choosing his art, his way.
"Archie loves Zack!"
"Zack loves Archie!"
Everyone said it was so.
But Archie hasn't told Zack yet. And Zack hasn't told Archie. They spend just about every minute together: walking to and from school, doing science and art projects, practicing for marching band, learning to ride bikes, and so much more.
Over the course of a few months, Archie tries to write a letter to Zack to tell him how he feels: "From A to Z." None of his drafts sound quite right, so he hides them all away. One by one, Archie's friends (Zelda, Zinnia, and Zuzella) find the letters . . . but they know exactly whom they're meant for.
There's so many things to love about this picture book, and here are my top three:
1) There's no shame about their love. Adults know the two boys love each other. The other kids know the two boys love each other. It's all a joyous celebration of the journey of the boys being able to tell each other how they feel.
2) The illustrations do so much of the storytelling, and are beautifully rendered.
It's a great example of how an author/illustrator can sometimes tell a story so fully that every part reinforces the whole. Even the endpapers add to the storytelling, with 16 more vignettes of Archie and Zack spending wonderful times together.
3) It's a picture book about two young boys in love. The concept of making that a first crush love is so smart. This is the kind of love that's valentines given to every classmate in kindergarten - and a special one for that special someone! It's sweet and incredibly "G" rated - which is entirely awesome and appropriate.
Like I always say, the word homoSEXual isn't helping our Queer community. If we used the word homoLOVEual, we'd be having different conversations. Because the love that holds my family together is the same love that holds other families together.
And the first-crush love that Archie and Zack delight in is the same first-crush love that so many other young children delight in.
And that's worthy of celebrating!
With Valentine's Day coming up, "From Archie to Zack" is an extra special treat.
Add your review of "From Archie to Zack" in comments!
A screen shot of the Kirkus Reviews review of my new book!
Getting an editorial trade review from Kirkus Reviews is a huge compliment - and I'm so delighted they liked No Way, They Were Gay? Hidden Lives and Secret Loves.
Another great line from the review:
“Deftly weaving in primary sources (in bold text), cheeky sidebars, and his own narrative observations as a gay man, Wind keeps the tone conversational and playful.”
It’s 200 years after Cinderella found her prince, but the fairy tale is over. Teen girls are now required to appear at the Annual Ball, where the men of the kingdom select wives based on a girl’s display of finery. If a suitable match is not found, the girls not chosen are never heard from again.
Sixteen-year-old Sophia would much rather marry Erin, her childhood best friend, than parade in front of suitors. At the ball, Sophia makes the desperate decision to flee, and finds herself hiding in Cinderella’s mausoleum. There, she meets Constance, the last known descendant of Cinderella and her step sisters. Together they vow to bring down the king once and for all–and in the process, they learn that there’s more to Cinderella’s story than they ever knew . . .
I recently heard Kaylynn speak about this book, about her vision of having a Queer Black girl on the cover in a ball gown, and about centering Queer Black girls. I can't wait to read this one!
Add your review of "Cinderella Is Dead" in comments!
January, 2021. It's crazy that peacefully gathering to support LGBTQ rights, to support LGBTQ people, can still result in this kind of state violence and threat.
Melike Balkan and Özgür Gür (pictured in the photo above), along with 17 others, are facing up to three years in prison for organizing their campus pride back in May 2019. Here’s what Özgür told Amnesty International about why this matters to him:
“Pride has an extraordinary value. If you look at the history of Pride, we see it in Stonewall, Istanbul Pride, in all Prides. It is a struggle against violence, against hate crimes, all over the world. Pride is a moment where you can express the things you experience in your life; you can be yourself. That’s why they are so important.”
Amnesty International explains the power of their letter writing campaign:
Amnesty has chosen both Melike and Özgür as activists to spotlight in our annual Write for Rights campaign, an international letter-writing campaign where people like you send hundreds of thousands of letters to world leaders, with the goal of freeing prisoners of conscience and protecting human right defenders under attack.
The cover of NO WAY, THEY WERE GAY? with the Junior Library Guild award sticker!
This news makes me ridiculously happy, and proud.
Junior Library Guild is a BIG deal, and something librarians really respect. To have my nonfiction book for young readers chosen for Junior Library Guild means that librarians will instantly know NO WAY, THEY WERE GAY? Hidden Lives and Secret Loves has been vetted. That it has received one of the most important librarian stamps of approval. That it will be in hundreds and hundreds of libraries across the U.S.!
All of which means, NO WAY, THEY WERE GAY? will reach – and empower – so many more young readers.
I'm honored and delighted!
Oh, and if you can tell a librarian about NO WAY, THEY WERE GAY?, please do!
Thanks for sharing in this good news moment with me.
The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you, Stay safe, Lee
After the January 14, 2021 SCBWI #OwnVoices Queer Voices panel, LGBTQ attendees who create works for children and teens were invited to a safe space social hosted by me on zoom. We had over 60 folks attend, and with the help of the amazing SCBWI staff who moderated we broke out into two 25 minute small group discussions.
The gathering of the LGBTQ community within the larger SCBWI community was affirming and very powerful, with many asking for there to be an ongoing gathering for Queer KidLit Creators. This has come up before numerous times at the SCBWI conference LGBTQ socials, but it hasn't made its way beyond the idea. Until now.
So here I am, standing up and saying -
If you're a Queer kid lit creator (writer, illustrator, translator) and you'd like to be notified of the Queer KidLit Creators group meetings, just email me at leewind (at) roadrunner (dot) com. And I'll be in touch about it soon.
Please note, I'm grateful to all our allies, but this is a group just for people who identify as part of the Queer community and who create children's and teen literature.
I'm excited to get it started and see where it takes us!
The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you, Lee
I was delighted to attend SCBWI's Queer Voices Panel on January 14, 2021!
The Queer Voices Panelists with their books!
Pictured:
top row: Sign language interpreter Jennye Kamin; moderator Phil Bildner with a copy of Phil's middle grade novel A High Five For Glenn Burke; Mike Curato with a copy of Mike's YA graphic novel, Flamer.
middle row: Alex Gino with a copy of Alex's George and Rick; Abdi Nazemian with a copy of Abdi's Like a Love Story.
lower row: J Yang with a copy of J's Spirit Day; and Kaylynn Bayron with a copy of Kaylynn's Cinderella is Dead.
Some highlights:
Kaylynn speaking of her Cinderella is Dead: "Black girls team up to overthrow the patriarchy." And on unlearning while centering Queer black girls in her writing.
J speaking of the impact of the secondary Trans character in Tamora Pierce's Bloodhound, and how "every single person I draw is Queer."
Bill on the four different decisions he played out (of his two main characters who meet at the top of The Bridge intending to jump to their deaths) and how he ultimately wants readers to know that "they are not alone." And wanting to see "more LGBTQ joy."
Abdi saying "Let's study history to repeat the best of it, not just avoid the worst of it." And how "even in the darkest moment, there is light." Also Abdi's describing reaching out to his Iranian community as an out Gay man to change hearts and minds.
Alex on the impact of Kate Bornstein's Gender Outlaw where they learned the term Gender Queer and how powerful that "access to language" was. And how there is no age too young to learn to be kind, compassionate, know yourself and others.
Mike on how the mouse in the Little Elliot books is nonbinary, how Mike's hope is for readers to know "there is light in you even if you can't see it yourself," and how having a Queer imprint at a major publisher would be a game-changer.
...and Phil speaking of how essential a thread of hope is in books for young people, and on the motivation for A High Five for Glenn Burke – to get the message out that "Queer kids play sports, too."
I'm chuffed* to be one of the fifty nonfiction authors who contributed an essay to this remarkable collection, and 25 of us celebrated with a book launch party/panel hosted by The Writing Barn this past Saturday January 16, 2021. There were over 450 registrants, and the chat was flying by as each of us on the panel had the chance to answer one question each!
There was so much wisdom and inspiration shared by the authors brought together by Melissa Stewart (who conceptualized and edited the collection) and I thought sharing a few highlights would be fun:
Donna Janell Bowman with the metaphor of her picture book bios not being panorama shots, but done using a zoom lens.
Laura Purdie Salas sharing how she makes a list of 20 different approaches she could take with a new manuscript, to stretch herself and find the best one.
Paula Yoo on searching for great nuggets in the research that move the story forward and/or reveal the emotion of the main character.
Ray Anthony Shepard and Anita Silvey both speaking of how a single sentence to encapsulate the whole project is key.
Carole Boston Weatherford on how she creates works of art that are hybrids of poetry and other forms.
Laurie Wallmark saying we have to write about what we're interested in, that way kids will be interested, too.
Michelle Markel's advice on turning to books you wish you had written, "good writing is contagious and inspires you."
my turn! Thanks to Melissa Stewart for the photo (and the opportunity)!
And I shared, in answer to the question about gems of writing advice, a three-sided gem:
1) about being Gay, and how I didn't come out until my 20s, and so how everything I do is about being authentic and my mission is to empower young people be their authentic selves right now. Having a mission for everything I do creatively feels key.
2) How history, as it was taught to me, was presented as medicine. And how with my new nonfiction book coming out in April, NO WAY, THEY WERE GAY? Hidden Lives and Secret Loves, I wanted to make it more like chocolate. Empowering chocolate. Having a vision for the book feels key, as well.
3) And how, with juggling a full time job, a part time job, writing and promoting my books, my marriage, parenting, family, and everything else, I used to think I needed a giant block of 3 or 4 hours to get anything creative done. And then Linda Sue Park shared her 12 minute writing sprint strategy with me: You set the timer on your phone for just 12 minutes, and tell yourself that's all you need to focus for. If the timer goes off and you're in the flow, you can set it for another 12 minutes, and then another, etc... But if all you have time for is one 12 minute writing sprint, at least you've written for that day. The secret is doing this daily... I'm more productive now, and feel more like a writer now, because of this method, than ever before. It's completely changed my creative life.
My contribution seemed well-received, with folks both commenting in the event chat and online that it resonated for them and they were excited to try the 12 minute writing sprints themselves. And a number really liked the idea of history not as medicine, but as chocolate!
I'm very excited about being part of NONFICTION WRITERS DIG DEEP, published by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). And it's really cool that proceeds from sales of the book are being split between SCBWI, NCTE, and WE NEED DIVERSE BOOKS!
*A word I've learned since becoming a little bit obsessed with the Great British Baking Show. So much so that I asked my husband to make me scones for my birthday last week. They were scrummy.
Disclosure: As of July 5, 2020, if you click on a book here on this blog and it takes you to bookshop.org, there is an affiliate relationship in place where 10% of that book order will come back to me, Lee Wind. I hope that works for you. And if it doesn't, no worries. I hope you buy your books somewhere that feels good to you. Thanks!
What if you knew a secret from history that could change the world?
“Get Balanced with Dr. Marissa Pei” Talk Radio show - Lee booked as featured guest on September 25
October 2018 - Publish Date of Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill: Oct 2, 2018
Lambda Literary Festival - panel on Crowdfunding Queer Lit and reading - online Oct 1. Register here.
Star Style Radio Show with Cynthia Brian - Lee featured guest on October 3 program. Listen here.
Pasadena Fall Art Night - YA panel on Oct 12 in Pasadena
West Hollywood Library Teen Read Week - 10:30am October 13
San Gabriel Valley Pride - Authors Tent presentation, 1:00 pm on Oct 13 in Pasadena
Launch Party at Highways - 7:00pm in Santa Monica
Models of Pride - present "Discover our LGBTQ History" and give out free copies of Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill from the Camp Brave Trails booth on Oct 20 in Los Angeles
November 2018
Book Baby Independent Authors Conference - lead networking session "How do you measure success?" in Philadelphia, PA
Presentation and Reading at Palm Springs Public Library on Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill on Nov 7
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