So! I’ve gone back and forth about whether to write this little essay or not. Obviously, I’ve landed on “yes.” But why I’ve decided to write it… well, I’m not so sure about that. Over the years since I published A Boy Called BAT, I’ve had lots of people ask me if I have an autistic person in …
Continue reading “My Beautiful Brain”
Read More
On Monday, June 24th, I attended the Printz ceremony where DAMSEL was honored alongside I, CLAUDIA by Mary McCoy, A HEART IN A BODY IN THE WORLD, by Deb Caletti, and winning book THE POET X by Elizabeth Acevedo. Here’s what I said: When the Printz committee called to tell me that DAMSEL had been …
Continue reading “Michael L. Printz: A Speech”
Read More
I’ve been told that my young adult novels are inappropriate for teens. Are they? That depends, I guess, on what you mean by “inappropriate.” Do you mean “stuff that shouldn’t happen to young girls and women?” Then, yes. Last year’s What Girls Are Made Of examined embodied female shame and the question of unconditional love, the …
Continue reading “What About the Girls?”
Read More
Recently, a college student who is interested in being a writer emailed me and asked if I would answer some interview questions. Also, I’ll share here again the beautiful cover of DAMSEL, which will be published October 2nd. Available now for preorder! I thought other emerging writers might find my responses to be of use, …
Continue reading “A Student Interview”
Read More
Image by Grace Lin My 2015 title, Infandous, is a fairytale/mythology/Oedipus Rex contemporary surf and sculpture novel. My 2017 title, What Girls Are Made Of, is about a high kill animal shelter, virginmartyrsaints, female orgasm, slavish desire, and the conditions under which we determine love. Both books have been shelved as “Chick Lit.” Perhaps …
Continue reading “#KidLitWomen: The Trouble with Chick Lit”
Read More