.david_levithan brings young stories and queer voices to the texasbookfest.
Young adult literature has exploded over the past few years as a genre as diverse as the media on offer to older folks, especially where queer fiction is concerned.
As a writer, Levithan said he sticks to realistic fiction rather than speculative, with an eye toward the past for his next works."Since YA literature is, or queer YA literature, is such a young beast," he explained,"we haven't really gone back enough. ... There are plenty of queer stories from history to be told that haven't yet been told."
Even with that preference for grounded fiction in his own writing, Levithan said he enjoys being able to work with more fantastical authors as an editor. He is currently editor for Maggie Stiefevater's paranormal Dreamer Trilogy and says that he likes to help harness her imagination by playing the reader: asking questions and pointing out places for clarification. However, he doesn't think that what he writes is too different from the sci-fi/fantasy YA he edits.
Emotional truth is incredibly important in LGBTQ fiction, as it is key to creating characters who stand out from tired tropes. Levithan emphasized that he rarely has authors who create flat queer characters because most understand that every queer experience is nuanced. Even non-queer writers don't write from a vacuum, he said, and usually are observant enough of the queer folks in their lives to write well-rounded characters."That's very recent to this decade.
Creating solid, substantial young adult literature with good queer characters is, to Levithan, crucial for today's teens."They want to see themselves on the shelf," he said,"and they want to sort of explore different parts of their lives in the books and the stories that we give them."even tackles an issue near and dear to Texas' queer youth: misguided parents seeking to ban LGBTQ literature.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
San Antonio food writer unveils cookbook featuring recipes from high-profile local chefsSan Antonio Cooks includes more than 80 recipes from notable chefs and cocktail experts. SanAntonio SanAntonioTX SATX SanAntonioFood SanAntonioRestaurants
Read more »
Food writer Julie Powell's death at 49 puts spotlight on cardiac arrestThe sudden death of 49-year-old author Julie Powell, whose life inspired the movie 'Julie & Julia,' is raising new questions about her health, including a recent battle with COVID-19.
Read more »
Meet Me in the Bathroom Writer on How to Know You’re Living in a Special MomentWriter and executive producer Lizzy Goodman calls her book and its corresponding documentary “ultimately a story about kids being young and trying to find themselves and coming of age in New York in the context of these larger cultural forces that were going on at the same time.”
Read more »
Food writer Julie Powell, author of 'Julie & Julia,' dead at 49Powell died in late October at her upstate New York home of cardiac arrest, her husband Eric Powell said.
Read more »
Here's What Editor-in-Chief Dawn Davis Is Cooking This MonthThe editor-in-chief of Bon Appétit and Epicurious lets us in on her dinner plan.
Read more »
Letters to the Editor — Campaign finance laws, gerrymandering, Ukraine, Dusty BakerRe: “New constitutional amendment,” by Ken Smith, Monday Letters. Smith eloquently presents changes that must be made to ensure that politicians work for the...
Read more »