Minnesota Monday- Panel and Reading on YA LGBT lit

OK I'm thinking of making Mondays on my blog be Minnesota Mondays. This will give me something good to talk about on Mondays. (I'm a Vikings fan. Mondays are disappointing)

This weekend I attended a panel discussion and reading at The Loft.

The reading was part of the Second Story Reading series and the Normandale Reading Series.

The panel was interesting and included Marion Dane Bauer, Kirstin Cronn-Mills, David LaRochelle, David Levithan and Pat Schmatz. David Levithan and Brain Farrey read following the panel.

The panel focused on LGBT in YA Lit. Each writer talked about their experience publishing books with LGBT characters or subject matter and how things have shifted over the years. They talked about censorship and also sort of pre-censorship. Some of the authors from smaller towns shared experiences of their hometown library not even carrying the books they wrote. But it was cool to hear the experience of Marion Dane Bauer who published Am I Blue in the 90's and how that influenced other writers like Pat Schmatz who was also on the panel. It was cool to see how these writers had influenced each other.

They talked about how to incorporate LGBT characters in works for younger kids, picture book and middle grade, by featuring gay parents.

They talked about the idea of being pre censored. I live in the city and can find David Levithan's Boy Meets Boy on the shelf at my library but that's not always the case. Many libraries and schools don't have these books. Some of the authors from small towns shared experiences about their libraries not carrying their books. Since I liv

After the panel David Levithan and Brian Farrey did a reading, which was wonderful.

Before I left for the reading I looked at my shelves to see if I had any books I could get signed. This will teach me to lend out all my David Levithan books. Thank goodness Magers and Quinn was on hand to sell me The Lover's Dictionary so I could get it signed.

Another awesome thing about going to events like this is winning books. I won Absolutely, Positively Not by David LaRochelle. It sounds like great book and I'm excited to read it.