Last night, Borders Time Warner Center hosted a Gay Young Adult Reading in celebration of Gay Pride Weekend in New York City. Headed by author and Scholastic Executive Editor, David Levithan, the panel consisted of 7 Gay Young Adult Authors, most of whom had written gay-themed novels.
They included such authors as, Nick Burd, (The Vast Fields of Ordinary), David Levithan himself and co-author, David Ozanich, (Red Carpet Riot), Dale Peck, (Sprout), Patrick Ryan, (In Mike We Trust),
Eliot Schrefer, (The School for Dangerous Girls), and Martin Wilson, (What They Always Tell Us).
(Photo: Young Adult Author, Nick Burd)
Levithan says surprisingly that “there is not as much resistance in schools to having gay-themed novels in school libraries.” In fact, he points out that “many librarians are advocates for the cause, insisting on providing students with as wide of reading choices as possible, including gay-themed novels.”
The event was well-attended by the gay, lesbian and heterosexual communities interested in supporting the authors’ books.
Of interest was debut novelist of color, Nick Burd’s novel, The Vast Fields of Ordinary (Dial). His reading had the audience in stitches as he shared a scene of his protagonist’s first gay crush.
Also, of particular interest was David Levithan and David Ozanich’s reading of their non-gay-themed comedy, Red Carpet Riot about a teen and her soap opera diva actress mother. The excerpt the two authors read, of the teen protagonist watching one her mother’s diva-like moments, had the audience roaring in laughter.
Jeff Rivera is the author of “Forever My Lady” and the founder of GumboWriters.com.