By Aaron H. Aceves A little over two years ago, on a sticky hot August evening, my soon-to-be classmates and I crowded under white tents on a prestigious New York campus, hoping for a chance to introduce ourselves to our new writing faculty before classes began the next week. I sipped wine out of … [Read more...] about How MFA Programs Can Discourage YA Writers
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MFA vs. YA: How MFA Programs Can Discourage YA Writers
By Aaron H. Aceves A little over two years ago, on a sticky hot August evening, my soon-to-be classmates and I crowded under white tents on a prestigious New York campus, hoping for a chance to introduce ourselves to our new writing faculty before classes began the next week. I sipped wine out of … [Read more...] about MFA vs. YA: How MFA Programs Can Discourage YA Writers
Q&A With Tehlor Kay Mehia and Anna-Marie McLemore, Miss Meteor
By Alaina Leary Today we’re pleased to welcome Tehlor Kay Mejia and Anna-Marie McLemore to the WNDB blog to discuss their co-written young adult novel Miss Meteor, out September 22, 2020! There hasn’t been a winner of the Miss Meteor beauty pageant who looks like Lita Perez or Chicky … [Read more...] about Q&A With Tehlor Kay Mehia and Anna-Marie McLemore, Miss Meteor
Q&A With Leah Johnson, You Should See Me in a Crown
By Aaron H. Aceves Today we’re pleased to welcome Leah Johnson to the WNDB blog to discuss her young adult novel You Should See Me in a Crown, out June 2, 2020! Liz Lighty has always believed she's too black, too poor, too awkward to shine in her small, rich, prom-obsessed midwestern town. But … [Read more...] about Q&A With Leah Johnson, You Should See Me in a Crown
I Self-Published My First Young Adult Novel. Here’s Why.
By Kelly Quindlen In 2014 I self-published my first book, a sapphic young adult novel called Her Name in the Sky, the same year that We Need Diverse Books was founded. It was only six years ago, but it feels like a lifetime in terms of LGBTQ+ representation. This was before Simon vs. The Homo … [Read more...] about I Self-Published My First Young Adult Novel. Here’s Why.
Queerness Is Front-And-Center in REVERIE by Ryan La Sala
By Karis Rogerson Picture this: A young Ryan La Sala, already invested in stories and fantasies but not yet realizing that writing is the path he wished to embark upon. Because reading wasn’t his strong suit, he delighted in acting out the stories and fantasies thriving in his head—actively … [Read more...] about Queerness Is Front-And-Center in REVERIE by Ryan La Sala
