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sara ryan
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From: cejone2 at ilstu.edu <cejone2>
Date: Wed, 30 Jun 2004 16:38:22 -0500
I have much enjoyed reading this month's discussion. I'm beginning my lesbian literature chapter in my dissertation (on female sexuality in children's and YA lit), so it's been timely!
I haven't seen Sara Ryan's _Empress of the World_ mentioned here, and it's a lovely book that certainly deserves attention. It's published by speak, a division of Penguin Putnam, and was released in 2001. One of the many nice things about "Empress" is that the issue of orientation, while important, isn't central. It's more about emotional connection and sensitivity, about the complexities of being in relationship with friends as well as lovers.
In addition to dissertation-writing, I work in a large chain bookstore, and I'm seeing more and more books with GLBT themes and characters as a matter of course. Being in Austin, Texas, we don't get any negative feedback when we feature or display these titles (Dallas, sadly, was another story), and they do sell, albeit modestly. It's harder to recommend them, because if I'm speaking with a young person, especially one I don't know, I feel I need to be more careful--parents can be frightened and overly protective, and kids can find themselves in unfamiliar territory with no point of reference.
Someday,I hope, we'll be able to put books in kids' hands based on the criteria of interest and writing, without concerns about "getting into trouble".
Caroline Jones
Received on Wed 30 Jun 2004 04:38:22 PM CDT
Date: Wed, 30 Jun 2004 16:38:22 -0500
I have much enjoyed reading this month's discussion. I'm beginning my lesbian literature chapter in my dissertation (on female sexuality in children's and YA lit), so it's been timely!
I haven't seen Sara Ryan's _Empress of the World_ mentioned here, and it's a lovely book that certainly deserves attention. It's published by speak, a division of Penguin Putnam, and was released in 2001. One of the many nice things about "Empress" is that the issue of orientation, while important, isn't central. It's more about emotional connection and sensitivity, about the complexities of being in relationship with friends as well as lovers.
In addition to dissertation-writing, I work in a large chain bookstore, and I'm seeing more and more books with GLBT themes and characters as a matter of course. Being in Austin, Texas, we don't get any negative feedback when we feature or display these titles (Dallas, sadly, was another story), and they do sell, albeit modestly. It's harder to recommend them, because if I'm speaking with a young person, especially one I don't know, I feel I need to be more careful--parents can be frightened and overly protective, and kids can find themselves in unfamiliar territory with no point of reference.
Someday,I hope, we'll be able to put books in kids' hands based on the criteria of interest and writing, without concerns about "getting into trouble".
Caroline Jones
Received on Wed 30 Jun 2004 04:38:22 PM CDT
