Podcast appearances and mentions of Bill Konigsberg

When the pages of a book become a battleground for human rights, conversations like the one I have with Bill Konigsberg become not just relevant, but vital. Award-winning and openly gay, Bill Konigsberg has been on the frontlines, both as a sports writer for ESPN and now as a YA author facing the harsh reality of book bans. In an era where queer-themed literature is under siege, Bill's voice is a beacon for authenticity and representation, illuminating the importance of storytelling in the lives of queer teens and the broader community.Transitioning from the adrenaline-infused world of sports journalism to the heartfelt realm of YA fiction, Bill's tale is not just a career shift but a testament to courage and the power of living one's truth. He shares the intimate details of his journey, underscoring the impact that embracing his identity has had on his writing and ultimately, on readers who see themselves reflected in his characters, as well the life-threatening impact that books bans in Republican-led states can have on queer kids. It's a poignant reminder of the resilience required to navigate personal and professional landscapes that aren't always welcoming or safe for the LGBTQ+ community.The episode wraps with a focus on the future, not only for Bill but for all writers and readers in the LGBTQ+ space. We touch upon the collective effort of Authors Against Banned Books and the diverse challenges faced by authors across the spectrum of queer identities. Bill's insights and experiences reveal the multifaceted nature of storytelling in times of adversity, and his commitment to enriching young adult literature with queer narratives that inspire, validate, and empower. In this episode, Bill explains how he navigates the tides of change and censorship, and how he remains hopeful and tenacious in crafting stories that affirm queer lives.Recommended:Destination Unknown - Bill KonigsbergThe Music of What Happens - Bill KonigsbergOpenly Straight - Bill Konigsberg-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:InstagramPost.newsYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com **Artwork: Dovi Design **Music: Joystock

From Stonewall Award winner Bill Konigsberg, a remarkable, funny, sexy, heartbreaking story of two teen boys finding each other in New York City at the height of the AIDS epidemic.The first thing I noticed about C.J. Gorman was his plexiglass bra.So begins Destination Unknown -- it's 1987 in New York City, and Micah is at a dance club, trying to pretend he's more out and outgoing than he really is. C.J. isn't just out -- he's completely out there, and Micah can't help but be both attracted to and afraid of someone who travels so loudly and proudly through the night.A connection occurs. Is it friendship? Romance? Is C.J. the one with all the answers... or does Micah bring more to the relationship than it first seems? As their lives become more and more entangled in the AIDS epidemic that's laying waste to their community, and the AIDS activism that will ultimately bring a strong voice to their demands, whatever Micah and C.J. have between them will be tested, strained, pushed, and pulled -- but it will also be a lifeline in a time of death, a bond that will determine the course of their futures.In Destination Unknown, Bill Konigsberg returns to a time he knew well as a teenager to tell a story of identity, connection, community, and survival.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/houseofmysteryradio. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/houseofmysteryradio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bill Konigsberg, author of six books, the latest being Destination Unknown, a YA book from Scholastic, which Kirkus Reviews calls “Historical fiction at its finest.” In fact, the review is so great, here are some excerpts that say it better than I can: “Two drastically different gay teens meet in New York City in 1987 at the height of the AIDS pandemic…… What ensues is a tour de force: an exploration of a relationship that pulls back the curtains on queer 1980s New York City to reveal a community wrestling with life and death. With care, emotional depth, and a myriad of period music references, Konigsberg expertly balances Micah's wonder, fear, despair, and outrage at coming out during the AIDS crisis. Strong characterizations of Micah and CJ are buoyed by excellent dialogue and believable secondary characters—…propelling this exhilarating page-turner. It's sure to be an emotional eye-opener for those who did not live through this time and a resonant picture of resilience, community, and activism for those who did.”

Bill Konigsberg, author of six books, the latest being Destination Unknown, a YA book from Scholastic, which Kirkus Reviews calls “Historical fiction at its finest.” In fact, the review is so great, here are some excerpts that say it better than I can: “Two drastically different gay teens meet in New York City in 1987 at the height of the AIDS pandemic…… What ensues is a tour de force: an exploration of a relationship that pulls back the curtains on queer 1980s New York City to reveal a community wrestling with life and death. With care, emotional depth, and a myriad of period music references, Konigsberg expertly balances Micah's wonder, fear, despair, and outrage at coming out during the AIDS crisis. Strong characterizations of Micah and CJ are buoyed by excellent dialogue and believable secondary characters—…propelling this exhilarating page-turner. It's sure to be an emotional eye-opener for those who did not live through this time and a resonant picture of resilience, community, and activism for those who did.”

Bill Konigsberg, author of six books, the latest being Destination Unknown, a YA book from Scholastic, which Kirkus Reviews calls “Historical fiction at its finest.” In fact, the review is so great, here are some excerpts that say it better than I can: “Two drastically different gay teens meet in New York City in 1987 at the height of the AIDS pandemic…… What ensues is a tour de force: an exploration of a relationship that pulls back the curtains on queer 1980s New York City to reveal a community wrestling with life and death. With care, emotional depth, and a myriad of period music references, Konigsberg expertly balances Micah's wonder, fear, despair, and outrage at coming out during the AIDS crisis. Strong characterizations of Micah and CJ are buoyed by excellent dialogue and believable secondary characters—…propelling this exhilarating page-turner. It's sure to be an emotional eye-opener for those who did not live through this time and a resonant picture of resilience, community, and activism for those who did.”

Bill Konigsberg, author of six books, the latest being Destination Unknown, a YA book from Scholastic, which Kirkus Reviews calls “Historical fiction at its finest.” In fact, the review is so great, here are some excerpts that say it better than I can: “Two drastically different gay teens meet in New York City in 1987 at the height of the AIDS pandemic…… What ensues is a tour de force: an exploration of a relationship that pulls back the curtains on queer 1980s New York City to reveal a community wrestling with life and death. With care, emotional depth, and a myriad of period music references, Konigsberg expertly balances Micah's wonder, fear, despair, and outrage at coming out during the AIDS crisis. Strong characterizations of Micah and CJ are buoyed by excellent dialogue and believable secondary characters—…propelling this exhilarating page-turner. It's sure to be an emotional eye-opener for those who did not live through this time and a resonant picture of resilience, community, and activism for those who did.”

Bill Konigsberg, author of six books, the latest being Destination Unknown, a YA book from Scholastic, which Kirkus Reviews calls “Historical fiction at its finest.” In fact, the review is so great, here are some excerpts that say it better than I can: “Two drastically different gay teens meet in New York City in 1987 at the height of the AIDS pandemic…… What ensues is a tour de force: an exploration of a relationship that pulls back the curtains on queer 1980s New York City to reveal a community wrestling with life and death. With care, emotional depth, and a myriad of period music references, Konigsberg expertly balances Micah's wonder, fear, despair, and outrage at coming out during the AIDS crisis. Strong characterizations of Micah and CJ are buoyed by excellent dialogue and believable secondary characters—…propelling this exhilarating page-turner. It's sure to be an emotional eye-opener for those who did not live through this time and a resonant picture of resilience, community, and activism for those who did.”

Bill Konigsberg, author of six books, the latest being Destination Unknown, a YA book from Scholastic, which Kirkus Reviews calls “Historical fiction at its finest.” In fact, the review is so great, here are some excerpts that say it better than I can: “Two drastically different gay teens meet in New York City in 1987 at the height of the AIDS pandemic…… What ensues is a tour de force: an exploration of a relationship that pulls back the curtains on queer 1980s New York City to reveal a community wrestling with life and death. With care, emotional depth, and a myriad of period music references, Konigsberg expertly balances Micah's wonder, fear, despair, and outrage at coming out during the AIDS crisis. Strong characterizations of Micah and CJ are buoyed by excellent dialogue and believable secondary characters—…propelling this exhilarating page-turner. It's sure to be an emotional eye-opener for those who did not live through this time and a resonant picture of resilience, community, and activism for those who did.”

Today's conversation will take us to 1980's New York City during the height of the AIDS epidemic that swept through the gay community. I'm joined by author Bill Konigsberg and we're talking about his new novel, 'Destination Unknown.' I don't often speak with fiction authors for this show but the premise for this story sounded so interesting. I'm glad I checked it out because it's a work of art. Konigsberg transports us to this tumultuous time by introducing us to two young gay teens as they navigate life. They're complete opposites of each other on the outside. One closeted and the other out and proud. But beneath the surface there's a lot more going on. What I really loved about this story is how it paints a picture of an era that I didn't know much about. I'm familiar with the AIDS epidemic but all I know is from articles and history books. This story gives me a different perspective from a couple of teenagers who were living it and learning about who they are through it. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Bill Konigsberg.

Join Gregg as he welcomes award-winning author Bill Konigsberg who discusses his new novel “Destination Unknown” featuring two gay teens navigating gay life during the height of the AIDS epidemic in New York City.

Imagine being a gay teen in 1987 right in the middle of the Aids epidemic. There was no LGBTQ.

Imagine being a gay teen in 1987 right in the middle of the Aids epidemic. There was no LGBTQ.

In the final episode of season four and to close out the Another Day With You campaign, we talk to someone who attempted suicide at the age of 27 and went on to write a book inspired by his own experience. That person is author Bill Konigsberg and that book is The Bridge. In our conversation, you'll hear about Bill's chronic, untreated depression which led to an attempt, and how writing the book became a way to dispel the lies his brain was telling him while encouraging readers to realize how valuable and interwoven their lives truly are.   Along with The Bridge, Bill is the author of five young-adult novels, which have won awards including the Stonewall Book Award, the Sid Fleischman Award for Humor, and the Lambda Literary Award. He currently resides in Phoenix, Arizona, with his husband, Chuck, and their two Labradoodles, Mabel and Buford—who you might hear barking in the background during the interview. Show Notes (Links of ours and guests):   Download a transcript of this episode at twloha.com/podcast.   Follow TWLOHA on social media at: twitter.com/TWLOHA instagram.com/twloha/ facebook.com/towriteloveonherarms/   Visit our FIND HELP page of mental health resources at twloha.com/find-help/.   Get connected for free, 24/7 to a trained crisis counselor via Crisis Text Line by texting TWLOHA to 741741.   Connect with our team by emailing podcast@twloha.com.   Learn more about the podcast and previous episodes at twloha.com/podcast.   Read Bill's words on the TWLOHA at twloha.com/blog/stay-another-day/.   Purchase The Bridge by going to store.twloha.com and typing in The Bridge in the search bar.   Learn more about and connect with author Bill Konigsberg at billkonigsberg.com/about/.   Visit store.twloha.com/ to purchase merchandise that supports TWLOHA's mission.   Download The Hopeful, a free daily-use self-care app from TWLOHA, at twloha.com/thehopeful/.   Credits:   This episode of the TWLOHA podcast was hosted by Chad Moses and produced by Rebecca Ebert. Music assistance was provided by James Likeness and Ben Tichenor. 

Bill Konigsberg is the author of six books for young adults, which have won awards including the Stonewall Book Award, the Sid Fleischman Award for Humor, and the Lambda Literary Award.

This week, as we continue our Food series, Kadi is joined by a special guest- our editor Tom Zalatnai (@tomzalatnai)- to talk about The Music Of What Happens by Bill Konigsberg! We get into the value of setting boundaries with parents, the beauty of emotional vulnerability in friendships, and what we'd do if we could open our own food trucks. Resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hp7nlP5UcH63FEl1kpPgxdO7Qw7iagcCTBfOPfPLuMg/edit?usp=sharing Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/yapodcast Merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/up-for-discusssion?ref_id=2539 To suggest a book, email theyapodcast@gmail.com or tweet at us @yapodcast Hosted by: Teffer Adjemian: @tefferbear Bailey: @thebailzasaurus Kadi Diop: @kadi__d Eunice Hong: @theeunicornreadsabook Great Bear Music! greatbearmusic.bandcamp.com/ www.andrewvannorstrand.com www.upfordnetwork.com Send us books! Upford Network ℅ Tom Zalatnai PO Box 22585 Monkland PO Montreal, Quebec H4A 3T4 Canada

Bill Konigsberg takes on teen suicide in his new novel for young adults, ‘The Bridge’. “I myself have a history of severe depression and I’ve had a suicide attempt in my life. Depression can be all encompassing and our brains begin to lie to us .I know that when I’ve been depressed my brain tells Read More

Two teenagers, strangers to each other, have decided to jump from the same bridge at the same time. But what results is far from straightforward in this absorbing, honest lifesaver from acclaimed author Bill Konigsberg.Tune in for #MomentswithMarianne show with special guest Bill Konigsberg as we discuss his new #book The Bridge.Bill Konigsberg is the award-winning author of six young adult novels. He has won the PEN Center USA Literary Award, the Stonewall Book Award in 2016, the Sid Fleischman Award for Humor, was a finalist for the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award and Lambda Literary Award in 2014.  His debut novel Out of the Pocket won the Lambda Literary Award in 2009. In 2018, The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)’s Assembly on Literature for Adolescents (ALAN) established the Bill Konigsberg Award for Acts and Activism for Equity and Inclusion through Young Adult Literature. https://billkonigsberg.com

A conversation with two of YA's finest: Sharon G. Flake, whose new book is The Life I'm In, and Bill Konigsberg, whose latest novel is The Bridge (both are published by Scholastic).  Both of my guests write about the pain, joy, discovery, and hope of the teenage years. This week’s Write the Book Prompt is to write a paragraph on each of those four subjects: pain, joy, discovery, hope, from the perspective of your own teenage self. Perhaps you are still a teenager. Or maybe you fit that description five years ago. Perhaps fifty. No matter the case, a young adult sensibility still lives in your memories and the person you became and are still becoming each day. Harness those feelings and memories, and write. Good luck with your work in the coming week, and tune in next week for another prompt or suggestion. Music Credit: Aaron Shapiro

We talk with young adult writer Bill Konigsberg about his new novel The Bridge . The story features two teenagers, strangers to each other, who have decided to jump from the same bridge at the same time. It's told in alternate narratives, allowing the reader to see the different ways the teenagers lives' could have play out.

Bill Konigsberg joins Lynn on The Mountain Life. Konisgsberg is best known for his LGBTQ Young Adult novels. He joins the show to talk about the prevalence of depression among LGBTQ youth and how his novels help young people discover that they are not alone. His new book is called The Bridge .

Det här avsnittet pratar vi om våra diagnoser ADHD, ASD och missförstånden bakom dom.Arm Black Trans Women - Aloe Vera https://www.amazon.com/Black-Cellular-Sounds-Because-Explicit/dp/B08KD4K1FZAloe Vera:s TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@aloeverarosebud?source=h5_mADHD: från duktig flicka till utbränd kvinna, Lotta Berg Skoglund - https://www.bokus.com/bok/9789127827257/adhd-fran-duktig-flicka-till-utbrand-kvinna/Konsten att fejka arabiska : en berättelse om autism, Lina Liman - https://www.bokus.com/bok/9789100161231/konsten-att-fejka-arabiska-en-berattelse-om-autism/Openly straight, Bill Konigsberg - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16100972-openly-straight Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Cyrus Webb welcomes author Bill Konigsberg to #ConversationsLIVE to discuss his literary journey and his new book THE BRIDGE. 

Stonewall Book Award-winning author Bill Konigsberg explores mental health and suicidal ideation in his latest groundbreaking novel in which he draws from his own experience as a young person battling mental health struggles. In THE BRIDGE, Aaron and Tillie don't know each other, but they are both struggling with thoughts of suicide, and arrive at the George Washington Bridge at the same time, intending to jump. Aaron is a gay misfit struggling with depression and loneliness. Tillie is a Korean-American adoptee struggling to find out how she fits into her family.Told in a unique, four-part narrative structure, THE BRIDGE explores four different outcomes and their aftermath: Aaron jumps and Tillie doesn't. Tillie jumps and Aaron doesn't. They both jump. Neither of them jump. Konigsberg aims to spark a dialogue about mental health and encourage readers towards survival, hope and encouragement. Bill Konigsberg is the author of six books for young adults, which have won awards including the Stonewall Book Award, the Sid Fleischman Award for Humor, and the Lambda Literary Award. Bill lives with his husband, Chuck, and their two Labradoodles, Mabel and Buford. Please visit him online at billkonigsberg.com and @billkonigsberg. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/steve-richards/support

This episode is packed with book recommendations as the guys discuss “Learned Behaviors” by Jayce Ellis, “Brothersong” by TJ Klune, “Trade Deadline” by Avon Gale & Piper Vaughn and “Manners & Mannerisms” by Tanya Chris. Two books outside the gay romance genre are also reviewed as Will talks about “Dolls! Dolls! Dolls!: Deep Inside Valley of the Dolls, the Most Beloved Bad Book and Movie of All Time” by Stephen Rebello and Jeff looks at “The Bridge” by Bill Konigsberg. Complete shownotes for episode 267 along with a transcript of the book reviews are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com. Big Gay Fiction Podcast is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find many more outstanding podcasts at frolic.media/podcasts!

In case you missed the big news (yes election, yes covid numbers, but the other big news) - this podcast just had its 1st anniversary. To celebrate, we released a Greatest Hits episode, threw a party, AND renamed/rebranded the dang thing. If you missed the party, fear not! We harvested some of the best moments and arranged them in this thoughtful audio wreath for you to enjoy. We were so happy and grateful to have some of our favorite humans join us as guests and as audience members on Friday to celebrate, as we said, our one-year anniversary as a podcast. Drew and Candace sang us a couple of awesome songs. Bill Konigsberg, Jim Natal, and Matt Ruff read the perfect passages, and some of our smartest pals talked over how to save the world. We also made the big announcement that we are re-branding this very podcast. After much consideration, we felt that a new name would serve our audience and get our message out into the world a bit better. Welcome to the HERE.together Podcast. Click HERE for full show notes, full guest list, and links to resources and references. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/here-together/message

This week, Liberty and Tirzah discuss Plain Bad Heroines, Snapped, Foreshadow, and more great books. This episode is sponsored by Book Riot Insiders, the digital hangout spot for the Book Riot communit; Sophie Escabasse’s Witches of Brooklyn, from Random House Graphic; and Fence: Striking Distance. Pick up an All the Books! 200th episode commemorative item here. Subscribe to All the Books! using RSS, iTunes, or Spotify and never miss a beat book. Sign up for the weekly New Books! newsletter for even more new book news. BOOKS DISCUSSED ON THE SHOW: Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth Foreshadow: Stories to Celebrate the Magic of Reading and Writing YA by Nova Ren Suma and Emily X.R. Pan  Shit, Actually: The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema by Lindy West Snapped (The Playbook) by Alexa Martin Ex Libris: 100+ Books to Read and Reread by Michiko Kakutani Dark Archives: A Librarian’s Investigation into the Science and History of Books Bound in Human Skin by Megan Rosenbloom My Heart Underwater by Laurel Flores Fantauzzo A Walk Around the Block: Stoplight Secrets, Mischievous Squirrels, Manhole Mysteries & Other Stuff You See Every Day (And Know Nothing About) by Spike Carlsen Together, Apart by Erin A. Craig, Auriane Desombre, Bill Konigsberg, Erin Hahn, Rachael Lippincott, Brittney Morris,Sanji Patel, Natasha Preston, and Jennifer Yena WHAT WE’RE READING: The Return by Rachel Harrison The Hollow Ones by T Kingfisher The Searcher by Tana French The Turnout by Megan Abbott MORE BOOKS OUT THIS WEEK: This Book Will Make You Kinder: An Empathy Handbook by Henry James Garrett Eva’s Man by Gayl Jones Among the Beast and Briars by Ashley Poston Dracula, Motherf**ker by Alex de Campi, Erica Henderson  Death and the Maiden (Mistress of the Art of Death Book 5) by Samantha Norman and Ariana Franklin  Alexandria: A Novel by Paul Kingsnorth The Dark Library by Cyrille Martinez and Joseph Patrick Stancil Writing Politics: An Anthology (New York Review Books Classics) by David Bromwich  Sorrow by Tiffanie DeBartolo Jump the Clock: New & Selected Poems by Erica Hunt  Dying is Easy by Joe Hill, Martin Simmonds Red Ants by José Pergentino, Thomas Bunstead (translator) A World Beneath the Sands: The Golden Age of Egyptology by Toby Wilkinson The Silence: A Novel by Don DeLillo  The Nom Wah Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from 100 Years at New York City’s Iconic Dim Sum Restaurant by Wilson Tang and Joshua David Stein  Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey A Place for Everything: The Curious History of Alphabetical Order by Judith Flanders  Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath by Heather Clark Finding Latinx: In Search of the Voices Redefining Latino Identity by Paola Ramos Other Fires: A Novel by Lenore H. Gay Discovering the True Self: Kodo Sawaki’s Art of Zen Meditation by Kodo Sawaki and Arthur Braverman Tinderbox: Soldier of Indira by Lou Diamond Phillips  Funeral Diva by Pamela Sneed The Girl in the Mirror: A Novel by Rose Carlyle The Purpose of Power: How We Come Together When We Fall Apart by Alicia Garza Nose Dive: A Field Guide to the World’s Smells by Harold McGee Science and Cooking: Physics Meets Food, From Homemade to Haute Cuisine by Michael Brenner, Pia Sörensen, David Weitz The Adventures of Isabel: An Epitome Apartments Mystery by Candas Jane Dorsey The Mirror Man: a novel by Jane Gilmartin  The War of the Poor by Eric Vuillard and Mark Polizzotti Midwinter Murder: Fireside Tales from the Queen of Mystery by Agatha Christie Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise by Scott Eyman Fugitive Atlas: Poems by Khaled Mattawa Max Jacob: A Life in Art and Letters by Rosanna Warren Poisoned by Jennifer Donnelly Bones: Inside and Out by Roy A. Meals The Fourth Island by Sarah Tolmie The Cookbook Club: A Novel by Beth Harbison Make Me Rain by Nikki Giovanni Flying Over Water by N. H. Senzai, Shannon Hitchcock To Hold Up the Sky by Cixin Liu The Last Mirror on the Left: A Legendary Alston Boys Adventure by Lamar Giles, Dapo Adeola (Illustrator) When Life Gives You Mangos by Kereen Getten  The Last Druid (The Fall of Shannara) by Terry Brooks  The Encyclopedia of New York by The Editors of New York Magazine Where the Wild Ladies Are by Aoko Matsuda and Polly Barton Ana on the Edge by A.J. Sass Tequila & Tacos: A Guide to Spirited Pairings by Katherine Cobbs See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this edition of The PEN Pod, our Gina Chung in conversation with young adult author Bill Konigsberg. He reflects on his latest novel, what it means to openly reckon with mental illness, and how this book served as a kind of second coming out for him. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/penamerica/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/penamerica/support

Ep. #481 - On today's episode, Adam interviews Bill Konigsberg, awarding-winning and bestselling author of countless important books. Bill's work in writing LGBTQIA+ stories have been read by millions but his new book, The Bridge, may be his most essential story yet. In this conversation, Bill and Adam discuss mental health, the implications of teenage suicide, and the intricacies of our brains. If you or someone you know is suffering from suicidal thoughts or tendencies, please dial 1-800-273-8255 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Thank you to Scholastic for helping bring this important conversation to light.

  Episode 149 of Inciting A Riot is an interview with author Bill Konigsberg. We discuss how YA queer fiction has evolved, the complexities of writing diverse and representative characters, and the importance of treating teenagers like people.    You can learn more about Bill at his website here. Patreon supporters heard this show first! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!   Love and Lyte,   Fire Lyte   Blog: IncitingARiot.com FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com @IncitingARiot on Twitter / Instagram Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh

When Bill Konigsberg was a teen, there were no novels featuring young gay men. Thanks to him, gay teens today can’t say the same. In his latest novel, though, the sexual preference of his protagonists is almost incidental. Max and Jordan are in the middle becoming adults, and their struggle to integrate pain, joy, capacity, and weakness into their wholeness makes this book totally relevant for those of us who are still growing… that is - everybody. Bill Konigsberg is the award-winning author of six young adult novels. THE PORCUPINE OF TRUTH won the PEN Center USA Literary Award and the Stonewall Book Award in 2016. OPENLY STRAIGHT won the Sid Fleischman Award for Humor, was a finalist for the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award and Lambda Literary Award in 2014 and has been translated into five languages. His debut novel, OUT OF THE POCKET, won the Lambda Literary Award in 2009. THE MUSIC OF WHAT HAPPENS, was released in February of 2019, received two starred reviews, and has been optioned for a film. His next novel, THE BRIDGE, will be released in the fall of 2020. In 2018, The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)’s Assembly on Literature for Adolescents (ALAN) established the Bill Konigsberg Award for Acts and Activism for Equity and Inclusion through Young Adult Literature. Before Bill wrote for young adults, he was a sports writer and editor for ESPN and the Associated Press. Charles met and got to know Bill through their shared work helping create initiations for men - the Mankind Project - and boys at Boys to Men. Charles was immediately drawn to Bill’s intelligence, vulnerability, and attentiveness. Bill lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with his husband, Chuck and their two Australian Labradoodles, Mabel and Buford, who complete him. Mabel and Buford have professional glamour shots on Bill’s website. I fell hard for Buford - you might, too. Bill’s books - the one we read, anyway - are filled with real people of all stripes, not token stereotypes or caricatures. They are dealing with real and relatable problems and struggles, and being gay isn’t the most notable thing about them. They are regular people who just happen to be gay. Bill creates a world that is familiar for some of us - especially those of us who grew up in the arts or in places like Jerome, AZ - where being gay and out is unremarkable. We found it refreshing and a relief to spend time there and we really loved getting to know Jordan and Max and their friends and family. We definitely want to read the rest of Bill’s books, especially the new book: The Bridge that is available for pre-order now. SHOW NOTES: References: Bill Konigsberg Bill’s Books Resources: The ManKind Project Mental Health Helpline Crisis Hotline --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/rocketfeather/message

“OK, gentlemen, let's go in there and get that actor!”   This week we’re talking Static Shock Episodes 11 and 12: Junior and Replay Featuring: The world’s most nefarious use of bubble wrap and Neil Patrick Harris as a washed-up childhood star Plus: What would we do with teleport powers?   Static Shock on DC Universe: https://www.dcuniverse.com/videos/static-shock/40/season-1   0:00 Intro / News 21:43 Junior 45:25 Replay 1:02:28 Notes From Friends 1:07:22 Bat Plugs 1:18:40 Outro   Bat Plugs Cool Scooby-Doo fan redesign by Sweeney Boo https://sweeney-boo.tumblr.com/ Above and Batman Beyond interviews with Kevin Conroy, Lauren Tom, and Andrea Romano https://soundcloud.com/benjamin-david-288828851 Uncut Gems in Theaters https://www.fandango.com/uncut-gems-220344/movie-overview The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company by Bob Iger https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QW2LHN4/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_qx9cEb1TKYSXH Ten Dead Comedians: A Murder Mystery by Fred Van Lente https://www.amazon.com/dp/1594749744/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_gt9cEb682KPYM Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg https://www.amazon.com/dp/0545798655/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_su9cEbJ0GRC15 The Straightest Due Ever by College Humor https://youtu.be/iS5WZoQGP4I   Intro Music by Ardeshir Adhami Intro SFX by Grant Evans via Soundbible.com   Subscribe and review on iTunes! http://bit.ly/TimmTalk   Follow the podcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/timmtalkpod IG: https://www.instagram.com/timmtalkpod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timmtalkpod/ Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/timmtalkspotify YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/timmtalkyoutube   Follow Cameron on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cameron.dexter and https://www.instagram.com/camdexter_adventures   Follow Chris on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lordopher/ and Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lordopher   Check out Chris’ other podcast, Gay it Forward, where he learns to be a better gay, on iTunes http://bit.ly/GIFPod, YouTube http://bit.ly/GIFPodYT, Facebook http://bit.ly/GIFPodFB, Twitter http://bit.ly/GIFPodTW, and Instagram http://bit.ly/GIFPodIG

Holden reviews Out of The Pocket by Bill Konigsberg is a 280 page book that has a 710 Lexile. Out of the Pocket is a heartfelt story that captures the struggle of sports and the complexity of life as a teen worth 10 AR point.

It's Pride Month! We love to celebrate our LGBTQIA authors all year long, but we wanted to take the opportunity now to shine a spotlight on what it means to create and share stories about those who are marginalized and underrepresented. Today, you'll hear from Mason Deaver, Kacen Callender, and Bill Konigsberg. Each will introduce their latest novels, talk about their creative process, and discuss what it means to write books that are giving some young readers the chance to see themselves truly represented in the pages of a book. Additional Resources: I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver Hurricane Child by Kacen Callender The Music of What Happens by Bill Konigsberg Learn more about our Read with Pride campaign LGBTQIA resource center Guests: Mason Deaver is a non-binary author and librarian from a small town in North Carolina where the word "y'all" is used in abundance. When they aren't writing or working, they're typically found in their kitchen baking something that's bad for them or out in their garden complaining about the toad that likes to dig holes around their hydrangeas. I Wish You All the Best is their debut novel. You can find them online at masondeaverwrites.com. Kacen Callender was born and raised on St. Thomas of the US Virgin Islands. They hold a BA from Sarah Lawrence College, where they studied fine arts, Japanese, and creative writing, as well as an MFA from The New School's Writing for Children program. Their debut novel Hurricane Child was a Stonewall Book Award winner, a Lambda Literary Award winner, and was named a Kirkus Best Book of 2018. Bill Konigsberg is the author of six books for young adults, most recently The Music of What Happens. His books have won awards including the Stonewall Book Award, the Sid Fleischman Award for Humor, and the Lambda Literary Award. Bill lives in Chandler, Arizona, with his husband, Chuck, and their two Labradoodles, Mabel and Buford. Please visit him online at www.billkonigsberg.com and @billkonigsberg. Special thanks: Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl Edited by Mackenzie Cutruzzula Sound mixed by Daniel Jordan Produced by Emily Morrow

Molly tells us about Bill Konigsberg's new novel in our 2nd shorter take. Enjoy!

Congratulations go out to authors who have been featured on the podcast and were nominated this past week in the 31st Annual Lambda Literary Awards, including Kris Jacen, Christina Lee & Riley Hart and Marshall Thornton. Jeff shares the new Kickstarter for Raven Wild, the third LGBTQ+ children's book from the team behind Promised Land. Jeff & Will review Adriana Herrera's American Dreamers. Jeff then reviews The Music of What Happens by Bill Konigsberg and A Tangled Truthby Max Walker. Jeff interviews Alice Winters about her In Darkness series, including the just released third book titled Deception in Darkness. They also discuss Within The Mind, which kicked off a new series earlier this year. Alice also talks about what got her into m/m romantic suspense and what else she's got planned for this year. Complete shownotes for episode 179 are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com. Here's the text of this week's book reviews: American Dreamer by Adriana Herrera, narrated by Sean Crisden reviewed by Will & Jeff This book could’ve easily been titled ‘The Food Truck Chef and the Librarian’, if that doesn’t automatically make you want to one-click this book, then you might as well keep on moving – because nothing I’m about to say is going to convince you to try this phenomenal romance. Nesto is the food truck owner -- who has relocated his business from NYC to upstate NY. He pours every ounce of his passion into the Afro-Caribbean food he serves, until that is, certain other passions are stirred by Jude, the librarian of the story. Their attraction is instant, and their chemistry is obvious to everyone around them.  But our heroes take things relatively slow, despite well-meaning nudging from friends and family. You see, not only are they passionate about one another, Nesto is determined to make his business a success, and Jude is focused on getting funding for a county-wide bookmobile project. They have lives beyond the romantic story arc of the book. Hoity-toity literary snobs would call Nesto and Jude “dimensional characters” because they have depth. All I know is that I care about them because they are real to me, in my heart and in my mind. It’s something that goes beyond words on a page. Several times throughout the story, life throws various obstacles in their path, but every time they rise to the occasion. It would take a scene-by-scene breakdown of the entire story for me to explain how much I loved Nesto and Jude – and how they, through their actions, overcome their obstacles (both romantic and business related). It’s one thing for an author to tell us a character is romantic or heroic -- it’s another thing entirely when we’re shown that romance, that heroism, in the action that occurs in the story. Nesto and Jude are good men. We know this because we experience it time and again in the book and we root for them because of it. A member of Jude’s estranged family is gravely ill and reaches out to him. Jude gives this person a second chance (though they soooo don’t deserve it) and he is inevitably let down by them. Jude is emotionally devastated by this and Nesto is not there for him, even though he promised he would be. Up until this point I felt Nesto was the living embodiment of the perfect boyfriend, but when he badly screws things up – not maliciously or on purpose – he screws up because he’s human, which made me love him even more (as if that were even possible). But Nesto isn’t going to give up without a fight, and comes up with a swoon-worthy grand gesture to win back Jude. It’s a really fucking good one, by the way, and our heroes achieve their final (and very well deserved) happily ever after. I want to recommend episode 341 of Smart Podcast Trashy Books. Sarah Wendell has a terrific interview with author Adriana Herrera and they talk about all sorts of things including the food featured in the book, writing diverse characters, and how her job as a social worker influences the way she looks at romance in the books she reads and writes. It’s really fascinating stuff and I suggest everyone check it out. I also want to quickly recommend the audiobook of American Dreameras read by Sean Crisden. He’s one of my absolute favorite narrators and he does an exceptional job with this book, especially the various dialects of the ethnically diverse cast of characters. If you want to read a kick-ass debut novel, get this book. If you crave genuine diversity in romance, get this book. If you want likeable, relatable heroes to fall in love with, get this book. A couple of additional points from Jeff: Adriana’s cast of supporting characters was incredible. Nesto’s crew of tight friends that helped him realize his food truck dream also kicked him in the butt when he didn’t move forward with Jude. And Jude’s bff also nudged him in the right direction. Speaking of friends, American Fairytale, coming in May, focuses on his Nesto’s friend Milo and I’m looking forward to that. Adriana taps into current events as Nesto faces prejudice from one of Ithaca’s prominent citizens. These are uncomfortable scenes that highlight some of the terrible ways persons of color are harassed. Nesto’s high road approach was in line with his character for sure, but I was with Jude and really wanted to go off on the evil woman. The Music of What Happens by Bill Konigsberg with narration by Joel Froomkin and Anthony Rey Perez reviewed by Jeff I’ve been a fan of Bill Konigsberg since he debuted with Out of the Pocket back in 2008. He’s a major inspiration for me for the types of young adult characters he creates as well as his talent as a storyteller. These two elements blend together perfectly in The Music of What Happens. Max and Jordan are seventeen and opposites in every way--and boy do these opposites attract. Max is chill, pretty much a jock dude. He plays baseball, video games and cracks crude jokes with his buddies. He’s out to his mom and his friends, but not beyond that. Jordan is far from chill. He’s stressed that his mom hasn’t been the same since his dad died, he loves to write poetry and he’s got two great girl friends, who he refers to as his “wives.” Jordan and his mom resurrect the food truck his dad owned because they have to do something to pay the mortgage on the house or they will be homeless. Max comes into Jordan’s life as he goes from food truck customer to chef. Max loves to cook and since he needs a job, he’s willing to help out. Jordan’s mom is all too happy to hand the entire operation over to the boys. You can imagine that this is probably not the best choice. As the two pull together to get the truck working--including some loose interpretation on what organic and locally sourced ingredients means--they learn more about each other. For example, Max discovers Jordan’s poetry while Max reveals himself to be an artist. As their relationship grows and the food truck begins to succeed, Max and Jordan help each other find their best selves. Jordan teaches Max about hooligan do goodery, where you do a random act of disruptive kindness. Max shows Jordan the advantages of working out and how it can help you de-stress. Through all of this they fall in love, even though neither can quite believe they’re falling for their opposite. Both boys have tough issues to deal with though. Max’s father taught him that he must always warrior up, never cry, never show weakness, just smile and agree to get through the hard times. Super Max, as he refers to himself, can’t get him through everything though. A random hookup he had with a college guy haunts him to a breaking point. Jordan’s home life has major cracks too as his mom continues to spiral and he doesn’t know what to do. Jordan doesn’t realize how much is at stake until it’s too late. Bill pulls no punches in this book as he touches on so many things--loss of a parent, a parent's inability to care for a child while their own world is falling apart, rape, the tolls of toxic masculinity and racism to name a few. It’s not all heavy though as Bill also vividly tells the story about the joy of falling in love with the right person and the strength that can be found in family and in good friends. Most of all it’s about finding your true self, embracing it and not hiding it. Kudos to the narrators here. Joel Froomkin (aka Joel Leslie) and Anthony Rey Perez do a terrific job. I’ve long loved Joel’s work and here he’s in excellent form. He taps into Jordan joys, sorrow and fears while also giving great characterizations to his b.f.fs. Anthony’s voicing of Max revealed so much of the character’s self-doubt even while he portrayed Super Max to the world. Like Joel, Anthony brought Max’s friends to full life as well. Each narrator gets major props for handling each boy’s emotional scenes--Jordan with the collapse of his family and Max coming to terms with the fact he’d been raped--with a powerful perfection. A Tangled Truth (Stonewall Investigations #3) by Max Walker, narrated by Greg Broudeaux reviewed by Jeff I’ve loved each of the Stonewall Investigations books but this one with a second chance, friends to lovers romance is my favorite so far. It’s ripped from the headlines story also hooked me. Liam Wolfe is a successful Hollywood director who finds himself accused of embezzlement, harassment and other things he would never do. He has a pretty good idea who’s behind the character assassination but he needs help to prove it. Stonewall detective Mark Masters has his world rocked when Liam walks into this office looking for help. Liam and Mark haven’t seen each other since they were teens growing up in New York City. They’d been inseparable but when Liam moved they’d lost touch. Their friendship picks up as if they’d never been apart and Mark eagerly takes on the Liam’s case to find out who’s behind trying to destroy his career. The case leads Mark all over NYC and out to LA to sort it out. Signs point to a prominent, homophobic producer who has been public that he doesn’t like working with Liam. But as always in a Max Walker book, the truth is shocking. Once again I hadn’t anticipated the twisted way the case would work out. Max crafted a tight, unrelenting mystery. The romance between Liam and Mark was beyond sweet. Their reacquaintance was wonderful as they recounted their past exploits and caught up on the intervening years. Max captured what it’s like for best friends who might be separated for years falling right back in with each other as if no time had passed. The feelings they had as teenagers came back too, and this time they acted on them, even while working through some of the baggage they carried from their teens. Mark and Liam are so freaking cute! The reminiscences they shared were sweet and how those carried forward to their present made me swoon. The visit they make to a childhood diner in particular made me so happy. Liam’s also got some family issues that come up and how he shared those with Mark were bittersweet but served to deepen their relationship. Max doesn’t take it easy on the emotions here. There are some crushing events in this book that weave flawlessly into the overall story. I gasped and cried over some of these and they reflect how good of a storyteller Max is. The Unicorn killer took a high toll in this installment as well, more than we’ve seen in the previous books. That storyline is front and center in the recently released book four, A Lover’s Game. As soon as that audio is released I’ll be all over it to see what happens.

This week’s episode is sponsored by Scholastic. Check out the details in this week’s episode about the giveaway contest Kirkus and Scholastic are doing for young adult writer Bill Konigsberg’s latest novel, The Music of What Happens, plus our intriguing interview with Bill in this episode. And in our lead interview, we talk to Jacob Tobia. Life as a gender nonconforming person hasn’t always been easy for Jacob Tobia, but it has come with a fair heap of fabulousness. On this week’s podcast, the Los Angeles-based writer, producer, and performer joins us to discuss Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story, an incisive, sometimes fraught, often funny account of interrogating their identity and confronting gender-based trauma. Then our editors join with their top picks in books this week.

The guys open the show by recommending the podcast Chuck and Anthony: Ragnatalk. Jeff reviews two books by B.G. Thomas: Getting His Man and The Nerd and the Prince. Will reviews The Wolf Around the Corner by Aidee Ladnier. Lisa offers up five books she's eagerly anticipating for 2019, which includes titles by Gregory Ashe, Jordan L. Hawk, Jaclyn Osborne, K.D. Edwards and Hailey Turner. Jeff and Will also mention books they're looking forward to by Bill Konigsberg, Riley Hart and Devon McCormack. Complete shownotes for episode 171 are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com.

Intro   Hi everyone! And welcome to Books Between - a podcast for educators, parents and everyone who loves middle grade books!   I’m your host, Corrina Allen - a mom of two tween girls, a 5th grade teacher in Central New York, and currently enjoying those magical days between Christmas and New Years when you have no idea what day it is and you spend half your time in your pajamas reading…..ahhhh…..   I believe in the power of books - especially fantasy books - to help you mull over the big moral issues in life and help you discover who you really want to be. And few books have accomplished that for so many better than the Harry Potter series.   This is our final #HappyPottermas episode of December and it is full discussion centered around those topics. First, you’ll hear some clips from Harry Potter fans - editors, authors, teachers, and… my own family.   And then I’ll share with you three conversations that will definitely get your wheels turning - and probably disagreeing. First, #HappyPottermas organizer Erin Varley and I will chat with Dr. Pat Geyer about how she has transformed her school into Hogwarts.  Then librarian Angie Manfredi and I get into some Harry Potter controversies. And then I share some firewhisky with author and KidLitDrinkNight podcast host Amy Skelding who shares her surprising 10 Most Devasting Harry Potter Deaths.   It probably goes without saying that this episode will discuss the ending of the books - but just in case that’s not clear - Spoiler Alert!!   #HappyPottermas - Audio Submissions (2:00)   Cary (@CarytheEditor), Blogger Freelance Editor at The Friendly Editor Adrianna Cuevas (@acuevaswrites) -  MG author   Cassie Thomas (@mrs_cmt1489) - 5th grade teacher, blogger at Teachers Who Read Victoria J. Coe (@victoriajcoe) - author, Fenway & Hattie series Kathy Burnett (@thebrainlair) - Independent Bookstore Owner - The Brain Lair Lena Allen - 4th grade student Angie Allen - 6th grade student Paul Goat Allen (@paulgoatallen) - genre fiction book reviewer   Erin Varley & Dr. Pat Geyer - Interview Outline (17:20)   Our first special guests this week are Erin Varley (teacher and #HappyPottermas organizer) and principal Pat Geyer - who, as you will hear, is doing some amazing Harry Potter themed activities at her school that has inspired me to do some similar things this year as well.   Take a listen…   Topics we chatted about   Introductions Harry Potter Themed Activities at Pat’s School Harry Potter Themed Activities at Erin’s School Harry Pottter as a Read Aloud Kid’s Reactions to Harry Potter now vs. 20 Years Ago Rereading Harry Potter New Harry Potter Covers / Illustrated Versions Our Hogwart’s Houses More Hufflepuff and Slytherin love   Links:   Erin Verley on Twitter - @erinvarley Dr. Pat Geyer on Twitter - @patgeyer Pat’s school on Facebook The Harry Potter books Pottermore website   Angie Manfredi - Interview Outline (32:40)   Next up I am really excited to welcome special guest Angie Manfredi -  librarian and editor of the upcoming anthology - The F Word. We chat about how our views of Harry Potter have changed over the years, our frustrations with Dumbledore and the new direction JK Rowling has taken with the spin-offs, and Angie’s incredible and very accurate one question quiz to sort you into the right Hogwarts House. Plus - she finally convinces me to read The Cursed Child. Which I will tell you - it is taking all of my willpower to do anything else around the house other than finish that book that right now.   Take a listen…   Topics we chatted about   Introductions First memories of reading Harry Potter Rereading Harry Potter Problematic Details Dumbledore & Draco Fantastic Beasts Problematic Systems of Magic involving Native Americans The Cursed Child Scorpius Malfoy Angie’s one question Hogwart’s House sorting quiz Should we sort? The Harry Potter Movies The acting in the Harry Potter movies Fascist Ideology in Harry Potter & the Mitford Sisters Snape, James Potter, the Black Family Controversial Opinions! Fan Fiction Native American Fantasy   Links:   Angie Manfredi on Twitter - @misskubelik Mr. Turner movie Author Adam Silvera Carry On  by Rainbow Rowell Rick Riordan Presents line Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha-Lee Sal & Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez The Lost Girl by Anne Ursu The Music of What Happens by Bill Konigsberg   Native American Representation in Harry Potter http://nativesinamerica.com/2016/07/dear-jk-rowling-were-still-here/ http://nativeappropriations.com/2016/03/magic-in-north-america-the-harry-potter-franchise-veers-too-close-to-home.html   And some books by Native authors Angie recommends if you liked Harry Potter For MG readers: Trickster: Native American Tales, A Graphic Collection How I Became a Ghost   For YA readers Feral Nights Strangers And if you want to read more about the Mitford sisters, who were the very real inspirations for the Black sisters: https://www.amazon.com/Sisters-Saga-Mitford-Family/dp/0393324141?fbclid=IwAR1jhRuVY28a-t1uGDyZa0eOZr8C4byU3YRxEFt1yi09wncPXre4F8Fbs84   Rowling has said Jessica Mitford is a huge inspiration and her oldest daughter is named after her. And Angie quite recommend’s falling down a Wikipedia hole about them https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitford_family#Mitford_sisters Amy Skelding - Interview Outline (1:20:00)   For our final #HappyPottermas segment, I am joined by middle grade author and Harry Potter mega fan Amy Skelding! She is also the host of the KidLitDrinkNight podcast. We share a bit of firewhisky and chat about Harry Potter inspiration in the work place, how Harry Potter inspired her family through a challenging time, and… her rather surprising list of the ten most devastating deaths in the Harry Potter series.   Take a listen…   Topics we chatted about   Introductions Firewhisky The adult appeal of Harry Potter The movie adaptations The Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter as a Moral Compass House Sorting Favorite Character Amy’s Top Ten List of the Harry Potter Deaths in Order of Devastation to Me Personally   Links:   Amy Skelding on Twitter - @akskelding Kid Lit Drink Night Podcast   Ogden’s Old Firewhisky Recipe: http://www.inliterature.net/by-author/jk-rowling/2017/06/13021.html   Half Magic by Edward Eager   Closing   Alright, that wraps up our show this week!   If you have a question about how to connect kids between 8-12 to books they’ll love or a suggestion about a topic we should cover, I would love to hear from you. You can email me at booksbetween@gmail.com or message me on Twitter/Instagram at the handle @Books_Between.   Books Between is a proud member of the Lady Pod Squad and the Education Podcast Network. This network features podcasts for educators, created by educators. For more great content visit edupodcastnetwork.com   Thank you so much for joining me this week. You can get an outline of interviews and a full transcript of all the other parts of our show at MGBookVillage.org. And, if you are liking the show, please leave us some love on iTunes or Stitcher so others can discover us as well.   Thanks and see you soon!  Bye!  

The guys discuss their Thanksgiving weekend, including checking out two new Netflix series: Super Drags and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Will reminds everyone about the Queer Lit Read-A-Thon that kicks off December 2. Jeff talks about the Macy's Thanksgiving Day performance by the cast of The Prom along with Bill Konigsberg's speech he gave at the ALAN/NCTE event Reading and Writing Resistance: Acting Up, Speaking Out in YA Lit. Jeff tells everyone about the week of events happening with his Codename: Winger series: the release on Tuesday of Audio Assault, the forthcoming audiobook of Tracker Hacker and the free short A Very Winger Christmas that comes out on Friday. Will reviews Snow on the Roof by Sean Ashcroft and Goldilocks and the Bearby Clare London. Jeff reviews Someday by David Levithan and Loving Loch by Kris Jacen. Dani from Love Bytes Reviews recommends comfort series by Mary Calmes, Andrew Grey, A.E. Via and Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott. She also has some fanfic comfort reads. Complete shownotes for episode 164 are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com.

Several months ago, we asked authors of different cultures, races, abilities, genders and orientations to tell us about the first time they saw themselves in the pages of a book. (You can listen to that episode here.) We expected the answer. We knew it was coming. But still, it tore at us: Over and over, these authors said, "I didn't. I didn't see myself." At Scholastic, we are proud to publish books that give all children the chance to see themselves as heroes. But we know that we still have work to do. And part of that work is listening. So, this week, in celebration of Pride Month, we are spotlighting some of our LGBTQ+ authors who are writing to fill the void they felt growing up. Contributing authors: Bill Konigsberg, author of Honestly Ben Sarah Moon, author of Sparrow Alex Gino, author of George Kody Keplinger, author of Run Will Walton, author of I Felt a Funeral In My Brain Jessica Verdi, author of And She Was Billy Merrell, author of Vanilla Additional resources: Listen to episode #50: I Exist: Why Representation in Children's Books Matters Learn more about Scholastic's #ReadWithPride campaign Special thanks: Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl Sound mix and editing by Chris Johnson Produced by Emily Morrow

Several months ago, we asked authors of different cultures, races, abilities, genders and orientations to tell us about the first time they saw themselves in the pages of a book. (You can listen to that episode here.) We expected the answer. We knew it was coming. But still, it tore at us: Over and over, these authors said, "I didn't. I didn't see myself." At Scholastic, we are proud to publish books that give all children the chance to see themselves as heroes. But we know that we still have work to do. And part of that work is listening. So, this week, in celebration of Pride Month, we are spotlighting some of our LGBTQ+ authors who are writing to fill the void they felt growing up. Contributing authors: Bill Konigsberg, author of Honestly Ben Sarah Moon, author of Sparrow Alex Gino, author of George Kody Keplinger, author of Run Will Walton, author of I Felt a Funeral In My Brain Jessica Verdi, author of And She Was Billy Merrell, author of Vanilla Additional resources: Listen to episode #50: I Exist: Why Representation in Children's Books Matters Learn more about Scholastic's #ReadWithPride campaign Special thanks: Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl Sound mix and editing by Chris Johnson Produced by Emily Morrow

"I stopped reading books that had humans in them after Harriet [the Spy] because I knew there wouldn't be any humans like me," — Sarah Moon, author of Sparrow.  At Scholastic, we're proud to publish authors of differend backgrounds, cultures, races, abilities, and orientations. But we also know that many of our authors have felt the same way Sarah did as a child. Like her, many felt that they didn't exist in children's books when they were growing up. And like her, many are now writing to change that for future generations. We invited them to share their stories and to talk about why representation in children's books is so crucial. These stories will break your heart, but they will also give you hope: hope that today's children will never doubt that they can be the heroes of their own stories.  Contributing authors: Daniel José Older, author of the Shadowshaper series Wendy Wan-Long Shang, co-author of This is Just a Test Billy Merrell, author of Vanilla Kody Keplinger, author of Run Lamar Giles, author of Overturned Sarah Moon, author of Sparrow Goldy Moldovsky, author of No Good Deed Varian Johnson, author of To Catch a Cheat Angela Cervantes, author of Allie, First at Last Bill Konigsberg, author of Honestly Ben Special thanks: Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson Produced by Emily Morrow

"I stopped reading books that had humans in them after Harriet [the Spy] because I knew there wouldn't be any humans like me," — Sarah Moon, author of Sparrow.  At Scholastic, we're proud to publish authors of different backgrounds, cultures, races, abilities, and orientations. But we also know that many of our authors have felt the same way Sarah did as a child. Like her, many felt that they didn't exist in children's books when they were growing up. And like her, many are now writing to change that for future generations. We invited them to share their stories and to talk about why representation in children's books is so crucial. These stories will break your heart, but they will also give you hope: hope that today's children will never doubt that they can be the heroes of their own stories.  Contributing authors: Daniel José Older, author of the Shadowshaper series Wendy Wan-Long Shang, author of books like This is Just a Test and The Way Home Looks Now Billy Merrell, author of Vanilla Kody Keplinger, author of Run Lamar Giles, author of Overturned Sarah Moon, author of Sparrow Goldy Moldovsky, author of No Good Deed Varian Johnson, author of To Catch a Cheat Angela Cervantes, author of Allie, First at Last Bill Konigsberg, author of Honestly Ben Special thanks: Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson Produced by Emily Morrow

Will kicks off this week's show with his adventures on jury duty. Jeff talks about getting started on Codename: Winger #3 and trying out dictation to do the first draft. Will reviews Rainbow Sprinkles by Anna Martin, Lace by K.C. Wells and Satin also by K.C. Wells. Meanwhile Jeff talks about The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli. The guys also talk about Spider-Man: Homecoming and Descendants 2. Jeff discusses his summertime TV watching with World of Dance and So You Think You Can Dance. Jeff welcomes Bill Konigsberg to the show to discuss his spring release of Honestly Ben, a sequel to 2013's Openly Straight. They talk about why Bill decided to do a sequel, some of the controversy that's come up with the book and what Bill's working on next. Complete shownotes for episode 94 are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com.

Award-winning author Bill Konigsberg joins us in the studio for this week's episode, just in time to celebrate Pride Month. Bill is the author of Openly Straight, which won the Sid Fleischman Award for Humor, the Stonewall Award-winning The Porcupine of Truth, and most recently, Honestly Ben, a follow-up novel to Openly Straight. He talks about why he decided to write Honestly Ben several years after Openly Straight's release. Bill also shares what his life was like growing up as a gay teen in New York City during a time when there were little to no books in which he could see himself, his experiences, or even any role models. Later in the episode, we also talk with Scholastic librarian Deimosa Webber-Bey and art director Jeremy Goodwin about their recent experiences when Bill came to a meeting of the Scholastic Employee Book Club while they were discussing Honestly Ben.  Additional Resources: Read an excerpt of Openly Straight, Honestly Ben, and The Porcupine of Truth Get a free copy of Bill Konigsberg's novella, Openly, Honestly here See more of our recommendations for great Pride Month reads Follow along with our #ReadWithPride campaign on Twitter and Instagram Guests: Bill Konigsberg is the author of novels including Openly Straight, which was named to the YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults list, and The Porcupine of Truth, which won the Stonewall Book Award and the PEN Center Literary Award. Bill lives in Arizona with his husband. Visit him online at billkonigsberg.com and follow him at @billkonigsberg. Deimosa Webber-Bey is the Library Manager at Scholastic and is responsible for the corporate archive, readers advisory, cataloging, and the employee book club. She also taught for several years in public schools in Queens, Brooklyn, Albuquerque, and the Pueblo of Jemez. Jeremy Goodwin is the Art Director for Scholastic's Corporate Communications department. With the mission of elevating the brand under a unified message, he contributes to high-level projects across the divisions of Scholastic. An alumnus of Parsons School of Design, he has been in the industry for over ten years and is also an avid reader and independent artist.    Special thanks: Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan  Produced by Emily Morrow

Award-winning author Bill Konigsberg joins us in the studio for this week's episode, just in time to celebrate Pride Month. Bill is the author of Openly Straight, which won the Sid Fleischman Award for Humor, the Stonewall Award-winning The Porcupine of Truth, and most recently, Honestly Ben, a follow-up novel to Openly Straight. He talks about why he decided to write Honestly Ben several years after Openly Straight's release. Bill also shares what his life was like growing up as a gay teen in New York City during a time when there were little to no books in which he could see himself, his experiences, or even any role models. Later in the episode, we also talk with Scholastic librarian Deimosa Webber-Bey and art director Jeremy Goodwin about their recent experiences when Bill came to a meeting of the Scholastic Employee Book Club while they were discussing Honestly Ben.  Additional Resources: Read an excerpt of Openly Straight, Honestly Ben, and The Porcupine of Truth Get a free copy of Bill Konigsberg's novella, Openly, Honestly here See more of our recommendations for great Pride Month reads Follow along with our #ReadWithPride campaign on Twitter and Instagram Guests: Bill Konigsberg is the author of novels including Openly Straight, which was named to the YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults list, and The Porcupine of Truth, which won the Stonewall Book Award and the PEN Center Literary Award. Bill lives in Arizona with his husband. Visit him online at billkonigsberg.com and follow him at @billkonigsberg. Deimosa Webber-Bey is the Library Manager at Scholastic and is responsible for the corporate archive, readers advisory, cataloging, and the employee book club. She also taught for several years in public schools in Queens, Brooklyn, Albuquerque, and the Pueblo of Jemez. Jeremy Goodwin is the Art Director for Scholastic's Corporate Communications department. He works on maintaining and elevating the equity of the Scholastic corporate brand across the many divisions of the company. He's been in the design industry for more than 10 years and is an avid reader and independent artist.  Special thanks: Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan  Produced by Emily Morrow

Jeff & Will recap their week, including Jeff's rearrangement of his writing schedule. Jeff also answers a question from Ellen about how he decides how to tell a scene. The guys talked about their schedule for the RT Booklovers convention coming up in May. They also reminded everyone about the ongoing Autism Awareness Month Auction. New patrons kragthang and Baron are welcomed! Will talks about the documentary I Always Said Yes: The Many Lives of Wakefield Poole. The guys welcome Mystery Science Theater 3000 back. Jeff reviews Honestly Ben by Bill Konigsberg and Will shows off the Joeboys book from Joe Phillips. Sarina Bowen is welcomed back to the podcast to talk about her recent re-release of Goodbye Paradise as well as her Him/Us spin off Good Boy and more. Complete shownotes for episode 80 are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com.

In this episode we discuss John Corey Whaley's Highly Illogical Behavior. Ca$h Money (aka Amanda Money) suggests Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. Molly suggests Ann Brashares' books (in particular the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) and Lauren Myracle's Internet Girls Series (start with ttyl). Lindsey suggests Fans of the Impossible Life by Kate Scelsa and Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan. Nate and Kim suggest 100 Sideways Miles by Andrew Smith. Nate suggests Porcupine of Truth by Bill Konigsberg, Scarboys by Len Vlahos, and Marcello and the Real World by Francisco X. Stork.