Happy October!

This month I’ll be presenting at 3 events:

1. The San Diego Writers Festival – I’ll be on two panels, There’s No Such Thing as “Self” Publishing – How to Publish Professionally (I’m moderating, with Kirk Whisler and Leslie Ferguson), and Kid Lit Experts Speak Out Against Book Banning (moderated by Dr. Virginia Loh-Hagan and with Moni Barrette). I’ll get to share insights from wearing both my author hat and my day-job hat, as director of education and programs for the Independent Book Publishers Association. It’s a free festival for all – Saturday, October 8, 2022 in person on Coronado Island, just across the bay from San Diego, California.
2. The BookFest Fall 2022 – This is a free, online festival with two days of programming. I ‘ve pre-recorded a panel that will go live on Saturday, October 22: “Yes They Are Banning Books – What You Need to Know and How You Can Help” (moderated by Desireé Duffy and with Peter Bromberg, Rich Davis, and Angela Johnson). It was a great discussion!
3. Models of Pride 2022 – Once again, and for the first time since the pandemic, I’ll be presenting at Models of Pride – “the world’s largest FREE conference for LGBTQ+ youth and allies ages 24 and younger.” I’m excited to present “No Way, They Were Gay?”, a hands-on, interactive workshop based on the research I did for my Queer History book for readers age 11 and up. And I get to present it twice – once to the youth audience, and once for the parents and professionals who are attending to learn how to better support LGBTQIA2+ youth!

Which brings me to

#4 It’s LGBTQ History Month – or, as I think we should put it, LGBTQIA2+ History Month, or better yet, Queer History Month! And, I just happen to have a book all about that: No Way, They Were Gay? Hidden Lives and Secret Loves. (Hey, it would be silly not to mention it, right?)

#5 And because it’s Queer History Month, and we have so many stories to learn, and be inspired by, it’s a great opportunity to share some of my favorite Queer History books for Kids and Teens!

Check out:

Gay and Lesbian History for Kids: The Century-Long Struggle for LGBT Rights by Jerome Pohlen

Lives of the Artists: Masterpieces, Messes (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull and Kathryn Kewitt

Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag by Rob Sanders, Illustrated by Steven Salerno

Queer There and Everywhere: 22 People Who Changed the World by Sarah Prager

No Way, They Were Gay? Hidden Lives and Secret Loves by me! (didn’t want to leave it out if I’m doing a list…)

Sylvia and Marsha Start a Revolution by Joy Ellison, illustrated by Teshika Silver

Have a wonderful October, all!

The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you,
Lee