a pride month project
[TL;DR: You can jump to the end of the post for the bit with the fun book recs.]
It’s very difficult for me to believe that it’s nearly June. That seems impossible. It was January yesterday, wasn’t it? But June means a number of good things: under four months until ATS is released, the opportunity to wear coats, and Pride Month. Also the Q-Lit Festival.
However, while I was idly scrolling on Threads, I realised I was actually dreading a particular aspect of Pride in the online book world. Pride hadn’t even started, and my algorithm was already determinedly showing me the kinds of #OwnVoices posts that give me the feelings I talked about here.
(This is a really lovely post from Chip Pons on this topic. I am very much looking forward to his book Winging it With You, which is out in June. I love fake dating.)
I wondered if I should write something about #OwnVoices (in terms of both the history/value of the movement and the problems that have emerged). Or about the various different things I think get mashed together in an unhelpful way (the value/importance of authenticity, the complexity of representation, the question of who gets what opportunities within publishing etc). I revisited things I’ve read in the past, and found some new things.
However, lots of sensible, intelligent people have already said interesting and nuanced things on this topic. You don’t need me to yap about it. If you want to read any of the things I revisited/read, I have linked them at the end of this post, because above all things I am a nerd.
But I also forced myself to grapple with an unplatable truth: I am not actually going to magically convince every random internet user to take a moment to reflect on whether their probably-well-intentioned posting might have undercurrents of transphobia/biphobia etc. No matter how long I labour over a blog post. No matter how many sources I might find and cite.
I realised that one of the things I was struggling with was feeling like I couldn’t do anything meaningful. The last thing I want to do is argue with strangers on social media about nuanced issues around identity/authenticity/opportunity. I love having those conversations in a context of mutual respect and curiosity. I do not love having them online in short bursts of text. But I also wanted to take action, to do something positive, driven by my love of diverse, queer books, and my own values. Instead of feeling defensive, I wanted to feel…open to stories, and experiences, and nuance, and allowing everyone to be wrong or right or a bit of both. Including myself.
I decided I wanted to do something that would both celebrate great queer books and also reflect my very strong belief that we need diverse queer stories from all sorts of people — and particularly queer people who experience marginalisation in other ways. I also read this recent blog post by Nisha Sharma on publishing’s DEI problem, and it reminded me that even though I am a baby debut author with a very small platform, I want to make sure I am always doing the work to uplift marginalised voices in my communities.
So for each day of June, I’m going to share a book by a queer author that I have either read and loved, or that’s on my TBR and that I’m excited to read. In particular, I want to share books by a diverse range of queer authors. I would also love to put my money where my mouth is, so please send me your diverse queer recommendations (especially novellas/essay collections etc, because I am finding novels a little challenging atm).
A secondary aim of this project is to help me get back into the habit of reading more. I was doing well at the beginning of the year, but in times of uncertainty/distress/instability, I tend to reach for old favourites. But it is June! It is Pride! I want to read ALL THE QUEER BOOKS.
If you want to hear my thoughts on each book, I’ll chat about one every day on TikTok (@darcygreenwrites). Hopefully. That is the plan.
June 1 (Sunday)
It feels appropriate to start with Sonora Reyes’ The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School, because Sonora is doing an awesome re-read party for June. I really loved this book. It was funny, and heartfelt, and just such a great read. Also, the cover is lit. The yellow and pink is THE BEST.
June 2 (Monday)
I have been saving up my copy of Transmogrify! 14 Fantastical Tales of Trans Magic, edited by G Haron Davis, for a cozy holiday. However, I reeeeeally want to read it so I may just decide that a cozy winter evening will do just as well.
June 3 (Tuesday)
I wasn’t sure what to expect from Rin Chupeco’s Silver Under Nightfall, but I had such a good time. Actually, maybe it’s time for a reread. (No, Darcy, no re-reads.) Vampires, queerness, gothic horror, an excellent (messy) poly romance. What more could I want? This reminds me that I have Court of Wanderers on my Kindle.
June 4 (Wednesday)
I can’t wait to read Melanie Saward’s Love Unleashed, which is shamefully on my TBR even though it is full of things I like. I really admire Melanie for her advocacy on a lot of issues, and for her recent commentary on BookTok Boy (I just realised I genuinely have no idea what his name is). Also, her doctorate sounds incredible, and as I understand it it’s going to be coming in book form at some point, which I can’t wait to read.
June 5 (Thursday)
Foz Meadows’ A Strange and Stubborn Endurance was a comfort read for much of 2023. I love it so much. In fact, maybe I could read a chapter or two now…
June 6 (Friday)
I can sometimes find books (especially YA) with trans and non-binary characters a challenging read, just because of my own relationship with my gender. Even thought they are often amazing books, there are often a lot of Feelings. However, I’m really glad I read Always the Almost by Edward Underhill.
June 7 (Saturday)
I so, so, desperately wanted everything to be alright for the characters in Gary Lonesborough’s The Boy from the Mish. I had so many feelings. I’m fairly sure I read it in one sitting, because I needed to know what would happen. I can’t wait to read Gary’s latest book, I’m Not Really Here. I can already tell it is again going to give me all the feels.
That is it from me this week! Happy Pride, lovely people.
Darcy xx
Bonus bibliography for anyone who wants to read some things about #OwnVoices/diverse voices (both academic and otherwise). I’m not suggesting I agree with everything in all of these (or that it’s exhaustive of the things I read), it’s basically my recently opened tabs:
Leonie Rutherfood, Katya Johanson and Bronwyn Reddan, ‘#Ownvoices, Disruptive Platforms, and Reader Repection in Young Adult Publishing’ Publishing Research Quarterly (2022). Available here.
Gabrielle Owen, ‘Impossible Relations, Ethical Relations: The Stakes of #OwnVoices Representation in LGBTQ Young Adult Fiction’ (2023) 4 International Journal of Young Adult Literature 1. Available here.
Shannon Steffens, ‘Despite Controversy, #OwnVoices Is Here to Make A Difference’ (2021) WWU Honors College Senior Projects 499. Available here.
Kat Rosenfield, ‘What Is #OwnVoices Doing To Our Books?’ 9 April 2019, Refinery29. Available here.
Becky Albertalli, ‘I know I’m late’ 1 September 2020, Medium. Available here.
I found this Reddit thread interesting. I just enjoy reading about different people talking about their experiences.
This Tumblr post on LGBTQ Reads discussing the author’s concerns about questions they have received around their own sexuality.
Danika Ellis, ‘The Problem With #OwnVoices LGBTQ Lit’ 21 April 2017 Book Riot. Available here.