#NY21SCBWI Conference Attendees! Join me and some special faculty guests at Tuesday Feb 16th's LGBTQ+ and Allies Social!

It's the first official conference event, and even though the SCBWI Winter Conference is an all-virtual event this 2021, there's still going to be an LGBTQ+ and Allies Social!

Are you writing, illustrating, or translating works for kids, tweens, or teens with LGBTQAI2+ characters or themes? Or are you thinking of doing so? Then this is the social for you!

I'm hosting, and you can join in. 

Day: Tuesday February 16, 2021

Time: 4pm Pacific - 5pm Pacific

We'll be gathering in a safe space zoom room, and our special faculty guests will include Jane Yolen (multi award-winning author of 386 books for kids and adults)

The "How Do Dinosaurs..." series may be better known, but this is the most recent of Jane's titles.

Heidi Stemple (author of, most recently, with Jane, I Am The Storm)

Laurent Linn (author/illustrator of the YA novel Draw the Line and art director at Simon & Schuster

along with SCBWI staff moderators April Powers, Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer at SCBWI

Julian Petri,

Executive Director Lin Oliver,

Associate Executive Director Sarah Baker,

Director of Special Projects Kim Turrisi,

As well as Claudia Pearson and Debra Schmidt.

 

Conference registrants will receive a PDF schedule with event links. On clicking to join, you'll have to register for this zoom social with your name and email, and then you'll be welcomed in.

We hope to see you there. Stay safe,
Lee

***UPDATE Feb 16, 2021 at 11:30am Pacific: If you're registered for the conference, look for a special email that should have been sent to you with this event link. Thanks!***

A Conversation with Jane Yolen, Hosted by Heidi E.Y. Stemple

Jane Yolen is the author of over 385 books and at least half of those are picture books. (She’s also written two cookbooks, six graphic novels, well over eighty novels, ten music books, lots of nonfiction, plenty of poetry collections, and has edited anthologies of short stories and poetry.) Along the way her work has garnered a Caldecott, Caldecott Honor, three SCBWI Golden Kite Awards, three Mythopoetic Awards, two World Fantasy Awards, and many state awards. She has been given six honorary doctorates for her body of work from colleges and universities, as well as the Kerlan Award, the De Grummond Medal, Smith College Medal, the Catholic Library Regina Medal, the Jewish Book Award, and an award from the Massachusetts Senate. She was the first writer to win the New England Public Radio’s Arts & Humanities Award, and the first woman to give the Andrew Lang lecture at the University of St. Andrews since the series began in 1927. http://janeyolen.com/

Heidi E.Y. Stemple didn’t want to be a writer when she grew up. In fact, after she graduated from college, she became a probation officer in Florida. It wasn’t until she was twenty-eight years old that she gave in and joined the family business, publishing her first short story in a book called Famous Writers and Their Kids Write Spooky Stories. The famous writer was her mom, author Jane Yolen. Since then, she has published about twenty-five books, including Counting Birds, Fly With Me, You Nest Here With Me, Not All Princesses Dress In Pink, and two Fairy Tale Feasts cookbooks, as well as numerous short stories and poems, mostly for children. Her website is www.HeidiEYStemple.com

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Jane and Heidi are in the (virtual) house!

Jane Yolen (top left), Heidi E.Y. Stemple (top right), and interpreter Jennye Kamin (lower)

Jane starts us with a poem (wow!) Here are highlights of the rest:

Heidi's first question: "Why picture books?"

"Because picture books are the closest to poetry as you can get." – Jane Yolen

Picture books are a way, Jane says, that "I'm able to get poetry up. A book that lifts children up, as well."

On process: Jane starts every day with writing a poem. If she "primes the pump" with a poem, she tells us, the rest of the day, her words can flow.

On compression: "Every word has to count. Most words have to move backwards and forwards. They have to resonate throughout the entire book.... Every time you revise, you'll find more words to take out. (Of course, you also sometimes find more words to put in.)"

Jane's tip: Sometimes, if you write a picture book down as if it's a poem... you'll suddenly see all the words that don't belong.

"It's very important to read it out loud. Even more important, have someone else read it out loud to you... The eye and the ear are different listeners."

They discuss three more elements great picture books need:

Lyricism: "a picture book can almost be sung."

Arc: "you need to go from one place to another."

Visuality: "Picture books are meant to be illustrated." Even if you're not an illustrator, "you still have to think visually."

We also get to hear the story behind Jane writing Owl Moon.

They discuss the difference between "the real, the true, and the actual." Jane advises us that sometimes an actual story from life is just an incident. For Owl Moon, she needed an individual child having an emotional experience. It's not a memoir. It's not point for point real, but it is point for point true.

There's so much more discussed, including revision as "re-visioning," the different kinds of books, Jane's productivity secret ("Butt In Chair - BIC."), and the best advice she's received.

Two more inspirational thoughts from Jane to share here...

About the work Jane puts into her picture book manuscripts:

“Sometimes it takes me longer to write a great picture book than a full novel.” 

And about writing in hard times:

“Pick up what is bothering you and turn it into a little piece of beauty.” That’s what writers (picture book writers especially) can do. 

They transition to the Q&A by reading a new picture book they co-wrote, I AM THE STORM, to us. It's beautiful (and beautifully illustrated by Kristen Howdeshell and Kevin Howdeshell.)

Thank you, Jane and Heidi!

Happy 80th Birthday, Jane Yolen!

With a tribute video, a song, a cake, and one smart pair of birthday sunglasses, we all celebrate Jane Yolen!

Quote Highlights from the 2019 Golden Kite Awards Presentation at #NY19SCBWI

“I really hope that what I'm doing is doing right by the author and doing right by the kids that will read the book... It's so wonderful to be here tonight... It's such an honor.”
—Becca Stadtlander, winner of the Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Illustration for “Made By Hand: a Crafts Sampler”

“Your enthusiasm for the process, not just the results, made me uncomfortable in the best possible way... Thank you, SCBWI...who deserves a creative life? We all do.”
—Barb Rosenstock, winner of the Golden Kite Award for Nonfiction for Younger Readers for “Otis and Will Discover the Deep”

“That I should receive an award like this is beyond my wildest dreams... For many years, while trying to get published, I searched for the perfect story and the perfect way to tell it..." and she tells us that the inspiration for this story was in front of her—the Alzheimer's journey of her own grandfather. And then Jessie dedicates this award to her grandmother, and to all the caretakers for Alzheimer's patients dealing with their loved ones losing the balloons that hold their memories, too.
—Jessie Oliveros, winner of the Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Text for “The Remember Balloons”

“You probably won't be surprised that this book took me six years to write. It was a journey... There are amazing stories of bravery from both veterans and refugees in a war... It was finally time for them to share their stories, not just with me, but with everyone who reads this book.”
—Elizabeth Partridge, winner of the Golden Kite Award for Nonfiction for Older Readers for “Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam”

Because he was a reader, “13 year old Ken Sparks literally saved everyone on board...” Susan speaks of her decision to write her first middle grade novel as a historical fiction novel in verse, and says “I see all that white space as cushioning” for the hard stuff.
—Susan Hood, winner of the Golden Kite Award for Middle Grade Fiction for “Lifeboat 12”

“Sometimes these awards make you think that you're at your own funeral... [laughter] I checked... I had won the Golden Kite Awards [once before], back in 1975.” And with 365 books published, Jane tells us that this one was “Probably the most difficult book I've ever written.” Her third Holocaust novel, she considers why it took her four-and-a-half years to write. She tells us the many titles of the manuscript before it was finally named Mapping the Bones, a great title, and shares the lesson: “Bookmaking is collegial, not adversarial."
—Jane Yolen, winner of the Golden Kite Award for Young Adult Fiction for “Mapping the Bones”

“I became a member [of SCBWI] in 2008... and I've been an advocate for it ever since.” Angela tells us about the career opportunities that came about from her attending SCBWI conferences, and how Stella Díaz Has Something To Say is “82.9% based on my own life”—and started out as a failed picture book. "I hope through reading Stella, kids will learn that introverts” have a fully-realized life bottled up inside them. Her final thanks is to her mother who encouraged her to write, and told her she was funny... the perfect set-up for Angela's acceptance speech punch line: “And now I have proof!”
—Angela Dominguez, winner of the Sid Fleischman Humor Award for “Stella Diaz Has Something to Say”

Jane Yolen on Revising / Re-Visioning Your Writing Life

Jane gives us "a peppy talk" about revising and re-visioning our creative lives as writers and illustrators.

"Every year, create something new.

Don't settle in your art.

Even if the selling slows down (and we all have those times) try something new.

You are a creator. So create. Re-create.

Try something new."

She offers us some tips she uses, including how reading "everything" inspired three new book ideas for her, and how at least once a year, she goes back through her files; "Nothing an author or illustrator does is never lost. ...A creative person's garbage can does not take in garbage - it's a compost heap."

With brilliance and heart, Jane Yolen mentors every one of us in the audience.

Her final gift to us are these words:

"Make wings. And fly somewhere new."

The LGBTQ + Allies Social

An intimate circle, the group included conference faculty guests Laurent Linn, Emma Dryden, Ellen Hopkins, Jane Yolen, Heidi Stemple, Jeffrey West, Arthur Levine, and Erika Turner.

We went around the circle, everyone introducing themselves and sharing what they're working on that has LGBTQ characters and themes, sparking lots of discussion.

Standout moments:

Ellen Hopkins on why she includes LGBTQ characters in her novels: "I write the teen landscape." And how the current political and cultural climate makes it "more important than ever" that we're here talking about LGBTQ characters and themes in books for young people.

Emma Dryden on how agents are telling her that they're looking for manuscripts in which gay is incidental...

Which lead to a broad discussion on how we need all kinds of books on the LGBTQ experience, books that star the LGBTQ character and books where they're part of the ensemble, books where it's about the LGBTQ experience, and books where it's about something else entirely and the characters' identity is incidental.

Laurent Lin spoke about visiting schools via the Lambda Literary Foundations Authors in Schools program,

The conversation covered controversy and backlash, the responsibility we have to our readers, and so much more!

Jane Yolen speaking with attendee David Daniel after the circle opened to more informal discussion 

Jane Yolen Presents the Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Text to Carolyn Crimi for "There Might Be Lobsters"

Jane calls "There Might Be Lobsters" a "Perfectly told picturebook."

Carolyn Crimi accepts the award, and shares a moving letter from a reader, Jordan, and tells us to "Download your own fight song" and "know there's a Jordan out there waiting for your story."

Jane Yolen presents the Mid-List Author Award

Jane speaks eloquently of how re-inventing a career in the arts every seven to ten years is a way to keep your writing fresh and alive. And yet, how difficult it is when then re-invention is forced on you.

So, to help honor the contribution of mid-list authors in general, and celebrate two mid-list authors in particular, Jane announces this year's winners:

Karen Coombs and Sallie Wolf

Sallie was here and joined Jane on stage for an enthusiastic standing ovation!

Jane Yolen Presents Her Eponymous Mid-List Author Grant

After Lin leads us in a Happy Birthday serenade to Jane Yolen, Jane takes the podium.

Jane speaks about starting and re-starting careers, explaining the motivation for her establishing the Jane Yolen Mid-List Author Award.

This year there was an honoree (Jane Mitchell) and a winner, and the winner was here - Jane called Sanna Stanley up on stage to applause!

Congratulations to both Jane Mitchell and Sanna Stanley!

And you can find out more about the Jane Yolen Mid-List Author Grant here.

The LGBTQ Q&A

With conference faculty guest agent Tina Wexler, agent Jennifer Laughran, Art Director and Author Laurent Linn, Best-Selling and Award-Winning Author Jane Yolen, editor Emma Dryden and editor and publisher Arthur A. Levine, our group of more than forty attendees gathered to share and talk about  writing and illustrating LGBTQ characters and themes in works for children and teens.

In moments ranging from hilarious to somber,  topics covered included picture book art notes (dos and don'ts), gender non-conformity, gender challenges in the English language, and the urgent need for more books with LGBTQ diversity.

At one point, an ally voiced a concern about writing from a queer perspective, and the consensus was to not hold back about writing from other points of view (outside your own.) To do your homework, to run it by people who are members of that community...

Arthur: "I urge you to not be self-conscious"

Jane: "In terms of getting it right. In terms of getting the feelings right."

It was a great conversation and the room was filled with a sense of warmth and community. We sat in a circle, each person sharing their name and what they're working on, with our conference faculty (and myself) chiming in with thoughts, advice and insights.

Once the session ended, many participants stayed to exchange contact information and mingle. The pictures are from that part of the evening:

I was honored to host - my thanks and appreciation to the panel and all the attendees!

Lee

Happy 75th Birthday to Jane Yolen!

Right before the announcement of the Jane Yolen Mid-List Author Grant, Lin shared that it was Jane's birthday, so the more than 1,000 of us sung Jane Yolen "Happy Birthday!"

And after the singing, Lin announced that to honor Jane's birthday, her incredible career, and her commitment and years devoted to SCBWI, the SCBWI will be making a generous donation to the Dickinson Memorial Library in Whately, Massachusetts, towards building a collection in Jane’s name.


Thanks to Gaby Triana for the photo.

The LGBTQ Q&A

Once again, it was my honor to host the LGBTQ Chat - a discussion of including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning characters and themes in works for children and teens.

Faculty members Jane Yolen, Emma Dryden and Ellen Hopkins spoke and answered attendee questions as we travelled around the circle and people shared what they were working on.

Emma shared some great market and story advice, and each of our faculty were encouraging - a true safe space. Some highlights and moments from our wonderful session:

Jane Yolen: "There's nothing off the table when you're writing a novel… if you do it well.  And then you set a new benchmark."

Ellen Hopkins: "Books don't create queers. The just offer empathy and understanding to that space."

And Ellen's call to action for us all to write the stories we need to write are still resonating:

"Be fearless!"

Jane Yolen: Seven Essential Things You Need To Know About Writing In Verse

Jane Yolen is an icon. She's known as the Hans Christian Anderson of America… Or, as she put it when someone asked her about it in the session, The Hans Jewish Anderson!

Jane Yolen leading her workshop

Jane shared...
advice and poems
poems and wisdom
wisdom and insight
insight and advice
advice and poems
Jane shared... and we were inspired.

She encouraged us to try different forms and spoke about the distinction between writing poetry for little ones, for 1st through 3rd graders and up through Young Adult.

Some moments that shone so brightly they need to be shared here:

"You must always read a poem aloud."

"Words are never too big for children as long as they are the right words."

and

"We poets are code-masters"

Explaining if you want to go further into a poem, you need to encode it (with references, innuendos, deeper meaning, etc…)

She shares tips of where to submit poetry, ideas for collections she won't do (and that maybe attendees might consider) and reads us poems by many other master poets, her own published work, and even some as-yet-unpublished poems she's written that felt like gifts - because we heard them before the rest of the world.

We even got the perfect gift on our chairs:

A poem.

Jane's workshop was essential, honest and inspiring!

The Autograph Party

Almost the moment Mo Willems' keynote speech ended, people started lining up to get their books signed and we kid you not, the line ran the length of a football field (that's 100 yards, for those of you unfamiliar with the sport, or 91.44 meters if you're Canadian).

It's no wonder people are so excited to have their books inscribed, when you share the room with the likes of Julie Andrews, Mo Willems, Shaun Tan, Jane Yolen, Tomie dePaolo ...

We could and should go on, but we'll let the pictures speak for themselves. 

Mo Willems

Shaun Tan fans standing in a queue (do they say that in Australia?)

Shaun Tan

Mark Teague and Floyd Cooper

Meg Rosoff and David Ezra Stein

Lin Oliver and Theo Baker

Tomie DePaola and Jane Yolen

Margaret Peterson Haddix and Matthew Kirby

Arthur Levine is a full-service editor. Here, he's opening
the book to the right page for an inscription.

LGBTQ&A

Since 2008, SCBWI has hosted an invaluable LGBTQ&A at their national conferences.  Hosted by Lee Wind (I’m here. I’m queer. What the hell do I read?), the LGBTQ&A is a great place for writers and illustrators to talk with editors, agents, and authors about issues and the current market for stories with gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, gender non-conforming or questioning youth characters and themes. 

Left to Right: Bruce Coville, Jane Yolen, Lee Wind, Michael Strother and Ellen Hopkins

This year the panel was honored to welcome Jane Yolen, (author of over 300 books for children and teens), Bruce Coville, Ellen Hopkins, and editor Michael Strother. In the opening remarks, Jane was asked about her book SISTER LIGHT, SISTER DARK where she offered insights into the matriarchal society in the story. She was followed by Bruce Coville who when talking about AM I BLUE? said that some people didn’t think humor had a place in LGBTQ. But Bruce pointed out that laughter could be an entry point on the topic.

It was a great segue into Ellen Hopkins’s comments about normalizing through books. There was a heart wrenching moment when she talked about the struggle of some kids and teens, about suicide and depression because of bullying or confusion or lack of acceptance. And Ellen said that until we get to a place where kids are no longer killing themselves, we as authors need to keep writing about LGBTQ topics. Normalizing through books. 

The panel got into a discussion on craft, and Jane told the attendees that their characters should come about organically. Let them tell you their story. Michael, an editor at Simon Pulse, told the group that it’s important that their characters have other attributes, and that they’re not just gay. Make them real, fleshed-out people. 

Towards the end, a great Q&A session helped the large group of attendees get specific answers to their writing questions. It was comfortable and exciting, and writers and illustrators were able to stay after to talk privately with the panel. 

For more information and book recommendations, visit:

Lee Wind's Blog

Rainbow List