What a fantastic contribution Geography Club must have made to gay young people's sense of belonging. I'm sure that comments like Joe's are only the beginning of the testimonials you will hear from grown -up fans. Well done.
Truly. That was about 15 years ago - and now it’s almost hard to find YA lit for straight kids 😂😂 (kind of a joke; there’s just a maelstrom of queer lit these days)
Yeah, I have mixed feelings. Sometimes it does feel like overkill. LOL (Part of the problem is that so much of it seems so interchangeable. Then again, that's true of many genres, I guess. If something sells, sell the same thing again...)
There’s such thing as a saturation point and I definitely think we’re there. And I get it: there was an absence for so long. But the overcorrection has really made it all a bit too much.
Kinda says it all that three gay men, who have a lot of experience with YA lit, have mixed feelings about this overcorrection. But TPTB in the publishing industry are all-in on it. Just like previous overkills, *some* of it sells (or circulates at the library), but only a select few. The rest is destined to be pulped.
WOW! I had no idea you were responsible for both "Geography Club" and "After Elton." Both my husband and I came out very late in life and while I am grateful for the experiences that shaped us on the way there, I am certain if I had been able to connect with my tribe through literature (or frankly anything) I might have gotten to my authentic self sooner. Well done and 'thank you' for your contributions to enlightening and reassuring.
Well I think you make a formidable team. Wayne and I launch our own nomadic life 9/15 with a flight to Lisbon. So looking forward to following your example for inspiration and sanity checks.
A great lesson for all authors and would be authors!
Was the GLAAD letter bad? I have not followed up but the NYT hasn't posted any highly misleading articles about transgender people or drag queens in a while..or I have not noticed any. I was a little weirded out by the fact the NYT in one story prior to this letter sponsored their own 'research study' because the research wasn't favorable to the author's intended conclusion. So if the letter makes them more careful about bias, this would be good, wouldn't it?
See, I think the letter made an extremely dubious case, and basically it amounted to: don't publish opinions or even findings that we don't like. Emily's article, which was the centerpiece of the letter, was a casebook example of great journalism, IMHO. I think it's a bad idea to make people choose between your cause and basic journalism.
But the greater issue is, I think an activist's greatest asset is their credibility. I think they seriously squandered theirs with strained and dogmatic readings of articles, in a way that will make them less effective in the future.
I appreciate your honest answer AND your pioneering as an author. It’s so wonderful how far YA literature has come, and your book played a major role. This wasn’t my impression (influenced by someone I respect who is a sociologist/demographer and a whiz at data whose research has nothing to do with transgender issues) but I will look at the letter again, and think about what you said.
This was so uplifting to read, thank you! Looking at the state of Montana, where I live, which has taken one of those very dark turns, it never goes wrong to be reminded that we're not alone in what we're facing, and that these battles aren't new.
Did you ever read the more recent book "Darius the Great Is Not Okay," by Adib Khorram? I really loved it. The main character doesn't come out really until the second book but the way the author grapples with mental health and racism felt so needed and well done.
Well, I'll be. I picket up a copy of "Geography Club" shortly after it got published. I was in A Different Light Book Store on Castro Street in San Francisco just a short time after I had come out and moved to my first home after my "second birthday" in Oakland. By that time, A Different Light had a section on LGBTQIA+ YA literature and I noticed it there. I was intrigued because my BA from college is in Geography and I have been a lifelong teacher of teenagers, and I was openly gay at that time. The books you mentioned by the other authors in this recent post have all been read by me, along with about 100 other YA literature. It's one of my favorite guilty pleasures. I enjoyed to the movie so much, I've seen it 3 times. I'm glad I was able to help you achieve the lifestyle to which you've become accustomed. I do have one request, though. Could you please send me the titles of the 8 sequels you wrote for "Geography Club"? I need to keep ThriftBooks in business. Thanks for this stroll down memory lane. Take care, say hi to Michael, and be safe.
How wonderful! I remember A Different Light well. And yes, a lot of geography buffs were offended when my characters in the book suggest geography is boring!
Inspirational! I’m glad you had such success with. May you have many more.
I thought the article about celebrities would be a good jumpstart for something, but IDK.
The only big success I had in life was raising and showing one breed of dog, and being fortunate enough to breed several influential dogs. But that’s a real niche talent.
Always wanted to write a book. Massive writer’s block, lol!
I’ve always meant to delve deeper and find out more about your writing (both of you!) since I’ve only met you through travel work. I just tried to her some of your work on Kindle and I can see probably everything except for Geography Club which seems like the place I want to start! - is it my Aussie Amazon that’s restricting me or is there a reason I can’t find it?
Hmmm, that's one of the ones that I don't control the rights to! I honestly have no idea what the rights situation is in Australia (they never tell us writers anything. lol)
Hi Brent! I remember GEOGRAPHY CLUB. I seem to be very close to you in my career trajectory. My first YA novel was 2001 or so. Anyway, the YA NOVELIST to Travel writer seems to be a thing. Really enjoying your substack. You guys are giving me a lot of good ideas for places to go.
Hey Blake! Love it, glad you joined Substack, in travel writing, no less. Yeah we live in an era where there are SO MANY new possibilities for writers. As writers, we're definitely in a "best of times, worst of times" situation. lol
No, I have an apartment in Portland. I find I run out of gas after a couple weeks in most situations. But I'm usually solo, so that probably has something to do it. Also, my substack has morphed into a kind of memoir-travel thing, where I write about trips from different eras in my life.... So I don't have to be constantly on the road.
I think their high-profile accusation that the NY Times (and particularly, Emily's article) was transphobic is/was profoundly wrong. They're strategy is clearly to suppress any debate or discussion of transgender issues -- to lump it all together as part of "right-wing misinformation." But there is, in fact, an ongoing debate on a lot of these issues, and there's a lot of grey areas in the margins. I think the Times' coverage has been great, and I thought Emily's article was fantastic, and by portraying it as something different, GLAAD greatly hurt their own credibility. Yes, the Times sometimes publish articles that raise uncomfortable issues, and I disagree with some of their opinion pieces on this topic. But that's literally the whole point of journalism. I WANT to read these pieces, at least if they're done in good faith (which 99.999% of the Times' articles have been; Emily's article was sensitive and profound). It's a very bad thing when activists attack the very *idea* of journalism. Debate is uncomfortable and messy, but IMHO, activists should welcome it, at least as practiced by the Times, not attack and try to suppress it. They plays right into our political opponents' hands.
I don't agree that their coverage has been anything akin to that, even their op-eds. I think Emily's article was responsible and sensitive, and she was covering an actual ongoing good faith debate in the medical community. She should not have been viciously attacked for that.
"The medical community" also debated the existence and mental soundness of gay people "in good faith" for decades, despite the lived experience and testimony of millions of people. What on earth.
Loved Geography Club when I purchased it for a public library 20 years ago! And I'm still buying books for teens today. (Just like my friend Joe.)
Thanks! And that is wonderful.
What a fantastic contribution Geography Club must have made to gay young people's sense of belonging. I'm sure that comments like Joe's are only the beginning of the testimonials you will hear from grown -up fans. Well done.
Thank you!
Read Geography Club in a young adult lit class I took for my MLIS. What a revelation it was!
Hehe. Wonderful! The world is sooooo different, isn't it?
Truly. That was about 15 years ago - and now it’s almost hard to find YA lit for straight kids 😂😂 (kind of a joke; there’s just a maelstrom of queer lit these days)
Yeah, I have mixed feelings. Sometimes it does feel like overkill. LOL (Part of the problem is that so much of it seems so interchangeable. Then again, that's true of many genres, I guess. If something sells, sell the same thing again...)
There’s such thing as a saturation point and I definitely think we’re there. And I get it: there was an absence for so long. But the overcorrection has really made it all a bit too much.
Yup. Publishers are a bit lemming-like, I guess.
Kinda says it all that three gay men, who have a lot of experience with YA lit, have mixed feelings about this overcorrection. But TPTB in the publishing industry are all-in on it. Just like previous overkills, *some* of it sells (or circulates at the library), but only a select few. The rest is destined to be pulped.
WOW! I had no idea you were responsible for both "Geography Club" and "After Elton." Both my husband and I came out very late in life and while I am grateful for the experiences that shaped us on the way there, I am certain if I had been able to connect with my tribe through literature (or frankly anything) I might have gotten to my authentic self sooner. Well done and 'thank you' for your contributions to enlightening and reassuring.
You're very sweet. 😍😍
Michael was the editor of AfterElton. He did most of the heavy lifting. 🙂
Well I think you make a formidable team. Wayne and I launch our own nomadic life 9/15 with a flight to Lisbon. So looking forward to following your example for inspiration and sanity checks.
So great! Congrats!
I’d probably enjoy anything you wrote, based on your and Michael’s Substack here. This was a great story. As the I Ching says, Persistence furthers. 😉
A great lesson for all authors and would be authors!
Was the GLAAD letter bad? I have not followed up but the NYT hasn't posted any highly misleading articles about transgender people or drag queens in a while..or I have not noticed any. I was a little weirded out by the fact the NYT in one story prior to this letter sponsored their own 'research study' because the research wasn't favorable to the author's intended conclusion. So if the letter makes them more careful about bias, this would be good, wouldn't it?
See, I think the letter made an extremely dubious case, and basically it amounted to: don't publish opinions or even findings that we don't like. Emily's article, which was the centerpiece of the letter, was a casebook example of great journalism, IMHO. I think it's a bad idea to make people choose between your cause and basic journalism.
But the greater issue is, I think an activist's greatest asset is their credibility. I think they seriously squandered theirs with strained and dogmatic readings of articles, in a way that will make them less effective in the future.
But thats just my take. I know others disagree! 🙂
I appreciate your honest answer AND your pioneering as an author. It’s so wonderful how far YA literature has come, and your book played a major role. This wasn’t my impression (influenced by someone I respect who is a sociologist/demographer and a whiz at data whose research has nothing to do with transgender issues) but I will look at the letter again, and think about what you said.
I thought this was a fair assignment:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/06/15/new-york-times-transgender-coverage-controversy/
This was so uplifting to read, thank you! Looking at the state of Montana, where I live, which has taken one of those very dark turns, it never goes wrong to be reminded that we're not alone in what we're facing, and that these battles aren't new.
Did you ever read the more recent book "Darius the Great Is Not Okay," by Adib Khorram? I really loved it. The main character doesn't come out really until the second book but the way the author grapples with mental health and racism felt so needed and well done.
Thanks! I have not read that yet. I need to! I've seen it all over.
What a wonderful , unique story. Thank you for sharing it.
Thank you! Appreciate that.
Dear Brent:
Well, I'll be. I picket up a copy of "Geography Club" shortly after it got published. I was in A Different Light Book Store on Castro Street in San Francisco just a short time after I had come out and moved to my first home after my "second birthday" in Oakland. By that time, A Different Light had a section on LGBTQIA+ YA literature and I noticed it there. I was intrigued because my BA from college is in Geography and I have been a lifelong teacher of teenagers, and I was openly gay at that time. The books you mentioned by the other authors in this recent post have all been read by me, along with about 100 other YA literature. It's one of my favorite guilty pleasures. I enjoyed to the movie so much, I've seen it 3 times. I'm glad I was able to help you achieve the lifestyle to which you've become accustomed. I do have one request, though. Could you please send me the titles of the 8 sequels you wrote for "Geography Club"? I need to keep ThriftBooks in business. Thanks for this stroll down memory lane. Take care, say hi to Michael, and be safe.
How wonderful! I remember A Different Light well. And yes, a lot of geography buffs were offended when my characters in the book suggest geography is boring!
Here's the list of all the other novels:
https://www.brenthartinger.com/p/the-russel-middlebrook-books
👏🏾👏
Inspirational! I’m glad you had such success with. May you have many more.
I thought the article about celebrities would be a good jumpstart for something, but IDK.
The only big success I had in life was raising and showing one breed of dog, and being fortunate enough to breed several influential dogs. But that’s a real niche talent.
Always wanted to write a book. Massive writer’s block, lol!
Thanks! When the time is right, the book will come, I promise. :-)
Better come soon, I’m 72 in a week, lol! But thanks!
🤣🤣🤣
Now I am very intrigued to find and read this book, Brent!
Thanks! Hope you enjoy....
I’ve always meant to delve deeper and find out more about your writing (both of you!) since I’ve only met you through travel work. I just tried to her some of your work on Kindle and I can see probably everything except for Geography Club which seems like the place I want to start! - is it my Aussie Amazon that’s restricting me or is there a reason I can’t find it?
Hmmm, that's one of the ones that I don't control the rights to! I honestly have no idea what the rights situation is in Australia (they never tell us writers anything. lol)
It may be in the local library?
Ugh *get not her!
Hi Brent! I remember GEOGRAPHY CLUB. I seem to be very close to you in my career trajectory. My first YA novel was 2001 or so. Anyway, the YA NOVELIST to Travel writer seems to be a thing. Really enjoying your substack. You guys are giving me a lot of good ideas for places to go.
Hey Blake! Love it, glad you joined Substack, in travel writing, no less. Yeah we live in an era where there are SO MANY new possibilities for writers. As writers, we're definitely in a "best of times, worst of times" situation. lol
Are you permanently nomading?
No, I have an apartment in Portland. I find I run out of gas after a couple weeks in most situations. But I'm usually solo, so that probably has something to do it. Also, my substack has morphed into a kind of memoir-travel thing, where I write about trips from different eras in my life.... So I don't have to be constantly on the road.
Thank you for paving the way for me!
Aw, that's not necessarily -- I was just in the right place at the right time. But you're very sweet to say that!
Why do you think GLAAD’s actions were spectacularly misguided?
I think their high-profile accusation that the NY Times (and particularly, Emily's article) was transphobic is/was profoundly wrong. They're strategy is clearly to suppress any debate or discussion of transgender issues -- to lump it all together as part of "right-wing misinformation." But there is, in fact, an ongoing debate on a lot of these issues, and there's a lot of grey areas in the margins. I think the Times' coverage has been great, and I thought Emily's article was fantastic, and by portraying it as something different, GLAAD greatly hurt their own credibility. Yes, the Times sometimes publish articles that raise uncomfortable issues, and I disagree with some of their opinion pieces on this topic. But that's literally the whole point of journalism. I WANT to read these pieces, at least if they're done in good faith (which 99.999% of the Times' articles have been; Emily's article was sensitive and profound). It's a very bad thing when activists attack the very *idea* of journalism. Debate is uncomfortable and messy, but IMHO, activists should welcome it, at least as practiced by the Times, not attack and try to suppress it. They plays right into our political opponents' hands.
I...what? If the Times published an op-Ed about how conversion therapy actually is a solid idea, would you feel the same way?
I don't agree that their coverage has been anything akin to that, even their op-eds. I think Emily's article was responsible and sensitive, and she was covering an actual ongoing good faith debate in the medical community. She should not have been viciously attacked for that.
"The medical community" also debated the existence and mental soundness of gay people "in good faith" for decades, despite the lived experience and testimony of millions of people. What on earth.