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Am I Blue?: Coming Out from the Silence

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Am I Blue?: Coming Out from the Silence

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Description

Original stories by C. S. Adler, Marion Dane Bauer, Francesca Lia Block, Bruce Coville, Nancy Garden, James Cross Giblin, Ellen Howard, M. E. Kerr, Jonathan London, Lois Lowry, Gregory Maguire, LeslEa Newman, Cristina Salat, William Sleator, Jacqueline Woodson, and Jane Yolen Each of these stories is original, each is by a noted author for young adults, and each honestly portrays its subject and theme--growing up gay or lesbian, or with gay or lesbian parents or friends.

Reviews:

"For the first-ever anthology of YA fiction devoted to lesbian and gay themes, Bauer ( On My Honor ) has assembled original stories by a stellar list of popular children's and YA authors, among them M. E. Kerr, Nancy Garden, William Sleator, Jane Yolen, C. S. Adler and Bruce Coville. With subjects ranging from first love to coming out, self-discovery to homophobia, the collection offers an eclectic mix of voices. Newbery winner Lois Lowry, for example, contributes "Holding," a poignant tale of a high school student who confides in his best friend after the death of his gay father's lover, while Francesca Lia Block weighs in with the wonderfully quirky "Winnie and Teddy," in which a teenager comes out to his girlfriend during a momentous road trip to San Francisco. Perhaps the book's most powerful moments are provided by Jacqueline Woodson's shimmering "Slipping Away," a painful look at one girl's discovery that there are some tests that a friendship simply cannot withstand; and Gregory Maguire's "The Honorary Shepherds," which deftly employs the language of a film treatment to describe two mixed-race students who collaborate on a school video project. Honest, well-written and true to life, these stories will do much to address the gap in gay literature for teens. Part of the proceeds from the book will be donated to Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. Ages 12-up." Publishers Weekly

"Grade 7 Up-This collection of 18 short stories by recognized children's and young adult authors explores the various meanings of gay/lesbian identity in the lives of teenagers. The book begins and ends with thoughtful commentaries by Bauer, and each story is followed by an afterword by its author that ranges from ho-hum to fascinating; the best tell the "story behind the story" and reveal the ways in which gay/lesbian issues or individuals have touched the authors' lives. Most feature white, middle-class, suburban/urban milieus, although several stories have a more diverse cast than is generally found in YA fiction. All seek to convey the very mixed emotions that accompany the acceptance of sexual difference at an age that places a high value on conformity to an established norm. Although the title story is a humorous fantasy featuring a camp fairy godfather who comes to the aid of a gay-bashing victim, most of the tales are realistic portrayals of contemporary YAs. In Nancy Garden's "Parents Night," an unexpected reconciliation occurs between a young lesbian and her father, while in Bauer's "Dancing Backward," the trauma of two young women's boarding school expulsion is offset by the revelation of their love. In Lois Lowry's "Holding," a young man returns from the funeral of his father's partner and finally tells his best friend that his father is gay, while James Cross Giblin's "Three Mondays in July" captures the isolation of small-town life in the early '50s. As is the case with most short story collections, the overall quality is uneven, but the best stories are memorable. They speak of survival and hope; they say, like the man on the beach in Giblin's story, "You're not alone."-Christine Jenkins, School Library Journal


   

Author Biography:

Marion Dane Bauer was awarded a Newbery Honor in 1987 for her book On My Honor. She has been publishing award-winning books since 1976, including Rain of Fire, which received the 1984 Jane Addams Children's Book Award, and the 1993 ALA Notable Children's Book What's Your Story A Young Person's Guide to Writing Fiction. She conceived of the idea and gathered the authors for this collection out of a conviction that those who write for young people have a responsibility, whenever possible, to speak out on subjects such as homosexuality that society attempts to shroud in silence. Ms. Bauer lives in Minneapolis with her partner, Ann Goddard.
Release date NZ
April 15th, 1995
Audience
  • General (US: Trade)
Pages
288
Dimensions
145x201x20
ISBN-13
9780064405874
Product ID
1718763

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