Books and Writing

Conceptual Tools and Empirical Data

PDF Link: Kathryn Jacobs, "Gender Representation in Young Adult Literature"

PDF Link: Cady Lewis, " How Far Have We Come? A Critical Look at LGBTQ Identity in Young Adult Literature"

How Gender Stereotypes in Children’s Books Shape Career ChoicesBy age 7 children’s aspirations are shaped by gender stereotypes. Schools and parents can do better.

Women Were Better Represented in Victorian Novels Than Modern OnesBig data shows that women used to be omnipresent in fiction. Then men got in the way

According to 3.5 Million Books, Women Are Beautiful and Men Are RationalA new study highlights literature's gender bias -- as well as the dangers of artificial intelligence trained on sexist language.

A Brief History of Queer Language Before Queer IdentityThroughout literary history, queers have had to be smarter than the rest: we’ve had to hide in plain sight. In a literary canon full of straight, white men, it can be a powerful thing to suggest th…

Where Is the Diversity in Publishing? The 2019 Diversity Baseline Survey ResultsLee & Low Books released the first Diversity Baseline Survey (DBS 1.0) in 2015. Before the DBS, people suspected publishing had a diversity problem, but without hard numbers, the extent of that…

Homme de Plume: What I Learned Sending My Novel Out Under a Male NameThe plan made me feel dishonest and creepy, so it took me a long time to send my novel out under a man’s name. But each time I read a study about unconscious bias, I got a little closer to trying it.

Homophobia Index - TV TropesThese tropes can involve negative attitudes towards or stereotypes about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and/or gender non-conforming people, and they run the gamut from relatively minor limitations (on clothing choices, mannerisms …

Gender and Sexuality Tropes - TV TropesAll about gender and sexual identity. For romance, see Love Tropes. For eroticism and sexual behavior, see Sex Tropes. For tropes that bend gender lines, see Gender-Blending Tropes. Tropes: Categories: Always Female Femininity Tropes Women Are …

Discussions and Examples

Women Aren't Aliens (and Other Thoughts on the Andrew Smith Controversy)This post examines a controversy about how YA author Andrew Smith depicts women in his books.

15 Novels That Subvert Traditional Gender RolesThis weekend marked the 50th anniversary of Gore Vidal’s boundary-breaking novel Myra Breckinridge, which in a contemporary review, the New York Times called “a genuinely, brutally witt…

Women Who TranslateWhat Happens to Our Deeply Gendered Understanding of the Act of Translating a Text When the Translator is a Woman?

Not seeing anything above? Reauthenticate

Historically, men translated the Odyssey. Here’s what happened when a woman took the job."Tell me about a complicated man." So begins Emily Wilson’s new translation, which reveals how the ancient story is relevant today.

Breaking Down Strong Female Characters In Literature | TCRLiterature has many examples of seemingly strong female characters. But what are strong female characters? Find out in this article.

13 Necessary Queer Literary Classics For Every BookshelfFrom Virginia Woolf’s ‘Orlando’ and James Baldwin’s ‘Giovanni’s Room’ to Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning ‘The Color Purple’ and Ocean Vuong’s 2019 debut — the queer literary landscape is vibrant, expansive and ready to be explored

How genre has failed and served queer representationTwo years ago, during my annual pilgrimage to the Lesbian Herstory Archives’ book sale, I stumbled across Kindred Spirits, the first anthology of gay and lesbian science fiction stories ever, to my knowledge, published.

Queer Representation in Books: Give Me All of It, Every Kind"Give me queer suffering and give me queer celebration." One reader plumbs the depths of queer literature and considers queer representation in books.

The inherent homophobia of the Harry Potter seriesA look into the gay representation (or utter lack thereof) across the Harry Potter franchise.

Why devoted 'Harry Potter' fans feel betrayed by J.K. Rowling and the 'Fantastic Beasts' franchise"Harry Potter" fans who identify as queer are at a breaking point when it comes to J.K. Rowling and David Yates's comments about Albus Dumbledore being gay.

Harry Potter and the Author Who Failed UsJ.K. Rowling’s transphobic beliefs have failed Harry Potter fans.

The politics of fictionListening to stories widens the imagination; telling them lets us leap over cultural walls, embrace different experiences, feel what others feel. Elif Shafak builds on this simple idea to argue that fiction can overcome identity politics.

How creative writing can help you through life's hardest momentsHave you ever seen or experienced something and wished you spoke up? Writer Sakinah Hofler makes the case for writing as a tool to help you process difficult memories and reclaim the power they may hold. Pick up a pen or pull up a keyboard and follow along as she walks you through how to unburden your mind and inspire reflection.

Why So Many U.S. Students Are Learning Lies About America’s Racial Past<span>High-school textbooks too often gloss over the American government’s oppression of racial minorities.</span>

Rick Riordan: Representation Done RightChildren are finally seeing themselves in characters, and that is so important.

YouTube Playlist

A collection of various videos, interviews, and analyses that you may draw inspiration from. You can add to the playlist as well, or use it as a starting point to curate your own, more specific set.

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