SCBWI member Lee Wind’s new Queer YA Podcast Bypasses “Don’t Say Gay” Legislation to Empower LGBTQIA2+ Teens – an Interview by Lin Oliver

Sometimes, the people behind the scenes at SCBWI have news. I took the opportunity to talk to Lee Wind, SCBWI’s official blogger, about an initiative he’s launched this June.

Lin: Hi Lee! What’s behind turning your YA audiobook into a podcast?

Lee: Making the audiobook of Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill into a podcast that’s free and available to anyone, anywhere, is a way around the banning of books with LGBTQIA2+ content, and the recent legislation banning any mention of Queer lives and loves from public schools all the way through 12th grade in Florida, and beyond.

With every chapter an episode, QUEER AS A FIVE-DOLLAR BILL: THE PODCAST, will drop thirty-six episodes on five Thursdays in June. 

Lin: What do you hope the podcast accomplishes?

If I’d found out that Abraham Lincoln was in love with another man back when I was thirteen, or fifteen, it would have changed my whole life. Growing up gay and closeted, the idea that important people in history were also guys who like-liked other guys might have helped me love myself a little bit more – it certainly would have given me hope.

While I don’t have a time machine to go back and give my books to myself when I most needed them, I can pay it forward. QUEER AS A FIVE-DOLLAR BILL: THE PODCAST is a way to empower the young people who need this today.

Lin: Speak to us about the partnership between Lerner, your traditional publisher for the nonfiction books, and self-publishing your novel QUEER AS A FIVE-DOLLAR BILL.

Lee: Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill is the fictional story of Wyatt, a bullied and closeted teen who triggers a conservative backlash and media firestorm when he reveals the real-world evidence that Abraham Lincoln was gay. I crowd-funded and published the book in 2018, raising enough money to hire a great team to professionally publish the novel and donate over 900 copies to LGBTQIA2+ teens with the help of the nonprofit Brave Trails. The audiobook was brilliantly narrated by Michael Crouch, who also voiced the audiobook of Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill won the National Indie Excellence Award for Best Book: LGBTQ For Children & Young Adults and was named a Publishers Weekly Indie Success Story. Kirkus Reviews said, “The premise is a real hook… with real potential to influence and educate, on top of entertaining.”

The evidence that Lincoln was indeed in love with another man is further explored in my award-winning non-fiction book for ages 11 and up, No Way, They Were Gay? Hidden Lives and Secret Loves (Zest Books/Lerner Publishing Group), and with their kind permission, the Lincoln chapter including the primary source letters and analysis is available as a free PDF download from my website, leewind.org

Bonus episodes of the podcast will include me being interviewed by legendary children’s and YA author and poet Lesléa Newman, a new audio recording of the Lincoln chapter from No Way, They Were Gay?, and a sneak peek at the introduction from my upcoming nonfiction title The Gender Binary is a Big Lie (Zest Books/Lerner Publishing Group, April 2024.)

It’s great synergy between the book I published myself and the books I have with Lerner, and I can’t say enough great things about the team there. Special shout-outs to Rachel Zugschwert who’s their marketing genius and my amazing editor Shaina Olmanson.

Lin: What do you have coming out next?

Lee: I’m really excited about a new picture book that will be coming out from Reycraft Books, Love of the Half-Eaten Peach. It’s inspired by a true love story from Queer history… back before China was unified, in the time of Confucius, there was a ruler of the state of Wei, Yuan, Duke Ling of Wei. Yuan loved this guy, Mi Zi Xia. They were walking through an orchard and Zi Xia picked a ripe peach off a tree and started to eat it. It was so delicious he stopped after a few bites and offered the half-eaten peach to Yuan. The Duke made a really big deal about Zi Xia giving up his own joy to share it… Something about that moment captured the imagination of people at that time, and for over 1,000 years, the way they said “gay” in Chinese was “love of the half-eaten peach.”

I took that true story, and did a lyrical, epic fairy-tale take on it. The artwork by Jeiting Chen is breath-taking – I can’t wait for the world to see it, and to learn about this amazing story from our Queer history.

Lin: Happy Pride month!

Lee: Thanks, Lin. Knowing SCBWI is a community that cares about me and my LGBTQIA2+ community means more than I can express. I continue to be grateful for the opportunity to be part of the good work SCBWI does!

**

Lin Oliver is Managing Director of the SCBWI Impact and Legacy Fund, is the co-founder of SCBWI, a New York Times best-selling author of over 65 books for children, and Executive Producer of numerous television series and films for family audiences. She is a prominent advocate for literacy and has served on the Board of the Los Angeles Library Foundation and Advisory Council of Common Sense Media.

Tomie dePaola Masterclass Released for Free

All of us in SCBWI and the children’s book community lost a dear friend and artist in Tomie dePaola. Anyone who has been lucky enough to dine or converse with him, or simply to be near his great big gregarious spirit, knows that he was the genuine article: a singular personality, and a master artist.

As we mourn his loss, we also want to celebrate his incredible body of work and his long and dear friendship with our organization. 

We are making available to members his entire Master Class DVD that he shot with Lin Oliver, where the two of them go in depth and discuss the modern picture book, a form he helped to invent and elevate. With outsized generosity, Tomie breaks down the history of the picture book, his approach, his working methods—everything you’d want to know about how he crafts a work of art for children. Tomie was incredibly proud of this Master Class. So please enjoy it, and pull a book or three of his off the shelf.

In a discussion with Lin Oliver, the master class is PACKED with insights, information, and inspiration.

Here's a quote from just the first minutes:

“If the words are more important than the pictures, that would be an illustrated storybook.... For me, the picturebook, once the child has had the book read to them, they can remember the story just by looking at the pictures.” —Tomie dePaola

Members can visit this page on the scbwi website to watch the class!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Sticks and Stones and the Stories We Tell: Ten BIPOC Creators Discuss Turning Racism Into Art

In this free-to-all panel from SCBWI, sparked from an idea from renowned illustrator, author, and teacher Pat Cummings, ten also renowned children's book creators share their experience with racism and how they've aimed to transform those experiences into art.

In the opening minutes, Lin Oliver also introduces SCBWI's brand new Chief Equity and Inclusion Office, April Powers.

Lin Oliver (top left) introduces April Powers (center), SCBWI's Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer, while sign language interpreter 

In her introduction, Pam Cummings said,

“Talking about the problem is one thing, but how do you use it? How do we get constructive with this? How does this turn up in our work?”

Answers and stories and so much more are shared by Crystal Allen, Floyd Cooper, Lamar Giles, Rafael Lopez, Meg Medina, Linda Sue Park, Christian Robinson, Shadra Strickland, and Lisa Yee.

It's well-worth watching.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Lin Oliver's Message to SCBWI Members Expressing Support for Justice for Black People Everywhere

This was published in the June 2, 2020 SCBWI Insight eNewsletter.

Dear Members,

As we bear witness to the events taking place across our country, the SCBWI Executive Committee would like to express our support for justice for Black people everywhere. We create books for children, books that will influence what kind of adults this generation of children will become. It is unacceptable to ignore racial inequity and systems that continue to oppress the Black community. At SCBWI, we are examining our policies and executing plans to increase programs and actions that promote more inclusivity and equity.

We applaud the contributions of our African-American members who create books that provide perspective on our history, who are developing a canon of work that tells the untold stories from the point of view of many people, not just the majority. Yet we acknowledge that these voices are still underrepresented in our membership. We can do better to boost this important work and these talented creators, and we will.

Personally, I feel this is a time for those of us who are white to look within to examine our own attitudes and behaviors about race, to think deeply about what biases we may be harboring, and to reflect on how we can use our intellectual, emotional, and financial resources to boost the struggle against long-standing racial injustice. Every member of the dominant culture needs to find new ways to listen, learn, and take action. Look to your work to model values you believe in. Look to your community for ways you can use your access to send a strong message or promote change. If you can, donate to organizations that support Black lives; SCBWI has compiled a list of organizations where you can contribute. I myself have donated to several organizations that stand for equity and inclusion, and I know members of our Board of Advisors are doing the same. My hope is that all of us will do what we can to reduce the gap between “us” and “them” and know that in safeguarding human rights for one group, we are safeguarding them for everyone.

We are influential. We are powerful. Let’s commit to using our power to acknowledge injustice, to struggle against prejudice, and to take a stand.

Lin Oliver
Executive Director

SCBWI Insight - The Latest Benefit of Membership!

SCBWI Insight is a new, monthly report on the children's book field. Members will receive their copies of Insight on the first of every month.

Here's a peek at what's in the inaugural issue,  June 1, 2015:

Cyberspace As A Source For Book Acquisitions
In this article, Lin Oliver, Author and SCBWI Executive Director explores new paths to traditional publication, exploring examples from Twitter, Blogging, YouTube, Facebook and authors' and illustrators' websites.

SCBWI Exclusive with... Allyn Johnston
A profile and Q&A with VP & Publisher Allyn Johnston of Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.

On the Shelves
This month Dolly's Books in Park City, Utah, weighs in on what books readers "can't put down" and how the store is open to being contacted directly by local authors and illustrators.

Illustrator Info
4 Questions for ... Jannie Ho
Full-time Illustrator Jannie (who started out as an in-house designer at Nickelodeon, Scholastic and an art director at TIME Magazine for Kids) answers questions aimed to help other working illustrators, including advice about how to break into children's magazines.

Best Advice Ever...
Linda Sue Park shares the best single piece of advice she's ever received.
No surprise, it's brilliant. But then, so is Linda Sue Park!

Draw This!...
BOUNCE was June's word, and the featured images are from Kathryn Ault Noble and Bryan Langdo.

Info Links
A collection of blogs, news articles and other must-see links for authors and illustrators

Monthly Contest
Funny first lines...
A chance to get that first line (of a picture book or novel) noticed!


Wanna read these articles, enter your work for Draw This! (July's prompt is "Adventure") and maybe enter the Funny First Lines contest, too? Members can. We hope you join us! Find out all the details (and other benefits) of SCBWI membership here.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

The Writers Intensives at the Upcoming 2012 SCBWI Winter Conference

I recently sat down with Lin Oliver, Executive Director of SCBWI, to find out more about the Writers Intensives on Friday January 27, 2012.

There are two different full-day writers intensives this year:

The Roundtable Intensive for Writers, where you get a chance to share your work with (and get immediate feedback from) editors and agents.   (This sells out every year.)

And new for this conference, a Marketing For Professional Writers Intensive.  In our video, Lin explains the what and why of this amazing new opportunity for authors.




You can see the full Roundtable Intensive for Writers and Marketing For Professional Writers Intensive schedules here.

Register for the intensive that's right for you, and the whole Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference here.

We hope to see you there!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

The Marketing Intensive for Illustrators at the 2012 SCBWI Winter Conference: What You Need To Know

I sat down with Lin Oliver, SCBWI's Executive Director, to find out more about the upcoming full-day intensive program, Marketing For Illustrators, on Friday January 27, 2012.  


You can see the full Marketing For Illustrators Intensive day's schedule here, and register for that and the whole Lucky 13th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference here.

What an amazing - and essential- opportunity!

We hope to see you there.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Every Poster Has a Story: The Scoop on the First-Ever Golden Kite Awards Poster

SCBWI recently unveiled its first-ever poster featuring winners of the organization's coveted annual Golden Kite Awards. The debut poster was beautifully illustrated by John Parra, 2010 Golden Kite winner for picture book illustration.

"We asked John to illustrate the poster for two reasons—one, because we knew his style would be absolutely perfect for the poster art. Second, because we hoped to start a tradition that the winner of the Picture Book Illustration category of the Golden Kite Award would illustrate the poster to commemorate the following year's winners," says Sarah Baker, SCBWI's Manager of Illustration and Design.

"John needed very little in the way of suggestions or notes. We just told him the poster was to celebrate the next year of Golden Kite winners, the dimensions of the poster of course, and that it should feature the kite somewhere. He took it upon himself to add an image representing each winning book, a really great touch!"

"Working on the Golden Kite Poster was a wonderful and great thrill for me," says John Parra. "The concept comes from when I received my Golden Kite Award from SCBWI in 2010 for the book, GRACIAS/THANKS, and how I felt a soaring emotion like the bird in the poster. The child characters in the image represent us all taking that wonderful journey into literature and art that we collectively celebrate and cherish. Many of the other icons and imagery that surround these main characters are sample images representing each of this year's 2011 Golden Kite winners. I always enjoy seeing the final print when type is added and I was honored to have it presented at this year's SCBWI 40th Annual Summer Conference in Los Angeles."

"I absolutely fell in love with John's art from the moment I saw the first sketch, and finding typefaces and designing the poster around his art was so much fun. It was thrilling when his painting arrived in the mail, and thrilling once again to see the finished printed poster," says Sarah. "Presenting it in front of the 1,300 attendees at the Golden Kite Award Luncheon was more terrifying than anything, but so much fun to see how much everyone else loved the poster as much as we did. This was a great start to an annual tradition of Golden Kite Award celebration posters, and I can't wait to work on next year's!"

SCBWI Executive Director Lin Oliver adds: “We hope this beautiful poster will not only honor the outstanding books that have won the SCBWI Golden Kite Award, but will go a long way to expanding the public visibility and sales of these deserving books. We want to see their names highly visible to the reading public.”

E.B. Lewis Joins the SCBWI Board of Advisors

A few weeks ago acclaimed illustrator E.B. Lewis was appointed to the SCBWI Board of Advisors. Among other awards, he's won a Caldecott Honor for COMING ON HOME SOON, written by Jacqueline Woodson and the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award for TALKIN' ABOUT BESSIE, written by Nikki Grimes. (See the cover images below.)

“The Board is looking forward to the unique contribution he can bring to the organization,” says President Stephen Mooser. "E.B. Lewis just appeared as our Amber Brown speaker at a school in Boston, where his inspirational message and talent continues to bring pride to SCBWI principles," says Executive Director Lin Oliver. "His enthusiasm for encouraging young artists and promoting literacy perfectly matches the goals of SCBWI. "

E.B. was on the faculty of SCBWI's 2010 Annual Summer Conference. I'm sorry if you missed him speak--it was terrific and inspiring  and seeing his warm, wonderful paintings on the giant ballroom screen was awesome. Here are links to two posts covering his presenations:

• E.B. Lewis Saturday Afternoon Keynote: Pursue Your Passions
• E.B. Lewis- Process vs. Product: Pointing Our Kids in the Right Direction 

In a recent email to SCBWI board, E.B. said: "I am honored by the appointment and thank you all for your support. I will do my best to advance the mission of SCBWI and look forward to working with you all." Speaking on behalf of the board, I can say we all look forward to having him among our ranks. Welcome E.B. Lewis!

 

Lin Oliver & Henry Winkler Among Those to Be Honored by PEN USA

PEN USA, the West Coast center for International PEN, will salute the winners of its 2010 Literary Awards at its 20th Annual Literary Awards Festival next Wednesday, November 17th, at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Among this year's honorees are SCBWI's own Lin Oliver and her writing partner Henry Winkler! Lin and Henry will receive an Award of Merit. PEN will also offer awards for outstanding work by writers in 11 separate genres.

“Henry Winkler and I feel honored that our HANK ZIPZER  books have received the Award of Merit from PEN," says Lin. "The books are essentially about a boy who is different because he has learning challenges, and how he develops the humor, acceptance and resourcefulness to realize his dreams in the world. In this time, when so many kids who are different are being bullied, we’re happy that our books have made a contribution to the literature of acceptance and inclusion--virtues we all need to practice.”

Paul Fleischman will take home the Children's/Young Adult Literature award for his book THE DUNDERHEADS (Candlewick). And none other than Hugh Hefner will receive an Award of Honor & First Amendment Award. (I'm sure he'll bring a date.)

Congratulations to Lin & Henry for this award for their wonderful contribution to children's literature. I wish we could all attend the ceremony!

SCBWI's Lin Oliver & Stephen Mooser Receive Mentor Award from The Eric Carle Museum

Last week SCBWI Executive Director Lin Oliver and SCBWI President Stephen Mooser received the Mentor award at The Carle Honors ceremony held in New York City. The awards, given by the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, celebrate "the creative vision and long-term dedication of key individuals and organizations to the art of the picture book and its vital role in supporting art appreciation, early literacy and critical thinking." Other recipients included David Macaulay (Artist), Kendra and Allan Daniel (Angel), and Nancy Schön (Bridge).

"It was a beautiful evening, in a fabulous and elegant space under the 59th Street Bridge," Lin told the SCBWI Board of Advisors. "Pat Cummings introduced us, and described the work of the SCBWI. Steve and I said a few words about SCBWI’s humble beginnings, and how it has grown into the powerful and proud organization it is today. I hope we gave proper credit to all the central figures who forged our mission and our group... Sue Alexander, Jane Yolen, Sid Fleischman, Don Freeman, Tomie dePaola... those who were there from the first day and put us on the map."

Considering the number of awards and grants SCBWI offers, Lin and Steve are more often on the giving end of such honors. "We are always more comfortable giving out awards than receiving them, especially for work that has been done by so many dedicated people throughout the years," Lin says. "Next summer in LA will be our 40th conference. That is awesome, humbling and terrifying all at once. Standing in front of that group Thursday night, though, we really felt the impact of those 40 years, and it was one of those moments when you just stand back and say, 'Yes, this is good.'"

 Steve Mooser, Eric Carle, and Lin Oliver

First-Ever Retrospective of Golden Kite-Winning Art: Golden Kite, Golden Dreams Opens July 8th

The National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature in Abilene, Texas is presenting Golden Kite Golden Dreams: the SCBWI Awards Retrospective. This amazing exhibit curated by David Diaz features Golden Kite Medal and Honor Winners from 1974 to 2010 and is the first retrospective of its kind.

The exhibit features artwork from an array of prestigious, influential and talented artists, many of whom are also Caldecott Award Winners. Media range from ink, pencil, acrylic, gouache, and watercolors to cut paper. The exhibit displays 75 pieces of artwork from 50 artists. Check out this list:

Keith Baker, Kristen Balouch, Carlyn Beccia, Barbara Helen Berger, Holly Berry, Jean Cassels, Tim Coffey, Gregory Christie, Larry Day, Diane de Groat, Tomie dePaola, Donna Diamond, Marla Frazee, Ponder Goembel, Kevin Hawkes, Trina Schart Hyman, Erick Ingraham, Kathy Jacobi, Susan Jeffers, William Joyce, Beth Krommes, Barbara LaVallee, Carol Lerner, Loren Long, Suse MacDonald, Laura McGee Kvasnosky, Barbara McClintock, Charles Mikolaycak, Lauren Mills, Yuyi Morales, Dennis Nolan, John Parra, Jerry Pinkney, Alice Provensen, Robert Sabuda, David Shannon, Uri Shulevitz, Aki Sogabe, Janet Stevens, Lauren Stringer, Lynn Sweat, Melissa Sweet, Amy Walrod, Richard Jesse Watson, Kurt Werth, Don Wood, Hyewon Yum

The Golden Kite Award, which was instituted in 1974, is given annually by SCBWI to recognize excellence in children’s literature in four categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Picture Book Text, and Picture Book Illustration. Golden Kite Awards are the only children’s literary award judged by a jury of peers. With this exhibit SCBWI hopes to bring the Golden Kite winning artwork to a wide audience.

Golden Kite, Golden Dreams runs July 8th through October 1st at the NCCIL, with an opening event Thursday, July 8th, featuring a demonstration from two visiting illustrators and a talk on the Golden Kite Award by Lin Oliver and Steve Mooser. There's an exhibit opening gala dinner on Friday, July 9th, during which NCCIL Museum Director Debbie Lillick, David Diaz and Lin and Steve will share a few words. And Saturday, July 10th, will be a day of exhibit events and talks welcoming SCBWI members, including demonstrations by Barbara McClintock and Richard Jesse Watson.

Visit the NCCIL website for more information.

(If you're not in the Abilene area the Hilton Garden Inn in Abilene is offering a rate of $99 per night, with a made to order breakfast included.)