2 pm Everything But the... Dragons? (concurrent)
The teenagers these five YA authors write about aren’t slaying dragons or casting spells, but the trials they face are just as monumental. After all, what’s scarier than growing up? And isn’t coming of age and figuring out your place in the world a kind of magic? In this fantastic – if not fantastical – discussion, we’ll talk about writing authentically about adolescence and tackling tough topics in a way that’s engaging for all ages.
Moderated by Theresa Hegel, Executive Editor, Digital Content, ASI
Jennifer Gilmore, If Only (Harper Collins 7/18) Jennifer Gilmore is the author of We Were Never Here as well as three novels for adults: The Mothers, Something Red, and Golden Country (a New York Times Notable Book, a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award).
Robin Gow, A Million Quiet Revolutions (Macmillan 3/22) Robin Gow is a trans and queer poet, editor, and educator from rural Pennsylvania. They are the director and founder of Transcendent Connections, an organization that provides trans education resources to support trans youth. They live in Pennsylvania with their partner and pug dog named Gertrude. Twitter @gow_robin_frank
Phil Stamper, Golden Boys (Macmillan 2/22) Phil Stamper is the national bestselling author of The Gravity of Us (2/20) and As Far as You'll Take Me (9/21) He grew up in a rural village near Dayton, Ohio. He has a B.A. in Music and an M.A. in Publishing with Creative Writing. And, unsurprisingly, a lot of student debt. He works for a major book publisher in New York City and lives in Brooklyn with his husband and their dog. www.philstamper.com • @stampepk
Jordan Sonnenblick, Falling Over Sideways (Scholastic 3/17) Jordan Sonnenblick is the author of the acclaimed Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie, After Ever After, Notes from the Midnight Driver, Zen and the Art of Faking It, Falling Over Sideways, and middle-grade novels The Secret Sheriff of Sixth Grade and The Boy Who Failed Show and Tell.
Devon Taylor, Dagger Hill (Swoon Reads 8/21) Devon Taylor was born in Las Vegas, Nevada, and currently lives in Pennsylvania with his wife and two daughters. His day job consists of sneaking around the house with ninja-like stealth to avoid waking up his kids. When not writing, reading, or tediously typing out text messages with all the correct spelling and punctuation, he spends his time with his family. He is the author of Dagger Hill and the Soul Keepers duology -The Soul Keepers & The Ghost Keepers.
