Posts in Features
A Decade of LGBTQ YA Since Ash
A Decade of LGBTQ YA Since Ash

My first novel, Ash, was published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers almost ten years ago, in September 2009. It was a retelling of “Cinderella” with a twist: Ash, the Cinderella character, falls in love with a woman rather than with Prince Charming. Ash lives in a world in which same-sex love is normal, so she doesn’t have to suffer through any coming-out angst. She gets her happily ever after.

Ash was received so warmly by readers in 2009, and in the years since then I almost feel like I’ve ceased being the author of Ash and instead become the keeper of memories for this book. So many readers have emailed me or told me in person how Ash made them feel seen; how it showed them that it was OK to be gay; how comforted they felt by the story. This is not something a writer can ever expect or hope for, and I’ve been deeply touched by every person who has shared their love of Ash with me.

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FeaturesMalinda LoLGBTQ, statistics, LGBTQ YA By the Numbers, Ash
A belated annual review: 2018 to 2019
A belated annual review: 2018 to 2019

For many years I've posted an annual review at the end of each year in which I wrap up the previous year and give a preview of what's coming up. I didn't do that at the end of 2018, but as the weeks of 2019 roll by (slowly, filled with way too much news) I realized that I don't want to skip my annual review. So, even though this is a little late, here we go!

I had several short stories published last year, and it's not too late to read them!

"New Year" (published in Feb. 2018 in the anthology All Out) is about a Chinese American girl in 1950s San Francisco who discovers that there's a lesbian community right next door to her Chinatown home. If you're a regular reader of my blog or a follower on social media, you'll know that "New Year" is turning into a full-length novel (I'm working on it right now), so you can get a sneak peek at it in the story!

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FeaturesMalinda Loannual review, A Line in the Dark, Meet Cute, New Year, Red, Foreshadow, How I Resist, Fresh Ink, All Out, We Could Be Heroes
New short story: We Could Be Heroes
New short story: We Could Be Heroes

When I went to the Women's March in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2017, I was overwhelmed by the masses of marchers and the pain that so many of us felt at the inauguration of our current president.

But I was also amazed by so many other things: the sharp wit of the protest signs; the thousands upon thousands of hot pink knitted pussy hats; the feeling, prevalent throughout the city, of a nation on the edge of something huge and unknown.

After I returned home, I couldn't stop thinking about it. As is my way, I started wondering: what if something else happened at that inauguration? Since I'm a writer who has written science fiction, and I'm an American who (of course) has watched Independence Day, I naturally thought: what if there were an alien invasion?

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FeaturesMalinda LoWe Could Be Heroes
LGBTQ YA by the Numbers: 2015-16
LGBTQ YA by the Numbers: 2015-16

Since 2011, I've been tracking the number of young adult books about LGBTQ characters. Here are my statistics from 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014, as well as an overview of LGBT YA published by mainstream publishers from 2003–13. I took a break in 2015 and 2016, but this year I've decided to update my statistics to include the last two years. I have not calculated the numbers for 2017, since the year is not over yet.

Anyone who reads these posts can see that the topics I’ve been interested in unpacking have changed and focused, my methodology has been refined, and the language I’ve used to describe gender has changed as I’ve learned more and as the language itself has evolved. Before I begin, let me provide some context and background.

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FeaturesMalinda Lostatistics, LGBTQ, young adult literature, LGBTQ YA By the Numbers