The first book I picked up off the New Arrivals shelf at my (small, rural, southern) local library was by a nonbinary author. Their pronouns were listed first thing in their bio section. I almost dropped the damn book out of sheer excitement.
Ya’ll, I live in the bible belt. I pass 17 confederate flags, 13 trump signs, and 21 churches (mostly southern baptist) on the short drive to my grandma’s house. but there is a small university campus nearby, there are visibly queer people on the sidewalks, and the local library is tiny but has a carefully curated selection of diverse writers. they even have a permanent Black Lives Matter display featuring new works from contemporary black writers. The graphic novel section in particular is filled with kid-friendly stories by international writers, introducing young readers to cultures from all around the world.
I can’t quite imagine this happening 20 years ago, in the South I grew up in. Certainly not on this scale. I loved going to the library as a kid, but mostly I remember finding books by white authors about white characters. I didn’t know queer literature existed; queer themes certainly weren’t allowed openly in the children and teen section. As a child, my world was made large by books. But in hindsight, that world was small and monochrome. I learned about friendship and bravery and magical worlds, but I didn’t learn about the other types of people and cultures living with me in this world. I should have been encouraged to do both. All readers should.
My local librarians certainly seem to think so. Here are some of the books I stumbled upon last time I was at the library.
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me - a lesbian love break-up story by Asian Canadian writer Mariko Tamaki (I highly recommend all of her other works too)
The Death of Vivek Oji - a story of loss and identity by the nonbinary Nigerian writer Akwaeke Emezi
Persepolis - a coming-of-age story about the author Marjane Satrapi’s childhood in Iran, growing up amidst revolution and war
The House In The Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune - a hope-filled story of magical misfit orphans and the two men who come together to protect them. Woven through with a gay love story with a happy ending.
Except for Persepolis, all of these are very recent publications. And I am so so excited to see what other new works and diverse voices the 2020s will bring to the shelves.
Anyway. Support libraries. Support education. Support public universities and other liberal enclaves. Give readers access to the stories they need to learn about our world and how colorful it truly is.
