Long ago,
before the greater patriarchal regime
and its correlated ciscentric literary sphere
were erected,
humanity existed in relative harmony…
but that all changed
when the gender binary attacked.

Gender—in its entirety, in it’s full spectrum—is especially hard to understand when representation of gender variance is such a rare occurrence in the lit-o-sphere. There’s a reason that textbooks are a staple of academia. You’ve heard the chants from the woke millennials.

Representation matters.

While characters who don’t fit within the gender binary never completely disappeared from the lit world, they have been historically few and far between. It was (and continues to be in many spaces) taboo, and therefore talked around rather than explicitly stated or explored.

Until recently.

With social justice in all its forms on the forefront of the collective global consciousness and conversation, there’s been a greater focus on diverse representation. In the iconic words of Bowie, the lit-o-sphere is undergoing some ch-ch-ch-changes and it’s about time we turn and face the strange*.

*it’s part of the lyric, not some subtle derogatory commentary. If nonbinary identities are strange, you should take a cold hard look at the dystopia that is The Gender Binary.

[cracks knuckles] Let’s begin.

1. CRUZ ROJAS from Michael Grant’s Gone series

According to the wiki for the Gone series fandom, Cruz identifies as a female. However I contest that she fits in the binary just because she uses female pronouns. Your honor, I call Monster, the book in which she debuts, to the stand.

On page 28, Cruz describes her gender as “e) all the above, trapped in a True/False quiz”, which is an especially apt analogy. The way it makes labeling your gender seem like some sort of test is all too relatable for those of us who’ve felt boxed in by the binary.

Cruz’s power in the novel is a sort of invisibility/camouflage which has interesting implications in conjunction to her gender identity. Perhaps a commentary on the ways in which non-binary identities have historically been largely invisible in the media/literary sphere. Perhaps a commentary on the occasional necessity of camouflage to ensure one’s safety when one doesn’t conform to (cis)gender norms.

Of course, Cruz’s power (and her company) would be integral in my crime fighting squad.

2.  ALEX FIERRO from Rick Riordan’s Gods of Asgard series

Alex Fierro—child of Loki, pottery enthusiast, light of my life.

Alex identifies as genderfluid which is represented gracefully within Riordan’s novels. Alex’s gender shifts as do the pronouns used to talk about the Norse demigod. Sometimes Alex is a daughter of Loki. Sometimes Alex is a son of Loki.

Like Cruz, Alex also has a power. He can shapeshift. Like Cruz, Alex’s power also has interesting implications. Perhaps a commentary on genderfluidity as it relates to shifting senses of self. Perhaps a commentary on our shifting perceptions of people based on how they identify.

What I find interesting is that, when Alex shifts from identifying as male to identifying as female (or vice versa), he doesn’t change his outward appearance. Just her pronoun.

Although the main character, who’s totally (and canonically) crushing on her, seems to pick up some visual changes—he alludes to the fact that the shift is in his perception more than it is in Alex’s actual physical appearance. I dig this because it shows that the physical isn’t inherently an indication of gender as well as a depiction of how one can respectfully perceive and interact with someone outside of the gender binary.

In my crime fighting squad, Alex’s friendship and her shapeshiftery would be revolutionary.

3.  SORO FLYNN from V. E. Schwab’s Monsters of Verity series

To be completely honest with you, dear reader, I haven’t yet read Our Savage Song or Our Dark Duet. So I can’t give you specifics on why Soro would make the best comrade in my crime fighting soiree. This being said, I can vouch for V. E. Schwab.

Soro is different from the aforementioned nonbinary characters in that they go by they/them pronouns. When a fan expressed their confusion and dislike surrounding the grammatically sound use of a singular they, Schwab responded in a way that made my queer heart sing.

Schwab addressed this, via twitter, “Soro is non-binary, hence the use of THEY. I’m sorry that it distracted you, but respecting identity is important. Please try harder.”

The majority of V. E. Schwabs books, according to the author, have been a reaction to something she’s read or haven’t been able to find. AKA: She’s all about that representation.

Schwab’s resume of representation in her personal lit-o-sphere is immaculate, her characters are fierce, and I cannot wait to meet Soro in Our Dark Duet (I’ve already purchased both a print and digital copy).

So, there you go!

My crime fighting, non-gender conforming, literary dream-squad.

We’d be a small, but capable group—and we’d always be looking for more members. Who do you think should join the squad? What powers do you think would complement our nonbinary identities? Comment below!

My mom used to gush how she read to me while in her womb, how I kicked when hearing a story. Essentially, I’ve been a reader before I could even read. I’ve also been fat most of my life, and sadly, as a result, I’ve struggled with my self-esteem.

Maybe that’s because all my life, I’ve been taught fat people are not people with value and personality but are fools, side-kicks, and villains. Maybe that’s because in all my years of reading, I’ve never read a novel where the protagonist was fat, beautiful, and proud.

I’m not saying novels with positive portrayals of fat people don’t exist. They do. However, those novels are certainly lacking. This is despite more and more Americans qualify as overweight or obese, or that body positivity is spreading everywhere else in popular culture.

Obviously, there’s a need for more diverse roles and purposes when it comes to fat people in literature, but how can a writer who’s willing to take on this task accomplish it? What should people hope to see in the future? The answer, simply put, is representation, acceptance, and most importantly, whole identities.  

Finding a whole identity can be a Herculean effort for a fat bookworm. While researching for this article, trying to find literature featuring fat characters, I kept running into the same problems. Perhaps by looking at the issues with these characters, we can, as writers, see a way toward writing fat characters with whole identities.

1. Jokers and Jokes

Fat characters were side characters only good for cracking a joke, sometimes to the point of being irritating smartasses. Their role was that of a fool meant to boost the thin protagonist’s ego and spirits.  

A more disturbing and harmful trend was fat characters being made the joke. Fat characters were ridiculed, bullied, and singled-out as outcasts. Piggy from Lord of the Flies (my first experience with a fat character) is a prime example of the bullied, fat outcast.

2. Bad People

Fat characters were bad or outright evil people.

Often, they were described as lazy, sloppy, gluttonous, unhealthy, and/or stupid, characteristics Western culture often associates with animals and ogres.

In many examples they were antagonists of some sort, whether as abusive, creepy men or corporate bastards who, especially in older literature, served as symbols of greed (“fat cats,” you could say).  

3. Only Fat

Maybe the biggest problem is that fat characters were defined only by being fat. This was often as self-definition, especially on the rare occasion when a fat character was the protagonist, where as fat characters were obsessed with their bodies.

Body obsession came in two main forms. First, the fat characters hated their bodies and themselves, which lead to overall unhappy lives. Second, the obsession sometimes led to characters changing their bodies through dieting, exercising, or even surgery. If they lose weight and were no longer fat by the end, they had a happy ending.  

Future Portrayals of Fat People

So to the real issue: how to write a fat character?

First and foremost, don’t do the things listed above. That’s not to say fat characters can’t joke around, be bullied, or be evil in your work. Just give your fat characters—as with any characters—dimension. Don’t make them flat with only two details coming through: being fat and being “X” as a result.     

It’s okay to have a fat character experience problems with being overweight or obese, such as struggling to find clothes that fit, experiencing chaffing, etc. These details make a fat character real. However, other character details are important, and they are probably much more important.

Hopefully, you see what’s most important when writing fat characters. If not, here’s the grand takeaway—write fat characters as people!

I’m not kidding; it’s that simple. Write fat characters with complex, intersecting identities who have the same struggles, dreams, and experiences as characters of all sizes.

Sarah Hollowell says it best in her article “Writing Fat Characters”:

“I want to see a fat girl go on an adventure…I want her to ride dragons and steal magical artifacts and seduce a pirate captain…I want a fat guy to get into a sword fight over a lady’s honor and win…More than anything, I want to have fat protagonists…and have them be treated as more than their fat…Can we just have that? Please?”

So next time you write a character, try making them fat.

If you want to sample what’s out there in terms of fat representation, check out this list. And if you have any pointers or questions for writing fat characters, or book suggestions, add your knowledge in the comments section.

Pursuing a liberal arts degree equips you with all kinds of useful tools that will help you get a job or question the world around you, but did you ever think about how your degree of choice might help you reinterpret your favorite childhood book?

With endless lists of assigned reading, it may seem like years since the last time you read for fun. Remember those days? For many of us, our love of reading developed at a very early age–there so many amazing books for young readers out there… how could you have not learned to love reading?

If you haven’t revisited any of your childhood books in a long time, you may be pleasantly surprised to discover that the books you loved as a kid can be meaningful to read again even now that you are older and more educated. Many books for children deal with deeper themes and subjects that may have escaped you at the time you first read them.

Ready to pop on your critical thinking cap? Here are nine books published for children that can put your degree to use.

1. Psychology: Matilda by Roald Dahl.

I’d like to kick off this blog post with everyone’s favorite bibliophile. Matilda is a girl genius who is misunderstood by her abusive parents. Matilda’s knack for trouble-making allows her to discover powers of telekinesis that allow her to take control of her life. As an adult, you may pick up on the darker themes of the story such as bullying and toxic family dynamics. Although Dahl’s story brims with imagination, whimsicality and endless wit, it still portrays the escapism and stability a child desires when they are neglected by their family.

2. Environmental Studies/Ecofeminism: The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.

There is no doubt that we are degrading our environment. “Once there was a tree, and she loved a little boy.” The unconditional love the tree shares for the boy in Silverstein’s piece is guaranteed to remain a moving story as it asks the readers to view the natural world with empathy and the spirit of conservation.

3. Gender Studies: The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf.

This book is an artfully illustrated story about a Spanish bull that wants to smell the flowers instead of charging after matadors.  As an adult, it’s not such a stretch to read it as allegory against the influences of toxic masculinity: a story I think we all should read.

4. Sociology: The Outsiders by S.E. Hilton.

This is a book that withstands the tests of time. Milton’s depiction of class divides and growing up on “the wrong side of the tracks” is still relevant fifty-one years later. How Ponyboy and his gang learn to navigate life with society rigged against them is interesting to analyze with a college student’s knowledge of socio-economic implications.

5. English: Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey.

Let’s face it. If you’ve studied a lot of highbrow and serious literature you may have forgotten to laugh at potty jokes. But just like James Joyce and William Shakespeare, Dav Pilkey recognizes that humor is an important part of the human condition! So the next time you’re feeling cynical about the world, pick up an edition of everyone’s favorite underwear wearing hero and learn to laugh again.

6. Physics: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle.

This book is basically a children’s introduction to quantum physics. As a stunningly cool adventure story about kids who go across time and space to search for their missing father, L’Engle’s novel is a highly sophisticated story that weaves the mysteries of the universe itself into her narrative.

7. American History: The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis.

The story of an African American family’s journey to Birmingham in 1963 captures race dynamics more vividly than any textbook I have ever read. This story is rich with dynamic characters and cultural divisions that are more relevant than ever in today’s socio-political climate.

8. Philosophy: Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson.

While being incredibly funny and beautifully illustrated, Calvin’s wild imagination often touches on deeper subjects such as the meaning of life and death and the purpose of our existence. With political and existential allusions, Calvin and Hobbes is a postmodern read.

9. Criminal Justice/Law: Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen.

When Cole, a troubled bully faces charges for beating a classmate nearly to death, he opts to fulfil his sentence in a restorative justice program that changes his life. Not only does this story act as a great introduction to restorative justice, a reader can appreciate the empathy with which each character is crafted and the powerful story of forgiveness it tells.

Whether you want to take a new intellectual spin on your favorite children’s book or just wave hello to your inner child from across sea of acquired knowledge, these books are a great place to start! There are countless other majors out there and plenty more children’s books too. What other combinations can you think of? What other ways are there to interpret the books I’ve listed? Comment below and consider yourself a scholar in children’s literature.

According to a 2015 census, there are 299,000 Hmong Americans living in the U.S. (Pew Research Center, 2017) and between 4-15 million Hmong individuals living globally (Unrepresented Nations & Peoples Organization, 2017). Looking at these stats, I feel a warmth in my heart,knowing how large my community is. However, I have noticed that many people, including myself, might not know a lot about the vast culture of the Hmong community. So whether you’re an outsider looking in, an insider looking out, or someone in between, here are six books revolving around the Hmong community that will not only be enjoyable to read, but will enrich your knowledge about Hmong culture.

1. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman

This particular book brings in the perspective of a person coming from outside of the community, who learns more about what causes misunderstandings and clashes between two different cultures. This book provides good insight from a person on the outside looking in. A nonfiction book about the clash of the Hmong culture and religion with American doctors and Western medicine, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is a popular book that reaches into your heart and fills it with emotions from joy to anger and sadness.

2. The Song Poet by Kao Kalia Yang

A memoir about her father, Bee Yang, Kao Kalia Yang recounts her father’s struggles living in Laos and moving to live in America with his family. The book highlights the bond between Yang and her father and shows the love she has for her father and his song poetry. Song poetry, or kwv txhiaj, is the use of one’s voice to express one’s life experience, relationships, or hardships in a lyrical story that is full of metaphors and imagery and is sung in a variety of ways depending on the dialect of the song poet and where they lived geographically. The one requirement for kwv txhiaj is to have a good, clear voice, otherwise it will not work because the voice is the main, and usually the only, instrument a song poet will use. Seeing through Yang’s eyes makes me better appreciate, and want to learn more about, another aspect in my culture.   

3. Demystifying Hmong Shamanism: Practice and Use by Hmong Americans by Linda A. Gerdner with Shoua V. Xiong.

As a child, and even to this day, there are parts of Hmong Shamanism that I don’t particularly understand, no matter how many times my mom explains it to me. Finding this book was like finding a five dollar bill in the front pocket of my pants. It explores the practice and use of Hmong shamanism with first hand perspectives-an important book that explains the religion that is so heavily infused with the Hmong community.

4. Gathering Fireflies by Mai Chao Duddeck

This fictional verse novel revolves around 13-year-old Kashia, who is learning about his family’s hardship and struggle to get to and live in America. Using verse to interweave the different voices of the family into one story, the reader gets to understand what’s going through a character’s head. I personally connected with the mother, and the verse format made it very easy to read and feel the character’s emotions.

5. Cooking From the Heart: The Hmong Kitchen in America by Sami Scripter and Sheng Yang

Who doesn’t like food? I like food. I especially love Hmong food. Alongside the Hmong recipes within this cookbook are short little poems, aphorisms, and anecdotes relating the importance of food and cooking in the Hmong culture. I always think learning a culture through its food is a great strategy and this cookbook brings both into a nice package.

6. How Do I Begin? A Hmong American Literary Anthology by the Hmong American Writer’s Circle

Different from the rest of the list, How Do I Begin? gives a broad range of perspectives from multiple people within the Hmong Community. Featuring a variety of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction pieces, this book would be a great start toward learning more about the experiences of people within the community.

Considering the prevalence of oral traditions in Hmong history, I was delighted to find HAWC when I was looking for more books. As a forum for creative writers in the Hmong community, it’s great to see a place where Hmong writers and poets can connect and help each other out.

Though this is only a short list, there are many more books revolving around Hmong community, culture, and experiences. Feel free to give more book suggestions in the comments down below. Happy reading!

Every book you pick up is a tree. Every page you write on is also a tree. Your desk was once a tree. Your door was one too. If you need to breathe, and feel sunlight, if you can’t or don’t want to write anywhere human-made, why not go back to the source material.

Trees.

When you get a tattoo on your skin, you get to pick what goes there. You decide how big it is, how colorful, what it means. Trees never get that chance. They never decide what tale is etched on their skin. It isn’t because trees can’t talk, spin wild tales, dictate their memoirs, yell, scream, or cry.  

No. In fact, trees do talk. They tell their stories in every gust of wind through their branches, every felled limb, every fallen leaf.

People just don’t take the time to listen.

So if you want to get out of your room, write something new, and hear a story, never before told, stand up. Walk outside. Are you out the door? Can you see the sky and the sun, most importantly the trees? Yes? Great!

Ok, step two. Find a tree. This may be very difficult or very easy depending on where you live. Make sure it’s an old tree. If you can wrap your arms around it and touch your fingertips, find a new one. Young trees need a bit more time to find their voice.

Have you found an old wide tree?

Yeah? Cool, now if the tree has branches low enough to climb, go ahead, get up as far as you can. Don’t forget a notebook and a writing utensil. I wouldn’t recommend bringing your laptop up a tree; that’s just a recipe for disaster.

If your tree doesn’t have low enough branches or if the city has cut them all off, it’s ok. Well, it’s not. Make sure to touch each scar and think about that severed limb for a moment. Then, sit down in the grass under the tree; you can use the trunk as a backrest if you want.

Remember, if you’re on the ground or up in the tree, be respectful. Don’t pick at the bark, or pull leaves and branches off willy nilly. No one sits on your head and plucks individual hairs out when they get bored. So don’t do it to your fellow storyteller.

Once you’re situated, start writing. Continue something old or start something new. The tree isn’t going to tell you exactly what to write. No, but it will guide you. You just have to pay attention.

Once you get about half a page written, start listening. If a couple of birds fly into your tree and start singing a song bring a new character into your story. If a squirrel comes across your tree, start a new scene, even if you’re not done with the last one. If wind shakes the tree for more than thirty seconds, change up your style, switch perspectives, or add a new genre to your writing.

If a spider or insect crawls its way across your page, don’t freak out or brush it off. Wait. See where it goes, which words and phrases it darts across, erase them, leave the spaces blank.

If a leaf falls on you, write an entire page of setting description.

If an acorn, fruit, or a pine cone falls on you or your notebook, immediately start writing in a different language. If you don’t know another language, either make up a new one, or keep writing in the first language, but backward, or in code.

If another falls on you, switch back.

When the sun starts to set, it’s time to go. Trees like to go to sleep with the sun, and they can’t slumber with you lounging in their branches or leaning against their side like that. Carefully make your way out of the tree, or simply stand up if you are already on the ground.

If your tree has scars, gently caress each one. Give the tree a hug, or if you don’t feel you know them well enough yet, pat their trunk gently. Then go home, or wherever else you go when the sun’s down. If you didn’t finish your story, or just want to hang out with the tree again, come back the next day. The tree might finish the story or start a new tale.