Texas-Rooted LGBTQ+ Books Offer Pride Month Reading for Every Age, Austin Librarian Says

As Pride Month draws to a close, readers looking for stories that reflect LGBTQ+ lives have no shortage of options. Barnes & Noble, CNN and NPR have all published lists of suggested titles. For those who want a regional angle, Tina Van Winkle, a librarian at the Austin Public Library, has put together a set of picks with Texas ties.

Pride Month, observed in June, celebrates LGBTQ+ identities, culture and communities. Dallas and Houston held pride parades a few weeks ago, and events from art markets to performances have taken place across the state.

For children ages 8 to 12, Van Winkle points to "Kenzie Kickstarts a Team" by Kit Rosewater and Sophie Escabasse, a recommendation that came from a colleague in youth services. The story follows two best friends who form a roller derby team in Austin. Van Winkle said readers at that age are working through the challenges of teamwork while also facing first crushes and shifting friendships. She noted that the team and the adults around them include LGBTQ+ characters.

Teens might try "Orpheus Girl" by Brynne Rebele-Henry, which reimagines the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice in present-day rural Texas. Two friends are outed in their community and sent to a religious conversion therapy camp. Van Winkle described the book as having a poetic voice, which fits an author who is also a poet, and said it explores identity, self-reliance and finding community even when that is hard.

Adult readers have several choices. Bryan Washington's debut story collection "Lot" is set in working-class Houston communities and features an unnamed narrator discovering his sexuality. Van Winkle said the book views Houston's mix of cultures as through a kaleidoscope. "Are You Listening?" is a graphic novel by Tillie Walden, who grew up in Austin. It blends magical realism with a road trip across West Texas, in which two queer women who meet on the road are asked to return a strange cat to its home. Van Winkle called it "dreamlike and weird" with "wonderful vistas."

Two further adult titles take more personal angles. "Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza" by Gloria E. Anzaldúa, published in 1987, collects essays in both poetry and prose. Van Winkle said Anzaldúa, a Chicano lesbian, draws on her own experience to examine the invisible borders between identities and groups of people. "How We Fight For Our Lives" by Saeed Jones, a newer addition to the queer literary canon, recounts growing up as a Black gay man in Lewisville, Texas, and finding a place in community and family.

Van Winkle also flagged two newer books. "Northranger" by Rey Terciero, illustrated by Bre Indigo, came out early this month. The graphic novel, set on a Texas cattle ranch, takes inspiration from Jane Austen's "Northanger Abbey." Two young men explore their feelings for each other until a mystery arises, which Van Winkle called "a cool mashup of genres."

Looking ahead, "Shoot the Moon" by Isa Arsén is expected in October 2023. It centers on a queer woman working as a NASA engineer in the 1960s during the Space Race.