Synopses & Reviews
What was it like being young and gay during the closeted 1950s, the exuberant beginnings of the modern gay rights movement in the 1970s, or the frightening outbreak of HIV and AIDS in the 1980s? In this unique history, Nancy Garden uses both fact and fiction to explore just what it has meant to be young and gay in America during the last fifty years. For each decade from the 1950s on, she discusses in an essay the social and political events that shaped the lives of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) people during that era. Then, in two short stories, she explores the emotional experiences of young gay people coming of age during those times, giving vivid insight into what it really felt like.
Hear Us Out! is a comprehensive and rich account of gay life, both public and private, from one of the pioneers of young adult lesbian and gay literature.
Review
“Poignant and at times heartbreaking.” —VOYA “An accessible narrative history . . . The issues and questions will reach out to all teens.” —Booklist "Nancy Garden's Hear Us Out! is a unique combination of fiction and history. Garden does a superb job of summarizing the history of gay and lesbian experiences . . . . enhanced by the author's personal insights, since she has lived the events she describes, and her well-written stories further illuminate the difficult journey to acceptance." —English Journal, an NCTE Publication “[Nancy Garden] is an icon in the field of gay and lesbian writing.”—Publishers Weekly "GLBT teens will find themselves in this important collection."—Kirkus Reviews “Concise, engaging and welcoming.”—The Horn Book
About the Author
Nancy Garden is the author of young adult novels including Annie on My Mind, The Year They Burned the Books, and Endgame. She is also the author of novels for children and the picture book Molly's Family. Garden was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and has lived most of her life in New England and New York. She spent her early adult years working in theater, doing office work, teaching, and editing. During that time, she wrote in the evenings, on weekends, and on vacations, as well as at odd moments while working. Now she writes as close to full-time as possible. When she isn't writing, visiting schools, or making speeches, she enjoys reading, gardening, hiking, the outdoors, and anything to do with dogs. She has received the Margaret A. Edwards Award, the Lambda Book Award and the Robert Downs Intellectual Freedom Award. She and her partner of over twenty years divide their time between small towns in Massachusetts and Maine.