In this talk, we’ll examine writing across genres written for or about teenagers, and unpack what it means to capture the “authentic” teen voice (or if such a thing is even possible). How should we approach crafting true-to-life adolescent narratives, and how do we capture the sheer bigness of first experiences on the page without pandering? Works discussed will include “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli and The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo.
Leah Johnson is a writer, editor, and eternal Midwesterner currently moonlighting as a New Yorker. She is the author of two forthcoming young adult novels You Should See Me in a Crown (Scholastic, June 2020), which was recently named a Junior Library Guild Selection, and Rise to the Sun (Scholastic, 2021). She is a staff contributing editor at Catapult Magazine, and this summer will be a visiting writer at New England College. Leah received her MFA in fiction writing from Sarah Lawrence College and currently teaches creative writing and composition to undergraduate students in and around New York City.