Gay Straight Alliance visit (Bjorkman)

Next month I’ll be Skyping with members of a Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) at a high school in San Francisco. I’ve wanted to do this ever since reading Geography Club by Brent Hartinger. Yep. GSAs are cool.

The teacher mentoring the GSA, Steve Taka, is a friend of mine from middle school that I reconnected with at our HS reunion. He’d just given up his corporate job to study psychology, and had taken a job counseling kids at risk.

He thought my first novel, My Invented Life, would generate a lively discussion in his GSA. The characters are gay, lesbian, bi, questioning, AND straight. It is a light and funny story that touches on many issues.

Since his students will read the book ahead of time, I won’t waste time giving them a synopsis. Instead I can tell them interesting tid-bits about the “making of.” Like who inspired my main character and how she reacted when she found out. 

Or what my seemingly hetero friends said to me when told what the novel was about:

I had a lesbian phase in college

I’m bi

I like women, too, but it’s easier to be with a man

Or some of the darker reactions from other friends, and why.

I’m also looking forward to learning about the students, and why they joined the GSA, and answering their questions. I just sent them each a personalized signed bookplate.

Can’t wait for April!