Marc Tyler Nobleman's Blog
September 18, 2025
Ten years since Bill Finger added to Batman credit line
TEN YEARS.
Ten years ago today, Batman co-creator Bill Finger’s life changed—41 years after he died.
DC Comics added his name to the Batman credit line—76 years after the character debuted.
And nine years after I began nudging, then pushing, for that.
where the story broke
Despite what industry experts, trusted friends, and online randos had long said, Bill’s granddaughter Athena, her sister Alethia, and I believed this change was possible.
My beacon was perspective.
Training a penguin to clean your house? Impossible.
Opening a Chico’s on Jupiter? Impossible.
Going back in time and auditioning for Back to the Future? Impossible.
Convincing a company [even a massive company] to correct an unjust omission? Doable.
Not that it was easy. Or quick.
But aside from my family, it was the most exhilarating effort I’ve undertaken.
At a time when it can feel like the better angels of our natures have left the building, I find it even more powerful to look to superhero stories.
They spotlight people who put others first…not for pay or praise, but because people matter most.
Ten years ago today, Batman co-creator Bill Finger’s life changed—41 years after he died.
DC Comics added his name to the Batman credit line—76 years after the character debuted.
And nine years after I began nudging, then pushing, for that.
where the story brokeDespite what industry experts, trusted friends, and online randos had long said, Bill’s granddaughter Athena, her sister Alethia, and I believed this change was possible.
My beacon was perspective.
Training a penguin to clean your house? Impossible.
Opening a Chico’s on Jupiter? Impossible.
Going back in time and auditioning for Back to the Future? Impossible.
Convincing a company [even a massive company] to correct an unjust omission? Doable.
Not that it was easy. Or quick.
But aside from my family, it was the most exhilarating effort I’ve undertaken.
At a time when it can feel like the better angels of our natures have left the building, I find it even more powerful to look to superhero stories.
They spotlight people who put others first…not for pay or praise, but because people matter most.
August 20, 2025
“School Library Journal” article: complex subjects in children’s nonfiction
Betsy Bird writing for School Library Journal asked me and fellow authors including Candace Fleming, Chris Barton, Deborah Heiligman, and Carole Boston Weatherford some trenchant questions on an important topic: addressing mature subjects when writing true stories for young readers.
That topic has long been of interest to me [see my many posts with the tag “nonfiction”], so I would have participated even if Betsy had not used the phrase “successfully discussed subject matter that no one else has ever dared to consider.”
Here’s the collected insight. Thank you again, Betsy, for covering this.
And here is some of the content from my interview that is not in the article:
The through line of my nonfiction is high-profile hook plus mystery in the background. Everyone knows Batman. Few [even among comics geeks like me] knew the full tragedy of his “secret” co-creator. Everyone knows that the Japanese attacked the U.S. at Pearl Harbor in WWII. Few knew that the Japanese also bombed the mainland. But that hook/mystery combo alone isn’t enough—to sustain it, you need drama. Yes, Batman is absurdly popular, but that doesn’t mean that his creation can sustain a book. At school visits, kids clamor “Do a book on the Flash! Do Black Panther! Do Deadpool!” [Yes, some second graders have seen that R-rated movie.] But sometimes a character [or an invention, or an idea] is conceived without friction by a person at a desk. That won’t fill 32 pages. For me, no suspense means no go. Bill the Boy Wonder, however, involved betrayal. And that betrayal involved something I hadn’t seen in nonfiction picture books: a singular “villain.” Often in biographical picture books, the antagonist is a group—Nazis, intolerant white people, men [in books about misbehaving women making history]. In Bill the Boy Wonder, artist Bob Kane, while not full-on evil, lies and mistreats his professional partner, writer Bill Finger. A friend becomes an enemy. You root for Bill—and against Bob. That dynamic gave me delicious grist. Thirty Minutes Over Oregon also had an element that felt new to the format—redemption. An enemy becomes a friend. These stories are not about household names or famous incidents. And they have an underlying darkness to them. Therefore, they were not easy sells to publishers. I find that paradoxical—we well know that kids are drawn to stories with edge. They can handle glimpses of the complexity of the human condition. I feel we need to push kids a little. As I research, I build a list of essential moments to include as well as moments that are like ice cream toppings—I don’t need them, but they’ll make a sweet story sweeter. You can tell with almost scientific accuracy that certain details will be irresistible to kids [and adults!]. Boys of Steel—young Jerry Siegel is so excited to tell his friend Joe Shuster about the character [ahem, Superman] he dreamed up overnight that he doesn’t take off his pajamas but tugs clothes on over them and runs nine blocks to Joe’s apartment. Bill the Boy Wonder—Batman’s cringey initial design [red union suit, stiff wings]. Thirty Minutes Over Oregon—a Japanese naval pilot bringing a 400-year-old samurai sword on every mission for good luck. Fairy Spell— nine-year-old Frances and 16-year-old Elsie claiming fairies emerged only when no adults were around. I strive to write up at kids to show them I respect their intelligence. Part of that is not shying away from unpleasantness. In Thirty Minutes Over Oregon, aimed at upper elementary and older, I mention seppuku—ritual suicide—a single time. [That was a stated reason for at least one of the rejections.] Obviously it’s a highly sensitive topic, even though no character follows through, but it’s relevant to establish the severity of the WWII-era Japanese military sense of honor. In Fairy Spell, Frances and Elsie lie about photographs they take of what they claim are real fairies. But when you factor in the larger context of the story, they don’t seem like liars. The reason they lie in the first place is understandable; I’d argue their “crime” is victimless. A big reason they keep up the lie, revealed at the end, is surprisingly touching. It’s often said that kids need to see themselves in books, which of course is true—but it’s not the only imperative. Kids also need to see characters in books who give them something to aspire to. Or who show them behavior to avoid. Some kids may feel momentarily disillusioned to learn that some adults do icky things to each other, like take credit for something good that they didn’t actually do. Many kids who read Bill the Boy Wonder react indignantly to the way Bob treated Bill—and some fault Bill for not speaking up enough in his own defense. Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! We want these reactions! When kids decry injustice, it gives hope that they will go on to fight injustice on some level. When kids hold the de facto “hero” of a story at least partly accountable for his own fate, that helps them realize that they must hold themselves to the same standard. In other words, when you’re wronged or mistaken, don’t wait around for a hero to save the day. Instead be the hero. Or, more precisely, be the one who tries to improve a situation, hard as that will be sometimes. When kids learn that the duo who created Superman were awkward teens who endured 3.5 years of rejection for their idea, it may inspire other young people [or awkward people of any age] to also try to overcome adversity. When kids learn that a soldier who attempted to bomb civilians as part of his wartime obligation later felt remorse and apologized to those civilians—and they accepted his apology—that is a lesson wrapped in a lesson sprinkled with yet more lessons.
That topic has long been of interest to me [see my many posts with the tag “nonfiction”], so I would have participated even if Betsy had not used the phrase “successfully discussed subject matter that no one else has ever dared to consider.”
Here’s the collected insight. Thank you again, Betsy, for covering this.
And here is some of the content from my interview that is not in the article:
The through line of my nonfiction is high-profile hook plus mystery in the background. Everyone knows Batman. Few [even among comics geeks like me] knew the full tragedy of his “secret” co-creator. Everyone knows that the Japanese attacked the U.S. at Pearl Harbor in WWII. Few knew that the Japanese also bombed the mainland. But that hook/mystery combo alone isn’t enough—to sustain it, you need drama. Yes, Batman is absurdly popular, but that doesn’t mean that his creation can sustain a book. At school visits, kids clamor “Do a book on the Flash! Do Black Panther! Do Deadpool!” [Yes, some second graders have seen that R-rated movie.] But sometimes a character [or an invention, or an idea] is conceived without friction by a person at a desk. That won’t fill 32 pages. For me, no suspense means no go. Bill the Boy Wonder, however, involved betrayal. And that betrayal involved something I hadn’t seen in nonfiction picture books: a singular “villain.” Often in biographical picture books, the antagonist is a group—Nazis, intolerant white people, men [in books about misbehaving women making history]. In Bill the Boy Wonder, artist Bob Kane, while not full-on evil, lies and mistreats his professional partner, writer Bill Finger. A friend becomes an enemy. You root for Bill—and against Bob. That dynamic gave me delicious grist. Thirty Minutes Over Oregon also had an element that felt new to the format—redemption. An enemy becomes a friend. These stories are not about household names or famous incidents. And they have an underlying darkness to them. Therefore, they were not easy sells to publishers. I find that paradoxical—we well know that kids are drawn to stories with edge. They can handle glimpses of the complexity of the human condition. I feel we need to push kids a little. As I research, I build a list of essential moments to include as well as moments that are like ice cream toppings—I don’t need them, but they’ll make a sweet story sweeter. You can tell with almost scientific accuracy that certain details will be irresistible to kids [and adults!]. Boys of Steel—young Jerry Siegel is so excited to tell his friend Joe Shuster about the character [ahem, Superman] he dreamed up overnight that he doesn’t take off his pajamas but tugs clothes on over them and runs nine blocks to Joe’s apartment. Bill the Boy Wonder—Batman’s cringey initial design [red union suit, stiff wings]. Thirty Minutes Over Oregon—a Japanese naval pilot bringing a 400-year-old samurai sword on every mission for good luck. Fairy Spell— nine-year-old Frances and 16-year-old Elsie claiming fairies emerged only when no adults were around. I strive to write up at kids to show them I respect their intelligence. Part of that is not shying away from unpleasantness. In Thirty Minutes Over Oregon, aimed at upper elementary and older, I mention seppuku—ritual suicide—a single time. [That was a stated reason for at least one of the rejections.] Obviously it’s a highly sensitive topic, even though no character follows through, but it’s relevant to establish the severity of the WWII-era Japanese military sense of honor. In Fairy Spell, Frances and Elsie lie about photographs they take of what they claim are real fairies. But when you factor in the larger context of the story, they don’t seem like liars. The reason they lie in the first place is understandable; I’d argue their “crime” is victimless. A big reason they keep up the lie, revealed at the end, is surprisingly touching. It’s often said that kids need to see themselves in books, which of course is true—but it’s not the only imperative. Kids also need to see characters in books who give them something to aspire to. Or who show them behavior to avoid. Some kids may feel momentarily disillusioned to learn that some adults do icky things to each other, like take credit for something good that they didn’t actually do. Many kids who read Bill the Boy Wonder react indignantly to the way Bob treated Bill—and some fault Bill for not speaking up enough in his own defense. Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! We want these reactions! When kids decry injustice, it gives hope that they will go on to fight injustice on some level. When kids hold the de facto “hero” of a story at least partly accountable for his own fate, that helps them realize that they must hold themselves to the same standard. In other words, when you’re wronged or mistaken, don’t wait around for a hero to save the day. Instead be the hero. Or, more precisely, be the one who tries to improve a situation, hard as that will be sometimes. When kids learn that the duo who created Superman were awkward teens who endured 3.5 years of rejection for their idea, it may inspire other young people [or awkward people of any age] to also try to overcome adversity. When kids learn that a soldier who attempted to bomb civilians as part of his wartime obligation later felt remorse and apologized to those civilians—and they accepted his apology—that is a lesson wrapped in a lesson sprinkled with yet more lessons.
August 9, 2025
'Justice League of America" [first series]: cover trends
Certain concepts recurred on the covers of the original Justice League of America series. Here are a few:
beaten heroes on the ground:
hero carrying dead hero:
characters charging at each other:
graveyards:
heroes fighting heroes:
spiral formation:
beaten heroes on the ground:
hero carrying dead hero:
characters charging at each other:
graveyards:
heroes fighting heroes:
spiral formation:
August 4, 2025
Statues, pop cultural and historical
I've been keeping a running list of historic and pop culture sites worldwide I've had the privilege to visit.
Here's a companion list—select statues, both pop cultural and historical, that I've made a point to see. Pop culture:
Robin Hood, Nottingham, UK 1993
Little Mermaid, Copenhagen, Denmark 1993
Eleanor RIgby [Beatles], Liverpool, UK 1993
Fonzie ["Bronze Fonz"], Milwaukee, WI 2011
Bremen Town Musicians, Bremen, Germany 2022
Rod Serling [The Twilight Zone], Binghamton, NY 2025
Superman [the day it was unveiled], Cleveland, OH 2025
Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, with Jerry's wife Joanne, the inspiration for Lois Lane [the day they were unveiled], Cleveland, OH 2025
other historical statues:
Little Rock Nine, Little Rock, AR 2015
Alexander Hamilton, Weehawken, NJ 2017
Here's a companion list—select statues, both pop cultural and historical, that I've made a point to see. Pop culture:
Robin Hood, Nottingham, UK 1993
Little Mermaid, Copenhagen, Denmark 1993
Eleanor RIgby [Beatles], Liverpool, UK 1993
Fonzie ["Bronze Fonz"], Milwaukee, WI 2011
Bremen Town Musicians, Bremen, Germany 2022
Rod Serling [The Twilight Zone], Binghamton, NY 2025
Superman [the day it was unveiled], Cleveland, OH 2025
Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, with Jerry's wife Joanne, the inspiration for Lois Lane [the day they were unveiled], Cleveland, OH 2025other historical statues:
Little Rock Nine, Little Rock, AR 2015
Alexander Hamilton, Weehawken, NJ 2017
August 3, 2025
Cleveland unveils statues of Superman and his creators 8/2/25
87 years after Superman debuted...
33 years after original Superman artist Joe Shuster died...
29 years after original Superman writer Jerry Siegel died...
18 years after I first came to Cleveland while researching Boys of Steel...
...the city finally installed statues to honor its hometown legacies Superman, Jerry, Joe, and Jerry's wife Joanne [inspiration for Lois Lane].
[I know you're not supposed to start sentences with numbers that are not written out, but Jerry and Joe broke some rules, too, and look how that turned out.]
I'd estimate at least 200 attended.
The Boys [and Girl] of Steel are cast in bronze. Superman is, of course, stainless steel.
Donations are still desperately needed to cover the $2.2 million cost.
Thanks to the Siegel & Shuster Society for their tireless efforts. Getting public art up [up and away] does not go faster than a speeding bullet...
Jerry's daughter Laura Siegel Larson and grandson James
the Gray family, who lived in Jerry's former house when I went there for research in 2007 [and who still live there today], and George Gene Gustines, who wrote the New York Times article about the event
fellow Super Boy of Steel author Brad Ricca
Tracey Kirksey, who was Executive Director of theGlenville Development Corporation when I was researching Boys of Steel [Glenville was the neighborhoodwhere Jerry and Joe were living when they createdSuperman]
Gary Kaplan, Roy Schwartz, me, Brad Ricca,Samantha Baskind, Jamie Reigle
center: sculptor of the statues, David Deming
George was perched above the plaza for the unveiling andcaught this guy in gray pants trampling on the landscaping.
Inside the adjoining convention center, an orchestra playedthe John Williams Superman theme.
Both are creators!
a view inside the phone booth that is part of the installation
I flew in just for the event, landing the night before.Walking to my hotel at 1:30 am, I passed the covered statues.
Nearby, a city carnival was empty aside from crew, but despite the lateness of the hour, still aglow.
Up, up, and...here to stay.
33 years after original Superman artist Joe Shuster died...
29 years after original Superman writer Jerry Siegel died...
18 years after I first came to Cleveland while researching Boys of Steel...
...the city finally installed statues to honor its hometown legacies Superman, Jerry, Joe, and Jerry's wife Joanne [inspiration for Lois Lane].
[I know you're not supposed to start sentences with numbers that are not written out, but Jerry and Joe broke some rules, too, and look how that turned out.]
I'd estimate at least 200 attended.
The Boys [and Girl] of Steel are cast in bronze. Superman is, of course, stainless steel.
Donations are still desperately needed to cover the $2.2 million cost.
Thanks to the Siegel & Shuster Society for their tireless efforts. Getting public art up [up and away] does not go faster than a speeding bullet...
Jerry's daughter Laura Siegel Larson and grandson James
the Gray family, who lived in Jerry's former house when I went there for research in 2007 [and who still live there today], and George Gene Gustines, who wrote the New York Times article about the event
fellow Super Boy of Steel author Brad Ricca
Tracey Kirksey, who was Executive Director of theGlenville Development Corporation when I was researching Boys of Steel [Glenville was the neighborhoodwhere Jerry and Joe were living when they createdSuperman]
Gary Kaplan, Roy Schwartz, me, Brad Ricca,Samantha Baskind, Jamie Reigle
center: sculptor of the statues, David Deming
George was perched above the plaza for the unveiling andcaught this guy in gray pants trampling on the landscaping.
Inside the adjoining convention center, an orchestra playedthe John Williams Superman theme.
Both are creators!
a view inside the phone booth that is part of the installation
I flew in just for the event, landing the night before.Walking to my hotel at 1:30 am, I passed the covered statues.
Nearby, a city carnival was empty aside from crew, but despite the lateness of the hour, still aglow.
Up, up, and...here to stay.
July 6, 2025
Hometown of "Twilight Zone" creator Rod Serling
Several wistful moments in episodes of The Twilight Zone [1959-1964] were inspired by creator Rod Serling’s hometown of Binghamton, New York.
This statue of Serling was dedicated there last year.
The carousel in "Walking Distance" [season 1, episode 5] was a nod to the one in Recreation Park, a few blocks from where Serling grew up. It is still in operation.
I also visited his childhood home.
Alas, there was no twist ending.
This statue of Serling was dedicated there last year.
The carousel in "Walking Distance" [season 1, episode 5] was a nod to the one in Recreation Park, a few blocks from where Serling grew up. It is still in operation.
I also visited his childhood home.
Alas, there was no twist ending.
July 3, 2025
My first summer workshop at Chautauqua Institution
A month ago, I flew to Buffalo, NY, to participate in my first writing retreat. Nine authors stoking creative fires in an otherwise scarcely inhabited summer resort enclave/cultural arts community called the Chautauqua Institution.
On 6/28/25, I returned by car—a six-hour drive—upon the invite of Kwame Alexander. Since I was last here, summer season started, and now the idyllic grounds are buzzing with residents, students, and arts aficionados.
This time I'm here to give a talk and run a three-day writing workshop I call "Dig If You Will a Picture...Book" [h/t Prince].
It's part of a sprawling summer-long literary arts program that is itself part of an even larger summer-long arts program that includes lectures, musical performances [from folk to opera], dance performances, plays, screenings, comedy shows, panel discussions, and more. Multiple times a day, all day, a program is in progress, and well-attended.
The talent here is towering and I am honored to be among them.
Though I love big groups, all literary arts classes here are capped at 12 to foster an intimate atmosphere. My students are college-aged to AARP. Some are published authors, some are aspiring authors, some are teachers, and some are fans of the art form. All are women.
I first visited Niagara Falls as a teen and, since it's only two hours from here, went again on my down time. It was a drizzly evening, which meant better light for photos [though mist over the falls]. I stood in the spot where Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder did when filming Superman II in 1979.
Many folks are institutions themselves at Chautauqua. Some have returned annually since their childhoods. I am hoping to become a regular myself.
in front of the library
the charming single-screen cinema where I watched Sinners
St. Elmo condominum, which inspired the name and some of the references in the 1985 film St. Elmo's Fire
my books in the surprisingly large bookstore
Everett Jewish Life Center
Americana summerama
On 6/28/25, I returned by car—a six-hour drive—upon the invite of Kwame Alexander. Since I was last here, summer season started, and now the idyllic grounds are buzzing with residents, students, and arts aficionados.
This time I'm here to give a talk and run a three-day writing workshop I call "Dig If You Will a Picture...Book" [h/t Prince].
It's part of a sprawling summer-long literary arts program that is itself part of an even larger summer-long arts program that includes lectures, musical performances [from folk to opera], dance performances, plays, screenings, comedy shows, panel discussions, and more. Multiple times a day, all day, a program is in progress, and well-attended.
The talent here is towering and I am honored to be among them.
Though I love big groups, all literary arts classes here are capped at 12 to foster an intimate atmosphere. My students are college-aged to AARP. Some are published authors, some are aspiring authors, some are teachers, and some are fans of the art form. All are women.
I first visited Niagara Falls as a teen and, since it's only two hours from here, went again on my down time. It was a drizzly evening, which meant better light for photos [though mist over the falls]. I stood in the spot where Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder did when filming Superman II in 1979.
Many folks are institutions themselves at Chautauqua. Some have returned annually since their childhoods. I am hoping to become a regular myself.
in front of the library
the charming single-screen cinema where I watched Sinners
St. Elmo condominum, which inspired the name and some of the references in the 1985 film St. Elmo's Fire
my books in the surprisingly large bookstore
Everett Jewish Life Center
Americana summerama
June 12, 2025
My first writing retreat: Chautauqua Institution in Western New York
Kwame Alexander convinced me to say yes to something I’d never done: join a writing retreat.
Nine authors, two of whom I already knew, convened [and lived together] about an hour from Buffalo at the scenic lakeside Chautauqua Institution [founded 1874].
front row: Kwame, Jordan Holmes, Nikki Shannon Smith, Tori Bachmanback row: Ann Marie Stephens, Sydnye White, Bonnie Berry LaMon, me, Malcolm Newsome
This was the first week of June, a tranquil period shortly before thousands flood the cultural arts education center/resort for summer.
ghost light
actual ghosts?
mysterious set of years on a door
The writing component alone was rewarding. But it was also a scouting-for-ghosts, scanning-for-Northern-Lights, sharing-home-cooked-meals, going-on-ice-cream-runs, watching-St. Elmo’s Fire * retreat.
In other words, I’ll be back.
You’re on notice, ghosts.
* The 1985 film was partially inspired by an experience the screenwriter had as a young man while working at a hotel at Chautauqua called...you got it, St. Elmo.
Nine authors, two of whom I already knew, convened [and lived together] about an hour from Buffalo at the scenic lakeside Chautauqua Institution [founded 1874].
front row: Kwame, Jordan Holmes, Nikki Shannon Smith, Tori Bachmanback row: Ann Marie Stephens, Sydnye White, Bonnie Berry LaMon, me, Malcolm NewsomeThis was the first week of June, a tranquil period shortly before thousands flood the cultural arts education center/resort for summer.
ghost light
actual ghosts?
mysterious set of years on a doorThe writing component alone was rewarding. But it was also a scouting-for-ghosts, scanning-for-Northern-Lights, sharing-home-cooked-meals, going-on-ice-cream-runs, watching-St. Elmo’s Fire * retreat.
In other words, I’ll be back.
You’re on notice, ghosts.
* The 1985 film was partially inspired by an experience the screenwriter had as a young man while working at a hotel at Chautauqua called...you got it, St. Elmo.
April 26, 2025
Annual award from the Catholic Library Association
I'm honored to share that the Catholic Library Association awarded me the 2025 St. Katharine Drexel Award, which recognizes an outstanding contribution to the growth of high school librarianship.
This award goes to one person per year, and the recipient is not always an author.
Among the past honorees who are/were authors: Jason Reynolds, Gene Luen Yang, Jacqueline Woodson, Lois Duncan, Walter Dean Myers, Chris Crutcher, Sharon Draper, and [in 1970] Isaac Asimov.
When I was notified, at first I wondered [and respectfully asked] if there had been a mistake—for multiple reasons:
That's a mighty distinguished list of authors. My books don't have Catholic content. I'm Jewish [though I was already fairly confident that was okay]. Most of my work is aimed at kids younger than teens [though I do often speak to teens].
CLA confirmed there had not been a mistake. The nomination process is confidential, meaning they can't tell me who nominated me.
Whoever you are, thank you! I am grateful that you recognized that work like mine can resonate with readers older than the primary target audience.
During my acceptance talk, with a pinch of trepidation, I briefly, organically mentioned my experiences, both negative and positive, saying "gay" during elementary assemblies, and felt warmly understood and supported.
I also showed off perhaps my all-time favorite snippet from the principal of a school that booked me to speak [in this case, a Catholic school in Connecticut].
First, I love that the schedule says "enjoy lunch with the sisters of the convent." Not "eat lunch." Not simply "lunch." Specifically enjoy lunch. I followed that commandment and, no surprise, did enjoy it. [First and last meal with a dozen nuns.]
Second, as you see, this principal was more than a principal. All are, but none like this.
This award goes to one person per year, and the recipient is not always an author.
Among the past honorees who are/were authors: Jason Reynolds, Gene Luen Yang, Jacqueline Woodson, Lois Duncan, Walter Dean Myers, Chris Crutcher, Sharon Draper, and [in 1970] Isaac Asimov.
When I was notified, at first I wondered [and respectfully asked] if there had been a mistake—for multiple reasons:
That's a mighty distinguished list of authors. My books don't have Catholic content. I'm Jewish [though I was already fairly confident that was okay]. Most of my work is aimed at kids younger than teens [though I do often speak to teens].
CLA confirmed there had not been a mistake. The nomination process is confidential, meaning they can't tell me who nominated me.
Whoever you are, thank you! I am grateful that you recognized that work like mine can resonate with readers older than the primary target audience.
During my acceptance talk, with a pinch of trepidation, I briefly, organically mentioned my experiences, both negative and positive, saying "gay" during elementary assemblies, and felt warmly understood and supported.
I also showed off perhaps my all-time favorite snippet from the principal of a school that booked me to speak [in this case, a Catholic school in Connecticut].
First, I love that the schedule says "enjoy lunch with the sisters of the convent." Not "eat lunch." Not simply "lunch." Specifically enjoy lunch. I followed that commandment and, no surprise, did enjoy it. [First and last meal with a dozen nuns.]
Second, as you see, this principal was more than a principal. All are, but none like this.
April 24, 2025
Rally at the Supreme Court to support inclusive education
On 4/22/25, I attended my first Supreme Court rally. In fact, though I’ve lived in the Washington DC area for 15 years, it may have been the first time I’d been in front of the Supreme Court.
Despite the impression that photo gives, the rally was well attended.
It coincided with oral arguments for Mahmoud vs. Taylor, a case about a Maryland school district policy that does not allow parents to opt their children out of educational experiences (in particular, picture books) that mention the existence of LGBTQ people.
It happens to be my school district, Montgomery County. I am proud that MCPS enacted this policy and, frankly, furious that people who see the world as it is have to spend so much time (and money) trying to explain the basic principle of “live and let live” to people who expect schools to bend to their intolerant worldview.
Those protesting the policy carried signs reading “Let parents parent” and “Let kids be kids.”
This policy does not prevent parents from parenting or kids from kidding.
When I walked to the opposing side to be available for conversation (knowing no sign would change anyone’s mind), one man civilly engaged, though his position was savagely misguided. A rule he has for his kids: you cannot be gay.
If only he’d learned in school that this is not how it works. Being gay is not a choice (or a performance/disease/brainwashing), as some conservatives believe. It’s simply what some people are.
A parent who has challenged the policy asked me to leave their area. When I politely declined, he tattled on me to a Supreme Court police officer, whose response was “Just don’t shout at them.” (No one was shouting at anyone. In other words, he knew I had every right to be where I was.)
NBC News asked me some questions.
The short clip also includes someone who thinks he is protecting his grandkids from “values” he doesn’t agree with. Based on what we’ve widely seen from Generation Z, it seems likely that those grandkids will reject their grandfather’s repugnant stance.
Among the thousands of comments on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, ones disagreeing with me alternate between these points:
Check this guy’s hard drive.People like you are why Trump won again.So public schools can also teach the Bible?
(Sometimes this is expressed in language that is decisively not biblical.)
As for the Trump comment, it carries weight. But I’m not one to abandon my principles over an election, even one as ruinous as this one is.
The commenters agreeing mostly echo the sign I held: education does not equal indoctrination.
It is illogical that some adults believe that a relationship between a man and a woman is an acceptable topic for kids but no other kinds of relationships are.
It is illogical that some adults do not associate the mere mention of a straight relationship with sex but do associate the mere mention of a gay relationship with sex.
(It should go without saying, but since the anti-gay crowd brings it up incessantly, apparently this does need to be spelled out: in neither case are responsible adults talking to elementary kids about sex.)
Children who are not LGBTQ and learn that this community exists are not hurt or corrupted by that knowledge.
Conversely, children who are LGBTQ—or who have LGBTQ families members—are hurt by policy that forbids that topic to even be mentioned. (And when disapproving adults do mention it, it’s to call gay people perverts and sinners, deepening the wound.)
We don’t hear about religious teens committing suicide because they know about gay people.
We do hear about LGBTQ teens committing suicide because their community doesn’t want to know about gay people.
If the opponents to this policy truly cared about protecting kids, they’d switch sides.
Again, what kids learn in school—and in life—does not prevent parents from parenting. Unfortunately, some parenting prevents kids from learning.
Despite the impression that photo gives, the rally was well attended.
It coincided with oral arguments for Mahmoud vs. Taylor, a case about a Maryland school district policy that does not allow parents to opt their children out of educational experiences (in particular, picture books) that mention the existence of LGBTQ people.
It happens to be my school district, Montgomery County. I am proud that MCPS enacted this policy and, frankly, furious that people who see the world as it is have to spend so much time (and money) trying to explain the basic principle of “live and let live” to people who expect schools to bend to their intolerant worldview.
Those protesting the policy carried signs reading “Let parents parent” and “Let kids be kids.”
This policy does not prevent parents from parenting or kids from kidding.
When I walked to the opposing side to be available for conversation (knowing no sign would change anyone’s mind), one man civilly engaged, though his position was savagely misguided. A rule he has for his kids: you cannot be gay.
If only he’d learned in school that this is not how it works. Being gay is not a choice (or a performance/disease/brainwashing), as some conservatives believe. It’s simply what some people are.
A parent who has challenged the policy asked me to leave their area. When I politely declined, he tattled on me to a Supreme Court police officer, whose response was “Just don’t shout at them.” (No one was shouting at anyone. In other words, he knew I had every right to be where I was.)
NBC News asked me some questions.
The short clip also includes someone who thinks he is protecting his grandkids from “values” he doesn’t agree with. Based on what we’ve widely seen from Generation Z, it seems likely that those grandkids will reject their grandfather’s repugnant stance.
Among the thousands of comments on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, ones disagreeing with me alternate between these points:
Check this guy’s hard drive.People like you are why Trump won again.So public schools can also teach the Bible?
(Sometimes this is expressed in language that is decisively not biblical.)
As for the Trump comment, it carries weight. But I’m not one to abandon my principles over an election, even one as ruinous as this one is.
The commenters agreeing mostly echo the sign I held: education does not equal indoctrination.
It is illogical that some adults believe that a relationship between a man and a woman is an acceptable topic for kids but no other kinds of relationships are.
It is illogical that some adults do not associate the mere mention of a straight relationship with sex but do associate the mere mention of a gay relationship with sex.
(It should go without saying, but since the anti-gay crowd brings it up incessantly, apparently this does need to be spelled out: in neither case are responsible adults talking to elementary kids about sex.)
Children who are not LGBTQ and learn that this community exists are not hurt or corrupted by that knowledge.
Conversely, children who are LGBTQ—or who have LGBTQ families members—are hurt by policy that forbids that topic to even be mentioned. (And when disapproving adults do mention it, it’s to call gay people perverts and sinners, deepening the wound.)
We don’t hear about religious teens committing suicide because they know about gay people.
We do hear about LGBTQ teens committing suicide because their community doesn’t want to know about gay people.
If the opponents to this policy truly cared about protecting kids, they’d switch sides.
Again, what kids learn in school—and in life—does not prevent parents from parenting. Unfortunately, some parenting prevents kids from learning.
