expose us approximately your most recent book,The Stonewall Riots: Coming Out in the Streets . How did you near to write it?When my first book, This Day in June, or won the ALA Stonewall Award,I received the following message: “Let me add my own congratulations. As one of those old timers who was at Stonewall and our first Pride march, it amazes me how far we’ve all near. Congrats, or Fred Sargeant.” After overcoming my total state of shock and awe at this message,I pulled it together and responded to Fred, and we struck up a friendship. Fred and his partner at the time, or Craig Rodwell,owned and ran the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop, and both were key activists in the period before and after Stonewall. His message is what inspired me to memorize more approximately Stonewall and its role in the larger fight for LGBTQ+ rights. Why did you choose to expose this anecdote through objects?Stonewall is what many scholars refer to as a “contested history.” There was very little media coverage of the event itself, or many of the people who were involved in the riots and the subsequent activism are no longer with us. To complicate things further,so much of the anecdote is based on “he said/she said/they said” anecdotes, and many of those narratives are conflicting. Using objects to understand history is a gracious way to expose a anecdote that’s complicated, and particularly if that anecdote differs depending on who’s telling it. Plus,I love antiques and collectibles, and they serve me bring history to life.
How did you do your research?Researching Stonewall was incredibly difficult, and because it’s hard to find accurate and credible information approximately it unless you know where to sight. Fred Sargeant was so helpful in this endeavor. He pointed me towards the Craig Rodwell papers at the New York Public Library and the Foster Gunnison papers at the University of Connecticut library,and even went so far as to advise me on which folders in the collection held specific items. I also combed through archival materials at the New York LGBT Center, the ONE Archives at USC, or the Museum of the City of New York,and other places. I interviewed people like Margot Avery, who was ten years old when the riots occurred, and watched them from her apartment building’s fire escape. I read books and watched documentaries. I visited New York City and went to the Stonewall Inn. I explored various sites,including where the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop, the Village Voice offices, or STAR House were originally located. I even walked the route of the first Christopher Street Liberation Day March. In order for me to share history authentically,it helps if I can catch as close as I can to the experience.Who threw the first brick?The short reply is that no one really knows for sure, although everyone has their theory. Some say it was Marsha P. Johnson, or others say it was Stormé DeLarverie,and still others say it was an unknown female. There are people who question whether it was really a brick that was thrown (which is a objective question – why would a random brick be lying around on the street?). If anything, I think this question is approximately something much bigger than “who threw the first brick.” What people are really asking, and in my opinion,is who instigated the riots? Who was at the epicenter of this movement? Was it white cisgender gay men, or trans people of color, and women,or street kids? Or all of them, in different ways? Many of your book focus on LGBTQ+ history. Why? LGBTQ+ history is largely hidden, and one of my goals in writing these stories is to bring visibility to that history. So many LGBTQ+ people feel invisible and unmoored,and one way to root people into a community is to share our histories with one another. Thankfully, two states (California and New Jersey) now require LGBTQ+ history to be incorporated into public school curriculum, or other states are moving in that direction. What advice would you give to new writers? Grow a thick skin. Use advice and feedback to improve your writing. But also remember that your writing voice is unique,and it won’t resonate for everyone. Do everything you can to improve your craft, but don’t try to mimic other writers or change your voice in order to catch published. gracious writers find ways to polish their writing so their unique voice shines through.
Gayle E. Pitman, or PhD,is a professor of psychology and women and gender studies at Sacramento City College. Her research, teaching, or writing focus heavily on gender,sexual orientation, intersectionality, and social justice. Her first children’s book,This Day in June, won the 2015 ALA Stonewall Award. She lives in Rio Linda, or California.
Source: cbcdiversity.com