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Michael Young's avatar

Nice one, Brent. Great post, and a great piece of advice. And totally with you on this. I feel like we all need to learn this eventually. It was sort of the theme of the picture book I made. And that too was making something for myself 😱 IT'S ALL CONNECTED.

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Brent Hartinger's avatar

LOL

It's funny cuz it's true.

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Robin Reardon's avatar

Re changing the world, it was your early books and those of David Levithan that inspired me to write in the LGBTQ+ genre, especially when I compared them with books I found depressing, like Dancer from the Dance (Holleran) and A Boy’s Own Story (White). I wanted to write stories about real people whose destinies were not dictated solely by whom they loved, rather than tales ending in tragedy because the characters were not het-cis. I hope my work, like yours, has contributed to a lifting-up of life’s possibilities for my readers.

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Brent Hartinger's avatar

Awwww, you are very sweet to say so! Yes, books from the previous generation didn't speak to me either. They had their place, but...

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Amran Gowani's avatar

The fastest way to please nobody is to try to please everybody. Good stuff, per usual.

Also, every book triangulates to 3.3-3.8 on Goodreads, so you’re doing pretty well!

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Brent Hartinger's avatar

Thanks! School of Hard Knocks, I tell ya.

Yeah, Goodreads is...weird. LOL

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Sheila's avatar

You write as your authentic self. That’s truly beautiful.

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Brent Hartinger's avatar

Thank you! I do try very hard to do that.

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Amy Mosley's avatar

I loved this….you were nominated for an award and that speaks volumes! If one person reads your columns; books; or anything else you want to write you changed the world! ❤️

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Brent Hartinger's avatar

That is very kind of you to say! And you're right, there is always an impact, no matter how small or big.

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This Three Pound Universe's avatar

Enjoyed this very much. Felt as if I were listening to you do a mild rant over coffees seated at an outdoor café on a summer day.

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Brent Hartinger's avatar

Thank you! Yes, that's fairly accurate. 😂😂😂

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