User:MSURedHawk/sandbox

'Amy Asks a Question: Grandma, What's a Lesbian? '

Overview

"Amy Asks a Question: Grandma, What's a Lesbian?" a story was written by American author and illustrator Jeanne Arnold and Barbara Lindquist in 1996. The forty-seven page story, published by [[Mother Courage Press]] of Racine Wisconsin, describes its purpose on the back cover as being "designed to help adults who want to explain homosexuality and homophobia to children." The intended purpose of the book continues to suggest that children may read the work on their own, or it can be read with parents or grandparents. Additionally, the purpose of the book includes that adult children of homosexual parents can use this work to scaffold conversations with their own children about their grandparents' lifestyles.

Summary

Amy, Grandma Bonnie’s and Grandma Jo’s 10 year old granddaughter is comes to terms with cultural differences and cultural prejudice. Amy’s question “Grandma, what’s a lesbian?” follows an incident at school during which Amy was the target of teasing. A peer taunted Amy, using lesbian as a derogatory term after she had hugged another girl off of the soccer field. Amy’s mother brought her to matriarchs Bonnie and Jo to have her questions be fielded with loving wisdom and firm support. Therein, a dialogue about identity, homosexuality, prejudice, pride, and life ensued.

'''Dedication and History '''

At the time of publication, Jeanne Arnold and Barbara Lindquist were together for over 20 years. The book was dedicated to their six children and eleven grandchildren. Together, Arnold and Lindquist founded [| Mother Courage Press] on behalf of publishing women written works. Amy Asks a Question: Grandma What's a Lesbian? was their first published work together. Before establishing Mother Courage Press, Arnold worked as a journalist and writer. Lindquist had previously published three books.

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