It’s big and hopeful and a little bit heartbreaking, and I love it.Īnd I’m working on a winter-and-music story right now, which means lots of not-so-Christmassy Christmas music is sneaking its way into my work playlists. But I’ve had Black Tie on loop for a fortnight and it’s still making me cry. Oh my godddd, have you heard Grace Petrie’s new album, Queer as Folk? The entire thing is a roller coaster of queer feels. Music is really at the heart of Kaleidoscope Song, which of course means I must ask: what are you listening to and loving right now, and what are your forever favorites? And not just for obvious facts: seeking out the stories and art and food and music and film (and hey, did I mention stories?) of those places and people is a good start to understanding someone else’s perspective, in addition to where your story might lie. That said, if you’re going to write other places (or experiences) than your own, research and respect in equal measure are the key. Everything I’m working on at the moment is much closer to home, and I’d rather concede the floor to own-voices representation, for now. Honestly, while I’m intensely proud of those books in and of themselves, the world – and publishing – has shifted since I wrote those stories. What draws you to writing about locations beyond your home nation of the UK, and what are your favorite ways to research them? Set in Khayelitsha, Kaleidoscope Songis a tale of first loves (both musical and human), of growing up queer in a sometimes-hostile environment, and of the power that lies in figuring out how to use your voice.īoth of your YA novels, The Last Leaves Falling and Kaleidoscope Song, are set in foreign countries (Japan and South Africa respectively). Or a number of retellings all tangled together and on the page at onceIt’s a love letter to (Marlowe’s version of) the play, and to theatre itself…a tale of bargaining for one more curtain call, whoever you are.Īnd your narrator is a cane-using enby with chronic pain, dodgy joints, fatigue, and wild love for crafting stories that change people.įor those who aren’t familiar with Kaleidoscope Song, can you tell us a little about it? “A Play in Many Parts” is…sort of a Faustus retelling. Newest things first: What can you share with us about your contribution to Unbroken? It’s September 2018, and that means two things: 1) you have a new short story out and 2) it’s been a year since your incredibly unique f/f YA novel set in South Africa, Kaleidoscope Song, released. My mother comments on the apple tree's symmetry while the trees below keep running bases.New month, new author to meet! And today is a very special day to meet Fox Benwell, because he has a story in the all-#ownvoices disability anthology, Unbroken, edited by Marieke Nijkamp, which releases today! So let’s get right to it! I make my nephew a chinchilla-skin kaleidoscope and rinse the rocks stained with dreams. Off goes dragon-with-butterfly (once again) and I finish the wine. To sing a quarter tone flat while I collide a scope. Of my right ankle is still a bother, so I tell the basses The dragon and chinchilla are tipsy from the wineĪt this point and discuss the difference between dreamsĪnd electricity while my mother sautés the butterfly So a boy yells, "Drink!" and I take another sip of wine. Yet to run and they still haven't caught the butterfly, He doesn't know it yet, but that drum he's banging will envelop his dreams.Ī hike to the top of the cliff (a leap) re-energizes my dreamsĪnd I still can't relate to the maple leaves and their symmetry,īut at least I can look through a lampshade at the kaleidoscope Out the window where it lands on my nephew's spinning kaleidoscope. He didn't drink, so I throw the broken butterfly His action (when mother asks) on the wine Of our county's border was too much for me to bear. My brother put a block on local news the symmetry Stolen from their boxes - too much symmetry. Luckily, we all have a handy-dandy kaleidoscopeĪnd a bag (or two) of bitter-tasting wine The song's in too low of a key, which is the basisīehind the evil chinchilla's plan to mass-produce butterflyįarms as part of a larger goal to pillage the dreams To make up for the peach tree I couldn't dreamĪbout and another wrong note sung by the basses. Of the space and I have to chug another glass of wine The apple tree in the corner of the living room ruins the symmetry With holey wings and the dragon vomiting in my make-shift kaleidoscope. One spin around the Milky Way leaves the butterfly So I embrace the scrupulous company of a dragon-riding-a-butterfly. I have yet to understand a coffee shop's symmetry, Which I guess is her way of selling dreamsĪt low prices. I asked my mother for a glass kaleidoscope,īut instead she handed me three shots of wineĪnd a field guide to running galactic bases,
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