Presents: Queer Voices in Literature

Join us for a conversation with queer authors Jas Hammonds, Sami Ellis, Jen St. Jude ALM '18, and Aislinn Brophy AB '17!

Jas Hammonds (they/she) was raised in many cities and between the pages of many books. They have received support for their writing from the Highlights Foundation, Baldwin for the Arts and more. They are also a grateful recipient of the MacDowell James Baldwin Fellowship. Their bestselling debut novel, We Deserve Monuments, won the 2023 Coretta Scott King - John Steptoe Award for New Talent. Her second novel, Thirsty, is forthcoming May 2024. She lives in New Jersey.

Sami Ellis is a queer horror writer inspired by the horrific nature of Black fears and the culture’s relation to the supernatural. She is also the co-founder of the Write Team Mentorship Program. You can follow her @themoosef on Twitter, use her writing resource, the Agent Adjacent Cheat Sheet, or check out her words in the upcoming Black horror anthology, All These Sunken Souls (2023) and in her debut novel Dead Girls Walking (2024).

Jen St. Jude grew up in New Hampshire apple orchards and now lives in the Chicago suburbs with their wife, daughter, and dog. Their debut YA novel, IF TOMORROW DOESN'T COME, was published by Bloomsbury Children's (US) and Penguin Random House (UK) in 2023. They have also served as an editor and managing director for Chicago Review of Books.

Aislinn Brophy is a queer writer and theater artist whose work seeks to explore hard truths about our world with empathy and joy. They graduated from Harvard University with an A.B. in Theater, Dance & Media. As an actor, they have appeared on stages all across the east coast. Their debut YA novel, HOW TO SUCCEED IN WITCHCRAFT, was published September 2022, and their sophomore YA novel, SPELLS TO FORGET US, is due for publication in September 2024.