Why Rabow Rowell Thks Her Rears Are More Than Ready for a Gay Teen Love Story | Vany Fair

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• WHY AUTHOR RABOW ROWELL THKS HER REARS ARE MORE THAN READY FOR A GAY TEEN LOVE STORYBY JOANNA ROBSONOCTOBER 8, 2015RIGHT, BY AUGTEN BURROUGHSSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEAUTHOR RABOW ROWELL HAS BEEN WRG FOR MOST OF HER ADULT LIFE. BUT THE FORMER JOURNALIST AND AD WRER BURST ONTO THE FICTN SCENE A BIG WAY WHEN HER 2013 NOVEL ELEANOR & PARK WAS HEAPED WH UNANIMO CRIL PRAISE AND MOUNTAS OF AWARDS, AND LAND HER AN ARMY OF LOYAL FANS THAT CLU THE KD OF DISENANCHISED TEENS SHE VERED SO SENSIVELY AND REALISTILLY HER BREAKOUT H. UNBELIEVABLY, ROWELL, 42, HAS RELEASED THREE BOOKS SCE, CLUDG LANDLE, FANGIRL, AND HER LATT, CARRY ON. ALL HER BOOKS—CLUDG THE FIRST, ATTACHMENTS—HAVE SHARED THE SAME UNNNY ABILY TO REACH OUT AND GRAB THE REAR BY THE HEART AND SQUEEZE. BUT THAT’S WHERE THE SIARI END. ROWELL’S BOOKS ARE RARELY AIMED AT THE SAME DIENCE, VER THE SAME TOPIC, OR ADHERE TO ANY FORMULAIC GENRE TROP THAT DOG SO MANY STORI THAT ARE EQUALLY POPULAR WH TEENS.HER LATT NOVEL, CARRY ON, IS THE BIGGT STRETCH YET. IT’S A LH FANTASY BASED ON A FICTNAL HARRY POTTER–QUE BOOK SERI, SIMON SNOW, THAT FEATURED PROMENTLY ROWELL’S BT-SELLG FANGIRL. THE TULAR FAN GIRL OF THAT BOOK WROTE HUGELY POPULAR FAN FICTN, CARRY ON, SIMON, BASED ON A LOVE STORY BETWEEN SIMON (OUR HARRY POTTER PROXY) AND BAZ (A VAMPIRE WH SHAS OF DRA MALFOY). ROWELL TOOK HER META-TEXTUAL TERACTN WH THE POPULAR J.K. ROWLG SERI ONE STEP FURTHER CARRY ON, WHERE BAZ, SIMON, AND THEIR IENDS AGATHA AND PENELOPE TAKE NTROL OF THE NARRATIVE. WE SPOKE WH ROWELL ABOUT CARRY ON, THAT LONG-AWAED ELEANOR & PARK MOVIE, AND THE POWER OF THE YOUNG-ADULT DIENCE THAT NTU TO DRIVE MONUMENTAL SAL THE BOOK DTRY.__VF HOLLYWOOD: IN THE AFTERWORD TO YOUR NEW BOOK, CARRY ON, YOU TALK ABOUT GETTG TO WRE YOUR FIRST “CHOSEN ONE” FANTASY STORY. I FEEL YOU KNOW YOU’VE MA WHEN YOUR BOOK HAS A MAP ON THE END PAPERS. HOW FUN WAS TO BUILD YOUR OWN FANTASTIL UNIVERSE? __RABOW ROWELL: IT WAS FUN BEE I KNEW THAT MY BOOK WAS GOG TO BE REFERENTIAL AND TAKE THAT VOBULARY AND TAKE THOSE NCEPTS AND JT TWIST AND TURN AND PLAY WH THEM. IN A WAY, A FANTASY, ANYTHG N HAPPEN, BUT ALSO FANTASI, THE SAME THGS TEND TO HAPPEN OVER AND OVER AGA.I’VE FELY SEEN THE BAZ AND SIMON NARRATIVE CARRY ON REFERRED TO AS “GAY HARRY POTTER.” WAS HARD TO AVOID ALLUDG TO HOGWARTS AND THE WORLD J. K. ROWLG CREATED CRAFTG YOUR OWN MAGIL BOARDG SCHOOL? OR DID YOU LEAN TO ?I WANTED TO REFERENCE HARRY POTTER TENTNAL WAYS, BUT I WANTED THE CHARACTERS TO FEEL LIKE THEY HAD THEIR OWN LIV. IF THERE’S EVER A HARRY POTTER OR STAR WARS OR LORD OF THE RGS OR A TWILIGHT REFERENCE, I WANT TO FEEL VERY MUCH TENTNAL. “LOOK AT WHAT I’M DOG HERE.” I KNOW HARRY AS A CHARACTER REALLY WELL BEE I’VE VTED SO MUCH TIME HIM, AND DRA AS WELL, SO WAS FUN TO REFERENCE THEM. IF YOU’RE READG MY BOOKS, YOU'VE READ HARRY POTTER, YOU’VE SEEN THE STAR WARS MOVI, YOU’VE SEEN THE LORD OF THE RGS MOVI, YOU’VE WATCHED BUFFY. IT’S FUN TO HAVE AN DIENCE THAT YOU N LOOK AT AND YOU N WK AT LIKE, “OH, SEE WHAT I’M DOG HERE?”__EXACTLY. IT’S PRETTY CLEAR __WE ALMOST ALWAYS HAVE AN ORPHAN—AND THIS IS LIKE EVERY DISNEY PRCS STORY TOO—WE START WH A SGULAR ORPHAN. ALMOST ALWAYS THE NEXT THG THAT HAPPENS IS THEY MEET SOMEONE, UALLY AN OLD WHE GUY THE SERT WHO TELLS THEM, “YOU’RE SUPER SPECIAL AND YOU’RE GOG TO SAVE THE WORLD.” IN THE STORI, THEY ALWAYS SAY TO THE HOBO THEY MET THE SERT, “YEAH, AWOME. GIVE ME THE LIGHTSABER. I WILL FOLLOW YOU OFF MY PLA, STRANGE HOBO I’VE MET THE SERT, AND I WILL SAVE THE WORLD FOR YOU. I WILL SACRIFICE MY WHOLE LIFE. I WILL NEVER GET MARRIED. I JT MET YOU, AND I’M ONLY 18, BUT I’M AN ORPHAN, AND YOU’VE GIVEN ME A MISSN AND I’M GOG TO FIX THE WORLD.” IT WAS FUN THIS BOOK TO BE LIKE, “OR NOT.” IT’S VERY HUMANIZG TO BE CHOSEN. AGATHA REALLY SE THROUGH THAT AND JT SE ALL OF THE OBLIGATN AND THE SADNS, THE BURN OF .YOU’VE TALKED BEFORE ABOUT FDG YOURSELF THE Y.A. SECTN ALMOST BY ACCINT. ELEANOR & PARK WASN’T TENTNALLY A Y.A. BOOK. WHAT DO FEEL LIKE TO BE THE CHOSEN ONE OF THE Y.A. SECTN? IS THAT A BURN?IT IS MOSTLY JT A JOY AND PLEASURE BEE TEEN REARS—YOU REMEMBER BEG A TEEN REAR—THEY’RE CREDIBLY ENGAGED AND THEY HAVE A LOT OF ENERGY AND ENTHIASM FOR WHAT THEY DO. BUT STILL FEELS WEIRD BEE SOMETIM I FEEL LIKE PEOPLE EXPECT ME TO BE THKG OF MY TEEN DIENCE AT EVERY STEP, LIKE I ME TO TOWN AND SAID, “I’M HERE TO SERVE YOU, TEENAGERS. WHAT DO YOU WANT?” I DIDN’T DO THAT. I DIDN’T WRE ELEANOR & PARK THKG, WHAT’S THE BT BOOK I N WRE FOR A TEENAGER? I JT WROTE THKG, WHAT BOOK DO I WANT TO WRE?BUT SOME WAYS TEENS HAVE MORE TIME, SO THEY GIVE THEMSELV WHOLEHEARTEDLY. EVEN ADULTS WHO READ Y.A. READ MORE WHOLEHEARTEDLY AND MORE OPENLY AND MORE PASSNATELY. THE ADULT WHO CROSS OVER AND READS Y.A. IS JT A GENERO REAR.I THK SELF-ACCEPTANCE IS A HUGE PART OF WHAT YOUR REARS—PECIALLY THE TEENAGED ON—HAVE NNECTED TO YOUR WORK. IS NORMALIZG GE GROUPS ON YOUR MD WHEN NSTCTG YOUR STORI?MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHREMEMBERG SéAD O’CONNOR’S SUBLIME MIC AND RIGHTEO RAGEBY MIKE HOGANRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHIF YOU READ FANGIRL, THE POT OF IS NOT NORMALIZG FANDOM. IN ELEANOR & PARK, THAT’S NOT A BOOK ABOUT BEG FAT. I THK IF ’S POWERFUL, ’S JT THE POWER OF WRG ABOUT A FAT PERSON AND THAT SHE’S A NORMAL PERSON WH NORMAL NEEDS AND SIR. HER FATNS IS THERE, BUT ’S NOT HER STORY. I DO THK THAT THE YOUNG-ADULT FICTN IS MORE DIVERSE EVERY WAY. NOT JT PARED TO THE RT OF THE BOOK WORLD, BUT TO THE RT OF THE ENTERTAMENT WORLD. I’M MUCH MORE NSC ABOUT NOW, BUT WHEN I STARTED, I JT WANTED TO WRE WORLDS THAT FELT REAL TO ME AND CHARACTERS THAT FELT REAL TO ME.THE REAL WORLD IS A DIVERSE WORLD. AT THE BEGNG, WAS JT THIS, “WHAT DO THIS WORLD LOOK LIKE? WHAT DO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD LOOK LIKE? WHAT DO THIS B LOOK LIKE?” I THK WHEN YOU TRY TO WRE REALISTILLY, YOU END UP WH MORE DIVERSE BOOKS BEE THE WORLD IS FULL OF PEOPLE WHO E OM DIFFERENT PLAC WHO LOOK DIFFERENT.GIVEN THAT LEVEL OF DIVERSY Y.A., WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF A STRAIGHT WHE GUY LIKE JOHN GREEN BEG NSIRED THE KG OF THE SECTN? DO HIS DOMANCE CROWD OUT OTHER MORE DIVERSE VOIC?I FEEL THAT’S MORE OF A MEDIA CROWDG THAN IS AN ACTUAL CROWDG, BEE I THK JOHN GREEN’S SUCCS BROUGHT MORE PEOPLE TO THE Y.A. SECTN AND MORE PEOPLE READG Y.A. AND MORE PEOPLE READG FEMALE THORS AND MORE PEOPLE READG PERD. JOHN GREEN’S A GREAT THOR WHO STCK A CHORD. THAT HAPPENS OUR CULTURE. IT HAPPENED WH STEPHENIE MEYER, AND HAPPENED WH J. K. ROWLG. STEPHANIE MEYER DID MORE TO BRG PEOPLE TO Y.A.; SHE GOT SO MANY ADULTS READG . ANYWAY, BACK TO JOHN. IN OUR CULTURE, SOME THGS TAKE OFF AND THEY TAKE OFF A HUGE WAY. IT’S BEE THERE’S SOMETHG ABOUT THEM THAT JT REALLY RONAT WH A LOT OF PEOPLE AT ONCE. I DON’T UNRSTAND RENTG THAT. THAT’S LIKE CURSG THE MOON TO ME.I UNRSTAND GETTG ANGRY AT PRIVILEGE AND THE WAY HOW MUCH PRIVILEGE YOU HAVE AFFECTS HOW MUCH SUCCS YOU N EVEN REACH. I TOTALLY UNRSTAND THAT. I UNRSTAND THIS FEELG OF THIS HANDSOME WHE GUY WHO SEEMS LIKE HE ME OM A GOOD FAY, LOOKG AT SOMEONE LIKE THAT AND BEG LIKE, “OF URSE HE SUCCEED.” I UNRSTAND THAT FEELG. I’VE FELT THAT WAY MY LIFE. I THK, THOUGH, JOHN’S JT A GREAT WRER. YOU N’T DIVORCE THAT; YOU N’T PULL THAT ASI. YOU N’T KICK THE FACT THAT HE’S GREAT AND PEOPLE LOVE HIS BOOKS AND JT LOOK AT HIS PRIVILEGE AND SUCCS.SO YOU THK JOHN GREEN WOULD HAVE SUCCEED NO MATTER WHAT?TO ME, ’S LIKE THE WEATHER. THIS THG HAPPENED. I DON’T THK WAS BAD FOR Y.A. WHEN PEOPLE ARE REALLY SUCCSFUL, THEY GET A LOT OF ATTENTN. I’VE ALSO WORKED FOR A NEWSPAPER—I KNOW THAT WHEN YOU ARE WRG A NEWSPAPER STORY, YOU JT SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY. EVERY ARTICLE THAT TRIED TO EXPLA Y.A. TO PEOPLE WHO DIDN’T KNOW WHAT Y.A. IS—OF URSE THOSE ARTICL WERE IRRATG. SOME OF THEM WERE VERY NSCENDG.MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHREMEMBERG SéAD O’CONNOR’S SUBLIME MIC AND RIGHTEO RAGEBY MIKE HOGANRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHOF URSE WHEN A REPORTER LANDS THE Y.A. WORLD, THEY’RE GOG TO NOTICE THE BIG DIPPERS, AND THEY’RE GOG TO SUM UP A WAY THAT DON’T FEEL THENTIC TO BEE THAT’S JT WHAT HAPPENS. I REALLY LIKE JOHN GREEN. MY 10-YEAR-OLD WATCH ONE OF JOHN GREEN’S WEB SERI. YOU KNOW THE ONE. “HOW DO CONGRS WORK? WHAT’S ACTUALLY HAPPENG SYRIA?” HE TOLD ME THAT THEY WATCH THOSE SCHOOL. HE SAID, “YOU KNOW, MOM, YOU’RE AN THOR, BUT JOHN GREEN’S A TEACHER AND AN THOR.” I WAS LIKE, “OH, I KNOW.”I KNOW YOU HAD AN ISSUE, AT LEAST WH ELEANOR & PARK, WHERE AT LEAST ONE LIBRARY NSIRED TOO NTROVERSIAL, TOO EDGY. THERE’S A LOT OF SALTY LANGUAGE CARRY ON. HARRY POTTER SWEARS!I’M NOT REALLY THKG ABOUT THAT. I’M NOT. I’M NEVER THKG, IS O.K. FOR TEENAGERS TO HEAR THIS WORD? I’M THKG, WHAT STORY AM I WRG? I SWORE MORE AS A TEENAGER THAN I HAVE EVER SCE. SIMON IS 18—HE ULD GO TO WAR AND KILL PEOPLE, IF HE WAS AMERIN. OF URSE, HE’S A BRISH WIZARD, AND HE’S ALREADY KILLED PEOPLE. I’M NOT WRG BOOKS TO SHOCK. THERE’S NONE OF THAT THAT BOOK. ALSO, THE CHARACTERS ARE AN EXTREME SUATN. I FELT LIKE WHEN YOU’RE FIGHTG A DRAGON, IF YOU WANT TO SWEAR, YOU SHOULD.WHAT’S THE UPDATE ON THE ELEANOR & PARK MOVIE? WHAT’S HAPPENG?THEY’VE BEEN REALLY GREAT—DREAMWORKS HAS BEEN GREAT. I WROTE THE FIRST DRAFT FOR THEM, AND THEN I TOOK A BREAK TO WORK ON CARRY ON SOME MORE. PEOPLE GET TRATED ON TWTER WH ME A LOT: “WHERE IS ? WHY HASN’T HAPPENED?” NO, NO UPDAT YET. [ROWELL LATER CLARIFIED BY E-MAIL THAT SHE’S WORKG ON THE FILM PROJECT AGA NOW.]ARE YOU STILL DOG THE GRAPHIC-NOVEL PROJECT? IS THAT STILL HAPPENG?I AM. I JT TOOK A LONG TIME ON THIS BOOK. WHEN I FIRST SIGNED THAT AL, WAS LIKE, “IT WILL E OUT ON THIS DATE.” THAT WAS POSSIBLY LAST WEEK. I’M NOT SURE. I’M EXCED ABOUT . IT’S A FANTASY. IT’S A HIDN-WORLD STORY.COMIC BOOKS, EVEN MORE THAN FICTN, SEEM TO BE AIMED AT AGE GROUPS. IS THIS PROJECT AIMED AT A CERTA AGE GROUP ANY WAY? I KNOW YOU DON’T LIKE THAT QUTN!I DON’T LIKE ! I JT DON’T THK THAT’S MY JOB. LET SOMEBODY ELSE FIGURE OUT. I SHOULD JT BE WRG THE BT THG THAT I N WRE AND THEN THEY SHOULD BE LIKE, “HEY, THANK YOU FOR DOG YOUR BT. LET FIGURE OUT WHERE TO SHELVE THIS.” I N’T GET TOO HUNG UP ON THAT. MY FAVORE BOOKS I THK ARE DIFFICULT TO SHELVE; LIKE THE GRAVEYARD BOOK BY NEIL GAIMAN—’S ONE OF MY FAVORE BOOKS.WHEN I WAS A BOOKSELLER WE ED TO SHELVE TWO DIFFERENT SECTNS: ADULT AND MIDDLE REAR. I LOVE A BOOK YOU N DOUBLE SHELVE.MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHREMEMBERG SéAD O’CONNOR’S SUBLIME MIC AND RIGHTEO RAGEBY MIKE HOGANRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHI LOVE OUTLANR. OUTLANR IS A HARD BOOK TO SHELVE. IF YOU PUT THE ROMANCE GENRE, A LOT OF REARS WILL NEVER FD .YOU’VE MENTNED BEFORE THAT SPECIFIC MIC WAS HUGELY FLUENTIAL WHEN YOU WERE WRG ELEANOR & PARK. IS THERE MIC THAT YOU N PEG TO CARRY ON?YEAH, I JT LISTED MY CHARACTER PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY. FOR ME, BAZ HAD THIS 80S ELECTRONIC-POP MIC AND STUFF THAT SOUNDS LIKE 80S ELECTRONIC-POP MIC AND GOTH-Y SELF-LOATHG STUFF. I LISTENED TO THIS ALBUM OM DEPECHE MO AND A LOT OF DURAN DURAN. I DON’T KNOW IF YOU KNOW THE BAND THE WILD BEASTS, BUT I LISTENED TO SO MUCH WILD BEASTS. THEY’RE SPOOKY SOUNDG AND ALSO VERY NON-DRAMATIC. IN A WAY, SIMON IS MORE OF AN AMERIN CHARACTER. HE’S GOT A SQUARE-JAWED SUPERMAN—THERE’S A LOT OF SUPERMAN STUFF HIM—AND I’M JT REALIZG THAT. I'M TELLG YOU, ORPHANS HAVE TO SAVE THE WORLD. IT’S HIS ONLY JOB, ALL DAY LONG, SAVG THE WORLD. I NNOT BELIEVE I’M JT MAKG THE SUPERMAN NNECTN NOW.FOR SIMON, YOU’LL SEE ON HIS PLAYLIST, HE GETS A LTLE B MORE OF ANTHEM ROCK. I WAS ALSO FOND OF THE SONG IF SAID “RRY ON” , SO THE KANSAS SONG AND THEN SOME STYX. I TENTNALLY ADD A UPLE LOVE SONGS YTERDAY BEE I REALIZED THAT BAZ’S PLAYLIST IS ALL LOVE SONGS, AND SIMON HAD HARDLY ANY, AND I THK ’S BEE HE’S ALL ABOUT SAVG THE WORLD. HE’S NOT ALL ABOUT WRG LOVE POETRY OR MOONG OR YEARNG.I THK ’S PROBABLY NO SECRET THAT THERE IS A ROMANCE BETWEEN TWO YOUNG MEN THIS BOOK.IT’S NOT A SECRET. I’VE BEEN LOUDLY FLAILG THAT OM DAY ONE. PEOPLE KEPT SAYG, ‘I N’T WA FOR THE SUBTEXT,’ AND I HAVE SUCH A NEGATIVE REACTN TO THAT. NO, THIS IS NOT SOME CHEY, WILL-THEY-WON’T-THEY, SUBTEXT-Y THG. THAT’S NOT A GAME I’M TERTED PLAYG. I’M FELY NOT THE FIRST PERSON TO WRE A GAY Y.A. STORY. BY A LN YEARS. I DO THK OUR CULTURE THERE WAS A TIME WHEN THIS HAD TO BE SUBTEXT, BUT I DON’T THK THAT TIME IS NOW. I CID TO SPOIL THEIR ROMANCE ALWAYS, EVERY TIME I TALKED ABOUT . IT’S TEXT. DON’T WATCH FOR THE SUBTEXT, DON’T WATCH FOR THE MOMENTS [ BBC’S SHERLOCK] WHEN SHERLOCK AND JOHN MAKE EYE NTACT AND THE WORLD SETS ON FIRE BUT NONE OF ’S REAL. AS A CULTURE, WE ARE READY FOR TEXT.JOANNA ROBSON

WHY AUTHOR RABOW ROWELL THKS HER REARS ARE MORE THAN READY FOR A GAY TEEN LOVE STORYBY JOANNA ROBSONOCTOBER 8, 2015RIGHT, BY AUGTEN BURROUGHSSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEAUTHOR RABOW ROWELL HAS BEEN WRG FOR MOST OF HER ADULT LIFE. BUT THE FORMER JOURNALIST AND AD WRER BURST ONTO THE FICTN SCENE A BIG WAY WHEN HER 2013 NOVEL ELEANOR & PARK WAS HEAPED WH UNANIMO CRIL PRAISE AND MOUNTAS OF AWARDS, AND LAND HER AN ARMY OF LOYAL FANS THAT CLU THE KD OF DISENANCHISED TEENS SHE VERED SO SENSIVELY AND REALISTILLY HER BREAKOUT H. UNBELIEVABLY, ROWELL, 42, HAS RELEASED THREE BOOKS SCE, CLUDG LANDLE, FANGIRL, AND HER LATT, CARRY ON. ALL HER BOOKS—CLUDG THE FIRST, ATTACHMENTS—HAVE SHARED THE SAME UNNNY ABILY TO REACH OUT AND GRAB THE REAR BY THE HEART AND SQUEEZE. BUT THAT’S WHERE THE SIARI END. ROWELL’S BOOKS ARE RARELY AIMED AT THE SAME DIENCE, VER THE SAME TOPIC, OR ADHERE TO ANY FORMULAIC GENRE TROP THAT DOG SO MANY STORI THAT ARE EQUALLY POPULAR WH TEENS.HER LATT NOVEL, CARRY ON, IS THE BIGGT STRETCH YET. IT’S A LH FANTASY BASED ON A FICTNAL HARRY POTTER–QUE BOOK SERI, SIMON SNOW, THAT FEATURED PROMENTLY ROWELL’S BT-SELLG FANGIRL. THE TULAR FAN GIRL OF THAT BOOK WROTE HUGELY POPULAR FAN FICTN, CARRY ON, SIMON, BASED ON A LOVE STORY BETWEEN SIMON (OUR HARRY POTTER PROXY) AND BAZ (A VAMPIRE WH SHAS OF DRA MALFOY). ROWELL TOOK HER META-TEXTUAL TERACTN WH THE POPULAR J.K. ROWLG SERI ONE STEP FURTHER CARRY ON, WHERE BAZ, SIMON, AND THEIR IENDS AGATHA AND PENELOPE TAKE NTROL OF THE NARRATIVE. WE SPOKE WH ROWELL ABOUT CARRY ON, THAT LONG-AWAED ELEANOR & PARK MOVIE, AND THE POWER OF THE YOUNG-ADULT DIENCE THAT NTU TO DRIVE MONUMENTAL SAL THE BOOK DTRY.__VF HOLLYWOOD: IN THE AFTERWORD TO YOUR NEW BOOK, CARRY ON, YOU TALK ABOUT GETTG TO WRE YOUR FIRST “CHOSEN ONE” FANTASY STORY. I FEEL YOU KNOW YOU’VE MA WHEN YOUR BOOK HAS A MAP ON THE END PAPERS. HOW FUN WAS TO BUILD YOUR OWN FANTASTIL UNIVERSE? __RABOW ROWELL: IT WAS FUN BEE I KNEW THAT MY BOOK WAS GOG TO BE REFERENTIAL AND TAKE THAT VOBULARY AND TAKE THOSE NCEPTS AND JT TWIST AND TURN AND PLAY WH THEM. IN A WAY, A FANTASY, ANYTHG N HAPPEN, BUT ALSO FANTASI, THE SAME THGS TEND TO HAPPEN OVER AND OVER AGA.I’VE FELY SEEN THE BAZ AND SIMON NARRATIVE CARRY ON REFERRED TO AS “GAY HARRY POTTER.” WAS HARD TO AVOID ALLUDG TO HOGWARTS AND THE WORLD J. K. ROWLG CREATED CRAFTG YOUR OWN MAGIL BOARDG SCHOOL? OR DID YOU LEAN TO ?I WANTED TO REFERENCE HARRY POTTER TENTNAL WAYS, BUT I WANTED THE CHARACTERS TO FEEL LIKE THEY HAD THEIR OWN LIV. IF THERE’S EVER A HARRY POTTER OR STAR WARS OR LORD OF THE RGS OR A TWILIGHT REFERENCE, I WANT TO FEEL VERY MUCH TENTNAL. “LOOK AT WHAT I’M DOG HERE.” I KNOW HARRY AS A CHARACTER REALLY WELL BEE I’VE VTED SO MUCH TIME HIM, AND DRA AS WELL, SO WAS FUN TO REFERENCE THEM. IF YOU’RE READG MY BOOKS, YOU'VE READ HARRY POTTER, YOU’VE SEEN THE STAR WARS MOVI, YOU’VE SEEN THE LORD OF THE RGS MOVI, YOU’VE WATCHED BUFFY. IT’S FUN TO HAVE AN DIENCE THAT YOU N LOOK AT AND YOU N WK AT LIKE, “OH, SEE WHAT I’M DOG HERE?”__EXACTLY. IT’S PRETTY CLEAR __WE ALMOST ALWAYS HAVE AN ORPHAN—AND THIS IS LIKE EVERY DISNEY PRCS STORY TOO—WE START WH A SGULAR ORPHAN. ALMOST ALWAYS THE NEXT THG THAT HAPPENS IS THEY MEET SOMEONE, UALLY AN OLD WHE GUY THE SERT WHO TELLS THEM, “YOU’RE SUPER SPECIAL AND YOU’RE GOG TO SAVE THE WORLD.” IN THE STORI, THEY ALWAYS SAY TO THE HOBO THEY MET THE SERT, “YEAH, AWOME. GIVE ME THE LIGHTSABER. I WILL FOLLOW YOU OFF MY PLA, STRANGE HOBO I’VE MET THE SERT, AND I WILL SAVE THE WORLD FOR YOU. I WILL SACRIFICE MY WHOLE LIFE. I WILL NEVER GET MARRIED. I JT MET YOU, AND I’M ONLY 18, BUT I’M AN ORPHAN, AND YOU’VE GIVEN ME A MISSN AND I’M GOG TO FIX THE WORLD.” IT WAS FUN THIS BOOK TO BE LIKE, “OR NOT.” IT’S VERY HUMANIZG TO BE CHOSEN. AGATHA REALLY SE THROUGH THAT AND JT SE ALL OF THE OBLIGATN AND THE SADNS, THE BURN OF .YOU’VE TALKED BEFORE ABOUT FDG YOURSELF THE Y.A. SECTN ALMOST BY ACCINT. ELEANOR & PARK WASN’T TENTNALLY A Y.A. BOOK. WHAT DO FEEL LIKE TO BE THE CHOSEN ONE OF THE Y.A. SECTN? IS THAT A BURN?IT IS MOSTLY JT A JOY AND PLEASURE BEE TEEN REARS—YOU REMEMBER BEG A TEEN REAR—THEY’RE CREDIBLY ENGAGED AND THEY HAVE A LOT OF ENERGY AND ENTHIASM FOR WHAT THEY DO. BUT STILL FEELS WEIRD BEE SOMETIM I FEEL LIKE PEOPLE EXPECT ME TO BE THKG OF MY TEEN DIENCE AT EVERY STEP, LIKE I ME TO TOWN AND SAID, “I’M HERE TO SERVE YOU, TEENAGERS. WHAT DO YOU WANT?” I DIDN’T DO THAT. I DIDN’T WRE ELEANOR & PARK THKG, WHAT’S THE BT BOOK I N WRE FOR A TEENAGER? I JT WROTE THKG, WHAT BOOK DO I WANT TO WRE?BUT SOME WAYS TEENS HAVE MORE TIME, SO THEY GIVE THEMSELV WHOLEHEARTEDLY. EVEN ADULTS WHO READ Y.A. READ MORE WHOLEHEARTEDLY AND MORE OPENLY AND MORE PASSNATELY. THE ADULT WHO CROSS OVER AND READS Y.A. IS JT A GENERO REAR.I THK SELF-ACCEPTANCE IS A HUGE PART OF WHAT YOUR REARS—PECIALLY THE TEENAGED ON—HAVE NNECTED TO YOUR WORK. IS NORMALIZG GE GROUPS ON YOUR MD WHEN NSTCTG YOUR STORI?MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHREMEMBERG SéAD O’CONNOR’S SUBLIME MIC AND RIGHTEO RAGEBY MIKE HOGANRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHIF YOU READ FANGIRL, THE POT OF IS NOT NORMALIZG FANDOM. IN ELEANOR & PARK, THAT’S NOT A BOOK ABOUT BEG FAT. I THK IF ’S POWERFUL, ’S JT THE POWER OF WRG ABOUT A FAT PERSON AND THAT SHE’S A NORMAL PERSON WH NORMAL NEEDS AND SIR. HER FATNS IS THERE, BUT ’S NOT HER STORY. I DO THK THAT THE YOUNG-ADULT FICTN IS MORE DIVERSE EVERY WAY. NOT JT PARED TO THE RT OF THE BOOK WORLD, BUT TO THE RT OF THE ENTERTAMENT WORLD. I’M MUCH MORE NSC ABOUT NOW, BUT WHEN I STARTED, I JT WANTED TO WRE WORLDS THAT FELT REAL TO ME AND CHARACTERS THAT FELT REAL TO ME.THE REAL WORLD IS A DIVERSE WORLD. AT THE BEGNG, WAS JT THIS, “WHAT DO THIS WORLD LOOK LIKE? WHAT DO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD LOOK LIKE? WHAT DO THIS B LOOK LIKE?” I THK WHEN YOU TRY TO WRE REALISTILLY, YOU END UP WH MORE DIVERSE BOOKS BEE THE WORLD IS FULL OF PEOPLE WHO E OM DIFFERENT PLAC WHO LOOK DIFFERENT.GIVEN THAT LEVEL OF DIVERSY Y.A., WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF A STRAIGHT WHE GUY LIKE JOHN GREEN BEG NSIRED THE KG OF THE SECTN? DO HIS DOMANCE CROWD OUT OTHER MORE DIVERSE VOIC?I FEEL THAT’S MORE OF A MEDIA CROWDG THAN IS AN ACTUAL CROWDG, BEE I THK JOHN GREEN’S SUCCS BROUGHT MORE PEOPLE TO THE Y.A. SECTN AND MORE PEOPLE READG Y.A. AND MORE PEOPLE READG FEMALE THORS AND MORE PEOPLE READG PERD. JOHN GREEN’S A GREAT THOR WHO STCK A CHORD. THAT HAPPENS OUR CULTURE. IT HAPPENED WH STEPHENIE MEYER, AND HAPPENED WH J. K. ROWLG. STEPHANIE MEYER DID MORE TO BRG PEOPLE TO Y.A.; SHE GOT SO MANY ADULTS READG . ANYWAY, BACK TO JOHN. IN OUR CULTURE, SOME THGS TAKE OFF AND THEY TAKE OFF A HUGE WAY. IT’S BEE THERE’S SOMETHG ABOUT THEM THAT JT REALLY RONAT WH A LOT OF PEOPLE AT ONCE. I DON’T UNRSTAND RENTG THAT. THAT’S LIKE CURSG THE MOON TO ME.I UNRSTAND GETTG ANGRY AT PRIVILEGE AND THE WAY HOW MUCH PRIVILEGE YOU HAVE AFFECTS HOW MUCH SUCCS YOU N EVEN REACH. I TOTALLY UNRSTAND THAT. I UNRSTAND THIS FEELG OF THIS HANDSOME WHE GUY WHO SEEMS LIKE HE ME OM A GOOD FAY, LOOKG AT SOMEONE LIKE THAT AND BEG LIKE, “OF URSE HE SUCCEED.” I UNRSTAND THAT FEELG. I’VE FELT THAT WAY MY LIFE. I THK, THOUGH, JOHN’S JT A GREAT WRER. YOU N’T DIVORCE THAT; YOU N’T PULL THAT ASI. YOU N’T KICK THE FACT THAT HE’S GREAT AND PEOPLE LOVE HIS BOOKS AND JT LOOK AT HIS PRIVILEGE AND SUCCS.SO YOU THK JOHN GREEN WOULD HAVE SUCCEED NO MATTER WHAT?TO ME, ’S LIKE THE WEATHER. THIS THG HAPPENED. I DON’T THK WAS BAD FOR Y.A. WHEN PEOPLE ARE REALLY SUCCSFUL, THEY GET A LOT OF ATTENTN. I’VE ALSO WORKED FOR A NEWSPAPER—I KNOW THAT WHEN YOU ARE WRG A NEWSPAPER STORY, YOU JT SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY. EVERY ARTICLE THAT TRIED TO EXPLA Y.A. TO PEOPLE WHO DIDN’T KNOW WHAT Y.A. IS—OF URSE THOSE ARTICL WERE IRRATG. SOME OF THEM WERE VERY NSCENDG.MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHREMEMBERG SéAD O’CONNOR’S SUBLIME MIC AND RIGHTEO RAGEBY MIKE HOGANRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHOF URSE WHEN A REPORTER LANDS THE Y.A. WORLD, THEY’RE GOG TO NOTICE THE BIG DIPPERS, AND THEY’RE GOG TO SUM UP A WAY THAT DON’T FEEL THENTIC TO BEE THAT’S JT WHAT HAPPENS. I REALLY LIKE JOHN GREEN. MY 10-YEAR-OLD WATCH ONE OF JOHN GREEN’S WEB SERI. YOU KNOW THE ONE. “HOW DO CONGRS WORK? WHAT’S ACTUALLY HAPPENG SYRIA?” HE TOLD ME THAT THEY WATCH THOSE SCHOOL. HE SAID, “YOU KNOW, MOM, YOU’RE AN THOR, BUT JOHN GREEN’S A TEACHER AND AN THOR.” I WAS LIKE, “OH, I KNOW.”I KNOW YOU HAD AN ISSUE, AT LEAST WH ELEANOR & PARK, WHERE AT LEAST ONE LIBRARY NSIRED TOO NTROVERSIAL, TOO EDGY. THERE’S A LOT OF SALTY LANGUAGE CARRY ON. HARRY POTTER SWEARS!I’M NOT REALLY THKG ABOUT THAT. I’M NOT. I’M NEVER THKG, IS O.K. FOR TEENAGERS TO HEAR THIS WORD? I’M THKG, WHAT STORY AM I WRG? I SWORE MORE AS A TEENAGER THAN I HAVE EVER SCE. SIMON IS 18—HE ULD GO TO WAR AND KILL PEOPLE, IF HE WAS AMERIN. OF URSE, HE’S A BRISH WIZARD, AND HE’S ALREADY KILLED PEOPLE. I’M NOT WRG BOOKS TO SHOCK. THERE’S NONE OF THAT THAT BOOK. ALSO, THE CHARACTERS ARE AN EXTREME SUATN. I FELT LIKE WHEN YOU’RE FIGHTG A DRAGON, IF YOU WANT TO SWEAR, YOU SHOULD.WHAT’S THE UPDATE ON THE ELEANOR & PARK MOVIE? WHAT’S HAPPENG?THEY’VE BEEN REALLY GREAT—DREAMWORKS HAS BEEN GREAT. I WROTE THE FIRST DRAFT FOR THEM, AND THEN I TOOK A BREAK TO WORK ON CARRY ON SOME MORE. PEOPLE GET TRATED ON TWTER WH ME A LOT: “WHERE IS ? WHY HASN’T HAPPENED?” NO, NO UPDAT YET. [ROWELL LATER CLARIFIED BY E-MAIL THAT SHE’S WORKG ON THE FILM PROJECT AGA NOW.]ARE YOU STILL DOG THE GRAPHIC-NOVEL PROJECT? IS THAT STILL HAPPENG?I AM. I JT TOOK A LONG TIME ON THIS BOOK. WHEN I FIRST SIGNED THAT AL, WAS LIKE, “IT WILL E OUT ON THIS DATE.” THAT WAS POSSIBLY LAST WEEK. I’M NOT SURE. I’M EXCED ABOUT . IT’S A FANTASY. IT’S A HIDN-WORLD STORY.COMIC BOOKS, EVEN MORE THAN FICTN, SEEM TO BE AIMED AT AGE GROUPS. IS THIS PROJECT AIMED AT A CERTA AGE GROUP ANY WAY? I KNOW YOU DON’T LIKE THAT QUTN!I DON’T LIKE ! I JT DON’T THK THAT’S MY JOB. LET SOMEBODY ELSE FIGURE OUT. I SHOULD JT BE WRG THE BT THG THAT I N WRE AND THEN THEY SHOULD BE LIKE, “HEY, THANK YOU FOR DOG YOUR BT. LET FIGURE OUT WHERE TO SHELVE THIS.” I N’T GET TOO HUNG UP ON THAT. MY FAVORE BOOKS I THK ARE DIFFICULT TO SHELVE; LIKE THE GRAVEYARD BOOK BY NEIL GAIMAN—’S ONE OF MY FAVORE BOOKS.WHEN I WAS A BOOKSELLER WE ED TO SHELVE TWO DIFFERENT SECTNS: ADULT AND MIDDLE REAR. I LOVE A BOOK YOU N DOUBLE SHELVE.MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHREMEMBERG SéAD O’CONNOR’S SUBLIME MIC AND RIGHTEO RAGEBY MIKE HOGANRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHI LOVE OUTLANR. OUTLANR IS A HARD BOOK TO SHELVE. IF YOU PUT THE ROMANCE GENRE, A LOT OF REARS WILL NEVER FD .YOU’VE MENTNED BEFORE THAT SPECIFIC MIC WAS HUGELY FLUENTIAL WHEN YOU WERE WRG ELEANOR & PARK. IS THERE MIC THAT YOU N PEG TO CARRY ON?YEAH, I JT LISTED MY CHARACTER PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY. FOR ME, BAZ HAD THIS 80S ELECTRONIC-POP MIC AND STUFF THAT SOUNDS LIKE 80S ELECTRONIC-POP MIC AND GOTH-Y SELF-LOATHG STUFF. I LISTENED TO THIS ALBUM OM DEPECHE MO AND A LOT OF DURAN DURAN. I DON’T KNOW IF YOU KNOW THE BAND THE WILD BEASTS, BUT I LISTENED TO SO MUCH WILD BEASTS. THEY’RE SPOOKY SOUNDG AND ALSO VERY NON-DRAMATIC. IN A WAY, SIMON IS MORE OF AN AMERIN CHARACTER. HE’S GOT A SQUARE-JAWED SUPERMAN—THERE’S A LOT OF SUPERMAN STUFF HIM—AND I’M JT REALIZG THAT. I'M TELLG YOU, ORPHANS HAVE TO SAVE THE WORLD. IT’S HIS ONLY JOB, ALL DAY LONG, SAVG THE WORLD. I NNOT BELIEVE I’M JT MAKG THE SUPERMAN NNECTN NOW.FOR SIMON, YOU’LL SEE ON HIS PLAYLIST, HE GETS A LTLE B MORE OF ANTHEM ROCK. I WAS ALSO FOND OF THE SONG IF SAID “RRY ON” , SO THE KANSAS SONG AND THEN SOME STYX. I TENTNALLY ADD A UPLE LOVE SONGS YTERDAY BEE I REALIZED THAT BAZ’S PLAYLIST IS ALL LOVE SONGS, AND SIMON HAD HARDLY ANY, AND I THK ’S BEE HE’S ALL ABOUT SAVG THE WORLD. HE’S NOT ALL ABOUT WRG LOVE POETRY OR MOONG OR YEARNG.I THK ’S PROBABLY NO SECRET THAT THERE IS A ROMANCE BETWEEN TWO YOUNG MEN THIS BOOK.IT’S NOT A SECRET. I’VE BEEN LOUDLY FLAILG THAT OM DAY ONE. PEOPLE KEPT SAYG, ‘I N’T WA FOR THE SUBTEXT,’ AND I HAVE SUCH A NEGATIVE REACTN TO THAT. NO, THIS IS NOT SOME CHEY, WILL-THEY-WON’T-THEY, SUBTEXT-Y THG. THAT’S NOT A GAME I’M TERTED PLAYG. I’M FELY NOT THE FIRST PERSON TO WRE A GAY Y.A. STORY. BY A LN YEARS. I DO THK OUR CULTURE THERE WAS A TIME WHEN THIS HAD TO BE SUBTEXT, BUT I DON’T THK THAT TIME IS NOW. I CID TO SPOIL THEIR ROMANCE ALWAYS, EVERY TIME I TALKED ABOUT . IT’S TEXT. DON’T WATCH FOR THE SUBTEXT, DON’T WATCH FOR THE MOMENTS [ BBC’S SHERLOCK] WHEN SHERLOCK AND JOHN MAKE EYE NTACT AND THE WORLD SETS ON FIRE BUT NONE OF ’S REAL. AS A CULTURE, WE ARE READY FOR TEXT.JOANNA ROBSON

I’ve fely seen the Baz and Simon narrative Carry On referred to as “gay Harry Potter. This is a lightfully gay book.

And gay. It don’t shy away om the gay angle, eher – pletely embrac , which is a great thg to see a YA book. About the seri: Beg a gay rear, I am terted LGBT books, but I haven’t always seen reviews clearly note if there are LGBT characters and how signifint they are.

But a lot of opn still seems to be that the wrers are “tryg to make everyone gay” to ph some kd of liberal agenda, and many profsnal wrers, directors, and producers fd anywhere om silly to annoyg to threateng. He spends a lot of the send half of the book gog back and forth his head, wonrg, “Am I gay or not gay? Rowlg told Dumbledore is gay after she wrote the seri and then ntued not to wre him as gay the Fantastic Beasts films, whereas Carry On Baz says the words ‘I’m gay’, and mak a difference.