When we go through the process of understanding our sexualities, we go through a lot of emotions that can feel confusing and scary as we try to understand who we are. Writing can be a helpful tool for queer authors looking for an outlet to feel their emotions and understand who they are in this world. By doing so, they can also help other people figure out their sexualities as their work becomes relatable during confusing times. Let’s check out five authors in the past and present who have utilized their writing to express their coming out stories in the greater narrative
John Glynn
John Glynn is a freelance writer and an editor at Hanover Square Press. His first book, Out East, is a highlighted work of his as its deeply emotional look into discovering who he is became an in-depth look into who he is as a person and who he becomes as he embraces his sexuality. He later wrote an op-ed for Oprah Daily, revisiting the work where he noted how he came about coming out to his family and the acceptance he was given when he came out to his parents, even if they needed time to process.
In his memoir, Out East, Glynn explores a summer in 2013 when he shared a house in Montauk with 31 people. At twenty-seven years old, he was plagued by a constant loneliness, which he felt for longer than he could remember. Entering the house named The Hive, friendships, conflicts, secrets, and realizations open up in the friend group that came to define how they would live the rest of their lives. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, this authentic telling of what goes on in The Hive as Glynn connects with his identity is intimate, emotional, and extraordinary in its portrait of a man ready to open his life to everything it offers.
Eleanor Crewes
Elanor Crewes is a London-based graphic novelist and illustrator who specializes her work in The Times I Knew I Was Gay. It is a tribute to her coming out and to everyone who has come out at one point or is thinking about doing so. It began as a two-part self-published zine before growing into a larger book that sold out on its first edition. Mixing autobiography with storytelling, Crewes taps into her own emotions and experiences to give readers an experience that will touch their hearts and make them feel safe.
The Times I Knew I Was Gay follows Ellie as she tries to understand all of the confusing feelings that are coming up in her life. Feeling out of place as her friends obsess over dating boys, Ellie must find her daily courage to continue her journey of self-discovery. With first communions, first girlfriends, and awkward moments, Ellie grows in this hilarious portrait of a young woman becoming who she wants to be. Crewes reminds readers that coming out is not a singular event. It is a constant recurrence that happens as we meet people and put our faith in the people we trust. Identity becomes more than what society expects and is placed in a box where we get to choose who we are as long as we can come to terms with ourselves.
V.E. Schwab
V.E. Schwab is the author of more than 25 books spanning across multiple genres in her attempt to reach various audiences when they need her books the most. In her op-ed for Oprah Daily, she goes into the experience of coming out later in life, and she points out her experience writing queer characters before coming out. When people began asking questions about their relatability to their characters, Schwab came out to the world. They note that their characters live their lives the same way they do with their queerness. Not being their focal point but rather an expansion of the characters they become.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue tells the timeless story of a woman in 1714 France who makes a bargain to live forever. Only catch? She is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. Spending her time in history and art to figure out how she can leave her mark on the world, her life changes after 300 years in a hidden bookstore where a young man remembers her name. Along with our leading woman being bisexual, this novel holds a variety of queer characters stemming from pansexual, lesbian, gay friends, and love who deepen the depths of this intriguing novel. Schwab’s writing is exhilarating as it completely absorbs the reader into the story and all it offers on life and love.
Andrea G. Hardeman, M.S.
Hardeman is a poet, painter, writer, and songwriter who loves to explore creative fields. Her book, Queer: A coming out story at almost age 40, is an exploration of discovering where she fits in the queer community and how the community fits with her. Having come out later in her life, this author is fully immersed in self-discovery and acceptance of her identity and the moments that got her to this point. Since then, she has written two other books that also focus on themes of self-exploration.
Queer: A coming out story at almost age 40 stems from Hardeman’s wonder about how she didn’t know about her until later in her life. Dealing with the loss of a life that could have been while also being pressured about the future, she comes to the decision that she needs to figure out how to be queer as soon as possible. She delves into her time of disassociation from her queer identity while also exploring her new world as she accepts her identity. Mixing storytelling, art, and poetry, Hardeman’s story shows us that it is never too late to figure out who you are because every moment that leads us here has a purpose in our lives.
Boys Like Us, Edited by Patrick Merla
From the stories of twenty-nine gay writers comes this collection of coming out stories of men in the 1990s coming to terms with their sexual identities. Joining together for this book, these authors give readers a vital look into coming-of-age queer stories that shaped these men’s lives. While society has evolved since the 90s, their stories are still relevant in the ever-changing nature of what it means to come out.
Telling their stories, these men explore their coming out to their friends and family and themselves. They speak on their first and latest encounters, going deep into their preteen years and their evolution into adulthood. These stories handle acceptance and rejection in all aspects of life in the poignant and sometimes funny tales that battle romance and heartbreak in the defining moments of each author’s life. Going from Manhattan in the 40s to San Francisco in the 90s, this book holds a documentary of social and sexual changes that shaped the U.S. and the people living in it.
Using writing as a tool to understand our sexuality is a beautiful way for authors to build community around personal insights into the unknown. Bravery and vulnerability go into these pieces, giving readers a look into the author’s world. These worlds hold love, heartache, confusion, understanding, and all types of emotions that make up our queer experiences. Hopefully, these authors can benefit you in your exploration of identity. If you need an outlet to get your feelings out, remember the page is always ready to hear your story.
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If you’re looking for LGBTQ+ book recommendations, check out our Hooray for Representation – LGBTQ Voices bookshelf on Bookshop.org.
