Prizing Cycles of Marginalization: Paired Progression and Regression in Award-Winning LGBTQ-themed YA Fiction Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Christine N. Stamper Graduate Program in Education: Teaching and Learning The Ohio State University 2018 Dissertation Committee Mollie V. Blackburn, Advisor Michelle Ann Abate Linda T. Parsons 1 Copyrighted by Christine N. Stamper 2018 2 Abstract This dissertation is a text-based analysis of young adult novels that have won LGBTQ-focused awards, specifically the Stonewall Book Award and Lambda Literary Award. The project engages with queer theory (Puar; Duggan; Ferguson; Halberstam) and the frameworks of cultural capital and prizing canon formation (English; Kidd and Thomas; Kidd). Looking at the 61 YA novels that have been recognized by either Stonewall or Lambda between 2010 and 2017, I provide statistics about the identities, themes, and ideologies of and about LGBTQ people that are prominent within the awards’ canons. Pairing these statistics close readings of representative texts provides a rich analysis of the way these awards both subvert and uphold understandings of those minoritized for their gender or sexuality. Stonewall and Lambda aim to promote novels that provide diverse and inclusive LGBTQ representations. However, these representations construct understandings of LGBTQ identity that support hetero-, homo- and cisnormative constructions that are palatable to adult and heteronormative culture. Throughout, I refer to this often paradoxical balance as the pairing of progression and regression. I explore not only what is considered excellence but also how these texts construct a vision of LGBTQ lives that still fit within oppressive models of society. Throughout my analysis, I additionally examine the difference between white LGBTQ ii characters and LGBTQ characters of color to discuss the intersecting marginalizations of these populations, as well as promoting more inclusive and just scholarship. In this way, my dissertation shows how Stonewall and Lambda’s simultaneously rebellious and oppressive nature blur the lines between heteronormativity, homonormativity, homonationalism, multiculturalism, and progressivism. iii Dedication To all the strong women in my life: Megan, Mom, Maggie, Leigh, and Sarah. And especially Kaitie. You earned your little h. I like you, and I love you. iv Acknowledgments This project would not have been possible without the backing of a support system that spans the country. I am so grateful for everyone who believed in my work and has never been more than a call or email away. To my advisor, Mollie Blackburn, who never stopped pushing me to do and be better. Your guidance and ideas always pointed me toward richer and needed lines of thought. I cannot thank you enough for the hours spent reading version after version of each chapter, and always being willing to help me work through a problem. You are one of the kindest and most brilliant women I’ve had the privilege of working with. To the members of my committee. Michelle Ann Abate, for being a constant champion of both my work and me. Your positive energy and prolific work are an inspiration. Thank you for the opportunities for growth, and the many gif conversations. And to Linda Parsons, for your never-ending kindness. Knowing you are supporting me throughout this process has been a source of comfort. This experience would be much lonelier without my amazing LCYA family. In particular, Rachel, Rebekah, and Mary Catherine. Thank you for all the laughs, text chains, and support. I could not have made it through this without you. To my parents. I am incapable of saying the words needed to fully thank you for all of your support throughout the years. You raised me to believe that anything was v possible and that passions are worth following. It might not be basket-weaving, but I finally found my path. Thank you for your unwavering faith, encouragement, and love. I’m lucky to have you as my parents. To my family for your support, love, and belief in me. In particular, Brian and Elena for your ongoing generosity. To my friends who have dealt with many cancelled plans, random “does this paragraph make sense?!” messages, and the general chaos of my life these past four years. Megan, thank you for listening to my endless nonsense rants, and always enjoying a good award show with me. Sarah, thanks for the “frandship.” And, finally, to Kaitie. Thank you for knowing me better than myself and shoving me onto this path despite my reservations and fears. For all the lonely nights, hard weeks, and added stress. I’m lucky to call you my friend and wife. I can never thank you enough for being the amazing woman you are, you beautiful land mermaid. I love you. vi Vita 2014-Present Graduate Teaching Associate, Teaching and Learning, The Ohio State University 2017 M.A. in Education: Teaching and Learning, The Ohio State University 2009 B.A. in English, University of Michigan Publications Winter 2018 Rickard Rebellino, Rachel, and Christine N. Stamper. “‘Sorry I’m Not Your Little Angel Anymore’: Reading Good/Bad Girlhood through Mother-Daughter Relationships in Award- Winning Contemporary Realistic Latina YA Fiction.” The ALAN Review, vol. 45, no. 2, pp. 12-22. Feb. 2018 Stamper, Christine N. and Mollie V. Blackburn. “I Will Not Be a 17 Year Old Virgin”: Female Virginity and Sexuality in Graphic Narratives for Teenagers.” Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics, doi: 10.1080/21504857.2018.1431802. Nov. 2017 “‘You Are My [Camp]fire’: Tradition and Structure in Maggie Thrash’s Graphic Memoir Honor Girl.” Children’s Literature in Education, doi: 10.1007/s10583-017-9336-4. Sept. 2017 Grice, Karly Marie, Rachel Rickard Rebellino, and Christine N. Stamper. “Connecting Across Borders by Reading Without Walls: Using Non-Prose Narrative to Multiply Multicultural Class Content.” The English Journal, vol. 107, no. 1, pp. 48-53. April 2017 Review of Hunting Girls: Sexual Violence from The Hunger Games to Campus Rape, by Kelly Oliver. The Lion and the Unicorn, vol. 42, no. 2, pp. 282-284 Winter 2016 Review of Sexual Content in Young Adult Literature: Reading Between the Sheets, by Bryan Gillis and Joanna Simpson. Children’s Literature Association Quarterly, vol. 41, no. 4, pp. 465-467, doi:10.1353/chq.2016.0056. Nov. 2016 Bittner, Rob, Jennifer Ingrey, and Christine N. Stamper. “Queer and Trans-Themed Books for Young Readers: A Critical Review.” vii Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, vol. 37, no. 6, 2016, pp. 948-964, doi: 10.1080/01596306.2016.1195106 May/June 2016 “Multiple-Choice Test.” Review of None of the Above, by I.W. Gregorio. American Book Review, vol. 37, no. 4, pp. 8. Fields of Study Major Field: Education: Teaching & Learning viii Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Dedication .......................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgments............................................................................................................... v List of Figures ................................................................................................................... xii Chapter 1. Transformative Potential Amid Problematic Representation............................ 1 Literature Review............................................................................................................ 3 YA Literature as Ideological Tools ............................................................................. 3 A Brief History of LGBTQ-Themed YA Novels ....................................................... 7 Discussions of Trends and Stereotypes..................................................................... 11 Prizing Culture .......................................................................................................... 15 Background on Lambda and Stonewall .................................................................... 19 Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................. 25 Argument ...................................................................................................................... 27 Methods......................................................................................................................... 32 Terminology and Categorization .............................................................................. 35 Research Questions and Chapter Summaries ............................................................... 38 Interlude 1. Race in the Sample ........................................................................................ 44 Chapter 2. “Being Boxless Was Too Confusing and Lonely:” Men-Loving-Men, Women- Loving-Women, and Plural Desires Contained by Oppressions ...................................... 51 Men-loving-men and women-loving-women ............................................................... 52 Tropes and Trends of MLM Novels ......................................................................... 56 Tropes and Trends of WLW Novels ......................................................................... 71 MLM and WLW Within Homonationalism ............................................................. 82 Plural Desires