All She Wrote Books x Nico Lang

Join All She Wrote Books as we host authors, Nico Lang and Vanessa and JR Ford! They will discuss Nico’s debut book, American Teenager, a vivid and moving portrait of eight trans and nonbinary teenagers across the country, following their daily triumphs, struggles, and all that encompasses growing up trans in America today.

"Inclusivity" isn't just a buzzword to us. We make every effort to ensure our space and events are accessible to and for everyone. If you or someone in your party needs accommodations, please email us at info@allshewrotebooks.com.

About American Teenager

Media coverage tends to sensationalize the fight over how trans kids should be allowed to live, but what is incredibly rare are the voices of the people at the heart of this debate: transgender and gender nonconforming kids themselves. 

For their groundbreaking new book, journalist Nico Lang spent a year traveling the country to document the lives of transgender, nonbinary, and genderfluid teens and their families. Drawing on hundreds of hours of on-the-ground interviews with them and the people in their communities, American Teenager paints a vivid portrait of what it’s actually like to grow up trans today.

From the tip of Florida’s conservative panhandle to vibrant queer communities in California, and from Texas churches to mosques in Illinois, American Teenager gives readers a window into the lives of Wyatt, Rhydian, Mykah, Clint, Ruby, Augie, Jack, and Kylie, eight teens who, despite what some lawmakers might want us to believe, are truly just kids looking for a brighter future.

About the Author

Nico Lang (they/them) is a nonbinary award-winning journalist with over a decade of experience covering the transgender community’s fight for equality. Their work has appeared in major publications, including Rolling Stone, Esquire, the New York Times, Vox, the Wall Street Journal, Salon, Harper’s Bazaar, Time, The Washington Post, and the L.A. Times. Lang is the creator of Queer News Daily and previously served as the deputy editor for Out magazine, the news editor for Them, the LGBTQ+ correspondent for VICE, and the editor and cofounder of the literary journal In Our Words. Their industry-leading contributions to queer media have resulted in a GLAAD Media Award and 10 awards from the National Association of LGBTQ Journalists (NLGJA). Lang is also the first-ever recipient of the Visibility Award from the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund (TLDEF), an honor created to recognize their impactful contributions to reporting on the lives of LGBTQ+ people.

About the Speakers

Vanessa (she/her) and JR Ford are award winning authors and parent advocates for trans equality. Their children's book, Calvin (PRH, 2021), won the 2022 Lambda Literary Award for Best Children’s Book and is based (although not about) their child's journey. Their  advocacy has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Newsweek, NPR and "Gender Revolution: A Journey with Katie Couric." They were founding members of The Human Rights Campaign’s Parents for Transgender Equality Council and Vanessa sat for 2 years on the board of the National Center for Transgender Equality. Vanessa was also an award winning classroom teacher for 14 years in DC Public Schools and co-authored The Advocate Educator's Handbook: Creating Schools Where Transgender and Non-Binary Students Thrive (Wiley, 2024). They live with their two kiddos, one of whom is trans, in the Boston area. You can learn more about their advocacy at www.jrandvanessaford.com.