Imogen, Obviously

YA fiction 

     Knowing your sexual orientation can be tricky for anyone.  Many adults are trying to figure this out or denying that they're questioning.  Imagine what it must be like to be questioning for the first time in your life when you're about to make one of the biggest, potentially scariest transitions of your teens.  Becky Albertalli gives readers a picture in Imogen, Obviously.

     Imogen is a dedicated ally.  Her two best friends, Gretchen, a fellow high school senior, and Lili, a college first year student, and her little sister, Edith, are at least semi confidently out.  And Imogen is a member in good standing of her school Pride Alliance group.

     But Imogen is sure of one thing.  She's totally straight.

     Lili has been repeatedly invited Imogen to visit her on campus.  Finally she accepts her invitation to spend three days there.  She sees that Lili is part of a close knit LGBTQ group, an accepting group she quickly feels like a part of.  But she also learns that she's part of a lie Lili has told.  Lili had come out just before starting college.  Afraid that her new friends will judge her she'd created a gay back story in which Imogen is her ex girlfriend.

     Imogen willing goes along with the story.  She even adds her own details to it, even as she worries that they may conflict with the narrative Lili has created.

     "Because that's the thing.  I'm not just straight--I'm hopelessly, blindingly, obviously straight."

     Or maybe not.  When Imogen meets Lili's classmate, Tessa, she begins to experience new feelings, ones she's always assumed that she'd get for a guy.

     Could she possibly be bisexual?

     Does she have a chance of winning Tessa's ❤️ 💙 💜 💖 💗 💘?

     You'll really enjoy reading the book 📖 to find out.  It's one of the most delightful and thought provoking YA romances I've so far encountered.

On a purrrsonal note, last night was one of the most wonderful nights 🌙 ✨️ of my year so far.  It was a drag show at my beloved Wilson Center where I married Eugene almost 34 years ago.  There were three other performers beside me.  First we were a panel, answering some really thought provoking questions about drag and issues surrounding it.  Then there was the show itself.  I did Fame (my standby) and Only The Good Die Young (for the first time). We had a very enthusiastic audience. Then there was a potluck dinner.  Toward the end someone put out a lot of dress up clothes.  We were enthusiastically dressing ourselves and giving each other suggestions.  My favorite was a gold cape and an ornate mask that looked like it belonged in a museum.  When we were all dressed up we did a less formal drag show.  I did Greased Lightning from Grease.  After a movie (with plenty of snacks) we pulled out the sleeping 😴 bags and hit the sack.  More later.  (Jules)

I missed her.  (Tobago)

A great big shout out goes out to all participants who made drag magic together.

Tobago and Jules Hathaway 

     

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