Lesléa Newman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lesléa Newman
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Newman at the 2017 Texas Book Festival
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| Born | November 5, 1955 |
| Education | University of Vermont Naropa Institute |
| Occupation | Author |
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Notable work
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Heather Has Two Mommies |
| Awards | Alice Award (2009) Parents' Choice Award (2015) National Jewish Book Award (2019) |
Lesléa Newman (born November 5, 1955, in Brooklyn, New York City) is an American author and editor. She is well-known for her children's book Heather Has Two Mommies. Many of her books for young adults have been nominated for the Lambda Literary Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature. This makes her a very recognized author in this area.
Contents
About Lesléa Newman
Lesléa Newman was born Leslie Newman in New York City in 1955. Her family was Jewish. She created her pen name, Lesléa, by combining her birth name, Leslie, with her Hebrew name, Leah.
Early Life and Writing
Lesléa started writing poems when she was only 8 years old. This helped her feel better when her family moved from Brooklyn to Long Island. As a teenager, she began writing more seriously. She took part in poetry contests held by Seventeen magazine. In high school, she was even voted "Class Wit."
In 1977, Lesléa lived for a while on Kibbutz Ga'aton in Israel. A kibbutz is a special community where people live and work together. She studied Hebrew, worked on a farm, and helped at the children's house. She later visited Israel again as part of a program for children's authors.
Education and Mentors
Lesléa studied education at the University of Vermont. She also studied poetry at the Naropa Institute. A famous poet named Allen Ginsberg was her mentor in her poetry program. She has said that Ginsberg and poet Grace Paley were two of her biggest inspirations. Even though she writes many types of books, poetry has always been her favorite.
Family and Inspiration
Lesléa's relationship with her parents became very close later in life. She became her mother's main helper before her mother passed away. After her mother's death, Lesléa published a poetry collection about her called I Carry My Mother. She also wrote a poetry collection for her father, titled I Wish My Father, after he passed away five years later.
Her Jewish values and upbringing influence her work. She is especially inspired by tikkun olam. This is a Jewish idea about helping to make the world a better place. This idea is why she writes about groups of people who are not often seen in children's books. This includes Jewish and lesbian families. She wants these children to feel like they belong. Lesléa became Bat Mitzvah at the age of 48.
Lesléa Newman lives in Holyoke, Massachusetts with her wife, Mary Vazquez, and their cat. She was the poet laureate of Northampton from 2008 to 2010. She and Mary Vazquez had a special commitment ceremony in 1989.
Lesléa Newman's Career
Lesléa Newman has written and edited 70 books and collections of stories. She writes about being Jewish, body image, and families with two moms or two dads. Throughout her career, she has made sure to write about groups of people who are not often featured in books. Some of her first books were about Jewish lesbians. Later, she became known for her children's books that feature diverse families and Jewish themes.
Lesléa Newman's short story A Letter to Harvey Milk has been made into a musical.
Heather Has Two Mommies
Her most famous book is Heather Has Two Mommies. Lesléa wrote this book after a family in her neighborhood asked her to. They wanted a book for their daughter that showed families like theirs. People told her to use a different name for the book because it might cause discussions. But she decided to use her own name.
The book Belinda's Bouquet by Lesléa Newman also faced discussions in 1997. It was removed from some school libraries in Canada. However, Canada's highest court later said that the book should be allowed.
She also wrote The Boy Who Cried Fabulous and Hachiko Waits in 2004.
Remembering Matthew Shepard
In 1998, Lesléa Newman was asked to speak at the University of Wyoming. She planned to talk about her book Heather Has Two Mommies. Just before her speech, she learned that a student named Matthew Shepard had been attacked. He later passed away. Matthew Shepard was on the committee that invited her to speak.
Lesléa felt it was very important to still come and speak. She promised everyone there that she would help keep Matthew's memory alive. His death deeply affected her. She now starts all her talks about fairness and acceptance by remembering him. Lesléa has written two books about Matthew Shepard: October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard, a collection of poems, and Always Matt, a book-length poem for teens. She wrote Always Matt to help young readers learn about Matthew's life.
Teaching and Presentations
Lesléa Newman has taught creative writing at several universities. She also leads private workshops. She is a teacher at the School of Writing at Spalding University. Lesléa gives talks at schools, libraries, and conferences. She speaks about Matthew Shepard, her experiences as a Jewish lesbian, and how books are chosen for children. She also talks about HIV/AIDS.
She often uses Yiddish words and phrases in her writing. She heard many Yiddish words growing up in Brooklyn, especially from her grandmothers. She feels her writing is most true to herself when she includes these words.
Selected Publications
Heather Has Two Mommies
Heather Has Two Mommies was first published in 1989. It is about a young girl who has two mothers. The book was republished in 2015. In the early 1990s, many families with two moms or two dads found that this book showed families like theirs for the first time.
However, Heather Has Two Mommies has faced many discussions. The book has been on the American Library Association's lists of most talked-about books.
Despite these discussions, the book received a good review from School Library Journal. It has also received awards:
- American Library Association Rainbow List pick (2016)
- Lambda Literary Award for Children/Young Adult nominee
Saturday Is Pattyday (1993)
Saturday is Pattyday was first published in 1993. It is a book about a child named Frankie whose two moms get divorced. The book was republished in 2010.
The book was nominated for the Lambda Literary Award for Children's/Young Adult Literature.
Awards and Recognition
Lesléa Newman has received many literary awards. These include writing fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts. She also received the James Baldwin award for Cultural Achievement. She won the Dog Writers Association of America's Best Book of Fiction Award. She also received a Parents' Choice Silver Medal. Nine of her books have been finalists for the Lambda Literary Award. In 2009, she received the Alice B. Award.
Her children's picture books Mommy, Mama, and Me and Daddy, Papa and Me were honored by the Stonewall Book Awards in 2010. Her 2013 book October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepherd also received this honor. In 2019, she won a National Jewish Book Award for Gittel's Journey: An Ellis Island Story. In 2023, she was named one of The Advocate's Advocates of the Year.
In 2009, she was the first judge for the Naugatuck River Review Narrative Poetry Prize.
See also
- Fat Chance
- LGBT culture in New York City
- List of LGBT people from New York City
- NYC Pride March
