Keep Me Out of It: Eliot Schrefer on the Costs and Benefits of Self-Erasure

The Reading Culture

“I think it caused me to get over some of the sort of narcissistic impulses in my writing and not make it about me and impressing, but instead about having the best reading experience I could imagine.” - Eliot Schrefer

At a young age, Eliot Schrefer acknowledged that he was hiding himself. Growing up queer when he did meant concealing a key part of his identity for the sake of self-preservation. It was through books that he first learned to accept his queerness. That thread leads to one of his most well-known books, “Queer Ducks (and Other Animals).” We unravel that and so much more about Eliot’s journey in this episode.

While his coming of age taught Eliot Schrefer to stop living his life exclusively as an observer, as an author, found himself once more removing himself from his work. This time, though, it’s intentional and for vastly different purposes. To Eliot, writing is about asking questions that the author is not supposed to answer. That’s for the reader to do.

Eliot is a bestselling author celebrated for his young adult and middle-grade novels, including “Endangered,” and the rest of his Ape Quartet series, “Queer Ducks” (that even landed him on The Daily Show!), as well as “The Darkness Outside Us” and its newly released sequel, “The Brightness Between Us.” Eliot is also a Printz Honoree and a two-time National Book Award finalist.

In this episode, Eliot shares how he has practiced self-concealment in both his life and stories, and why he believes this has helped him better connect with his teen audience. He also reveals why his current influences include Carl Sagan, Jane Goodall, and Eeyore.

For his reading challenge, Beyond the Human Experience, Eliot wants us too to practice seeing the world outside of the human perspective. He says it "reminds us that we're not the only creatures worth caring about."

Learn more and download Eliot’s recommended reading list at thereadingculturepod.com/eliot-schrefer

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This episode's Featured Librarian is Tammy McIntyre, a library media specialist in Gwinnett County Georgia for many years and now works with us at Beanstack. Today she offers a guiding principle she follows as a librarian and especially as a parent.

Show Chapters

Chapter 1 - Carl Sagan and M.T. Anderson Walk Into a Bar…

Chapter 2 - Science, Fantasy, and the Matrix (Printer)

Chapter 3 - What I Believe

Chapter 4 - The View From the Closet

Chapter 5 - Duck Hunt

Chapter 6 - I Ask the Questions Around Here

Chapter 7 - Beyond the Human Experience

Chapter 8 - Beanstack Featured Librarian

Links

• The Reading Culture
• The Reading Culture Newsletter Signup
• Eliot Schrefer
• Eliot Schrefer (@schrefer) • Instagram photos and videos
• Pale Blue Dot
• M.T. Anderson on The Reading Culture
• Gregory Maguire on The Reading Culture
• EM Forster - WHAT I BELIEVE
• Howards End by E.M. Forster | Goodreads
• Follow The Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and bonus content)
• Beanstack resources to build your community’s reading culture
• Jordan Lloyd Bookey

Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey

Producers: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media
Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey