How it all started
In the summer of 2018, I attended the Children’s Literature Association’s annual conference where I presented my early work about LGBTQ+ picture books and received a lot of positive feedback. After my presentation, several audience members asked me to recommend books they could share with their children. This made me realize it wasn’t just scholars who would be interested in my research. A few months after the conference, I started blogging at Raise Them Righteous.
The early days
I knew nothing about blogs when I started out, but I had written book reviews of academic titles and was beginning to write my manuscript, The Transformative Potential of LGBTQ+ Children’s Picture Books, which was published by UPM in 2022. The blog proved to be a fantastic motivator to write. I received constant feedback from readers, connected with authors, illustrators, as well as publishers, and learned so much about blogging and social media.
Bumps in the road
If you’ve been following my blog for awhile, you’ve likely noticed little content has changed in the past year and a half. That’s when I left my position as a lecturer at UT-Arlington and began a new career at a public high school in north Arlington. I left for many reasons: terrible pay, lack of opportunities for promotion, no support for research in a NTT position, ext. I love my new job. I’m primarily teaching advanced English to sophomores. It’s so much fun, but it’s been a huge transition. I think I’m finally getting the hang of it! In 2024, I’m committing to doing the things I love. I’m going to be working on my blog, starting a book club, and writing a novel. I like to keep busy. 🙂
Raise Them Righteous 