LGBT Friendly Colleges, the Art of Writing Lists About Poetry, and Tips for Emerging Writers
Author: Julie Levine
August 9, 2013
Each year, the Princeton Review publishes a list of the 20 most and 20 least LGBT-friendly colleges and universities in America. These lists are put together based on the survey results of roughly 126,000 students regarding a number of topics such as quality of life, academics, administration, and even partying. Not surprisingly, nearly half of the 20 most LGBT-friendly schools were located in the Northeast, with Emerson College in Boston claiming the top spot. Interestingly, another Northeastern school took the top spot on the unfriendly side—Grove City College in Pennsylvania. Additionally, several schools in Texas as well as Catholic-affiliated schools also made their way onto this list.
After Flavorwire published a list of “23 People Who Will Make You Care About Poetry in 2013” last week, there were many complaints that the list did not cover a diverse enough group of people who write poetry, specifically when it came to race but also in terms of age and geography. As a result, another article was published this week: “A List of Things to Ask Yourself When You’re Making a List of Poets.” Topping the list was the question, “Am I including poets who do not live in Brooklyn?”
This week also saw a list about the art of writing itself, like this piece in the Missouri Review, titled “10 Things Emerging Writers Need to Learn.” The author stressed the importance of hard work as opposed to just raw talent, having several mentors, and taking responsibility for mistakes, to name a few.
Speaking of emerging writers, since 2007, the Lambda Literary Foundation has hosted its annual Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBT Voices. Accepted writers have the opportunity to immerse themselves in a genre of choice for a week, alongside well-known LGBT writers. The 2013 retreat just finished up, and one of this year’s faculty members, Malinda Lo, gave a detailed run through of her experience at the retreat on her blog.
And with LGBT comic books seriously on the rise, it seems fitting that Out put together this list of “17 Gay Superhero Power Couples,” which includes some recently established favorites like Archie’s Kevin Keller and husband Clay Walker, as well as some lesser-known and even never-seen romances, like Batman’s Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn.
