Lesléa Newman (born November 5, 1955, in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, New York City) is an American author, editor, and

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...

best known for the children's book ''

Heather Has Two Mommies ''Heather Has Two Mommies'' is a children's book written by Lesléa Newman with illustrations by Diana Souza. First published in 1989, it was one of the first pieces of LGBTQ+ children's literature to garner broad attention. In its early years ...

.'' Four of her young adult novels have been finalists for the

Lambda Literary Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature The Lambda Literary Awards (also known as the "Lammys") are awarded yearly by the US-based Lambda Literary Foundation to published works that celebrate or explore LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) themes. The organization is considered t ...

, making her one of the most celebrated authors in the category.

Personal life

Newman was born as Leslie Newman to Jewish parents in New York City in 1955. She developed her pen name by combining her birth name, Leslie, with her

Hebrew name A Hebrew name is a name of Hebrew origin. In a more narrow meaning, it is a name used by Jews only in a religious context and different from an individual's secular name for everyday use. Names with Hebrew origins, especially those from the ...

, Leah. She started writing poems when she was 8 to cope with her sadness over her family moving from Brooklyn to Long Island. Newman began writing more seriously as a teenager by participating in poetry contests sponsored by ''Seventeen'' magazine. She was voted "Class Wit" in high school. In 1977, Newman spend some time living on Kibbutz Ga'aton in Israel. She attended

ulpan An ulpan (), plural ''ulpanim'', is an institute or school for the intensive study of Hebrew. Ulpan is a Hebrew word meaning "studio", "teaching", or "instruction". The ulpan is designed to teach adult immigrants to Israel the basic language s ...

, worked on a farm, and volunteered at the children's house. She later visited again as part of a

PJ Library PJ Library is a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, a North American Jewish non-profit organization based in Agawam, Massachusetts. It was created in December 2005 as a Jewish engagement and literacy program for Jewish families with youn ...

program for children's authors. Newman studied education and poetics at the

University of Vermont The University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, commonly referred to as the University of Vermont (UVM), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont, United States. Foun ...

and

Naropa Institute Naropa University is a private university in Boulder, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1974 by Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chögyam Trungpa, it is named after the 11th-century Indian Buddhist sage Naropa, an abbot of Nalanda. The university desc ...

, respectively. She was mentored by

Allen Ginsberg Irwin Allen Ginsberg (; June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American poet and writer. As a student at Columbia University in the 1940s, he began friendships with Lucien Carr, William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, forming the core of th ...

in her poetry program. She has cited Ginsberg and poet

Grace Paley Grace Paley (December 11, 1922 – August 22, 2007), Goodside, was an American short story author, poet, teacher, and political activist. Paley wrote three critically acclaimed collections of short stories, which were compiled in the Pulitzer Pr ...

as two of her greatest influences. While she has written poetry, prose, and nonfiction, she says that poetry has always been her first love as a writer. Her relationship with her parents was strained as a teenager and throughout her early adulthood. Upon moving out, she had very little contact with them for decades, in part because of their "loud and clear" expectation for her to have a traditional heterosexual marriage. She and her parents reconciled after her mother had a health crisis that left her hospitalized for 10 days. Newman stayed until her mother was well enough to be discharged, after which point the two "could 'tremember what

hey Hey, HEY, or Hey! may refer to: Music * Hey (band), a Polish rock band Albums * ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014 * ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980 * ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the ...

had ever fought about." After her release, the two maintained a close relationship. They called daily and visited frequently. She was her mother's primary caregiver in the months before her death. Shortly before dying, her mother gave her permission to write about the experience on the condition that "I'll never have to read it." After her mother's death from bladder cancer and

COPD Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a type of progressive lung disease characterized by chronic respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation. GOLD defines COPD as a heterogeneous lung condition characterized by chronic respiratory s ...

, she published a poetry collection about her, titled ''I Carry My Mother.'' Newman stayed with her father for several weeks after her mother's death, as he struggled to take care of himself. Her father died five years later, after a year in an assisted living facility. There was no clear cause of death, and he had been given a clean bill of health just a week prior. Newman believes that it was his grief that killed him. She dedicated a poetry collection to him as well, titled ''I Wish My Father.'' Her work is influenced by her Jewish values and upbringing. She is particularly motivated by the value of '' tikkun olam'', the obligation to repair the world. That value is part of the reason that she has chosen to dedicate much of her work to groups that are underrepresented in children's literature, particularly Jewish and lesbian families, to help those children feel like they belong. Newman's commitment to social justice has brought together her Jewish and lesbian identities. She has stated that everything she writes is influenced by her Judaism. She had little Jewish education as a child, but she became

Bat Mitzvah A ''bar mitzvah'' () or ''bat mitzvah'' () is a coming of age ritual in Judaism. According to Jewish law, before children reach a certain age, the parents are responsible for their child's actions. Once Jewish children reach that age, they a ...

at the age of 48. Newman lives in

Holyoke, Massachusetts Holyoke is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, that lies between the western bank of the Connecticut River and the Mount Tom Range. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 38,247. Loca ...

with her wife, "a Puerto Rican ex-nun," and their cat. She served as the poet laureate of

Northampton Northampton ( ) is a town and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England. It is the county town of Northamptonshire and the administrative centre of the Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority of West Northamptonshire. The town is sit ...

from 2008-2010. Newman came out as a lesbian in the early 1980s and married her wife, Mary Vazquez, in a "commitzvah"

ceremony A ceremony (, ) is a unified ritualistic event with a purpose, usually consisting of a number of artistic components, performed on a special occasion. The word may be of Etruscan language, Etruscan origin, via the Latin . Religious and civil ...

in 1989, before gay marriage was legally recognized.

Career

Lesléa Newman has written and edited 70 books and

anthologies In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs, or related fiction/non-fiction excerpts by different authors. There are also thematic and ge ...

. She has written about such topics as being a Jew,

body image Body image is a person's thoughts, feelings and perception of the aesthetics or sexual attractiveness of their own body. The concept of body image is used in several disciplines, including neuroscience, psychology, medicine, psychiatry, psycho ...

and

eating disorders An eating disorder is a mental disorder defined by abnormal eating behaviors that adversely affect a person's health, physical or mental health, mental health. These behaviors may include eating too much food or too little food. Types of eatin ...

, lesbianism, lesbian and gay parenting, and her

gender role A gender role, or sex role, is a social norm deemed appropriate or desirable for individuals based on their gender or sex. Gender roles are usually centered on conceptions of masculinity and femininity. The specifics regarding these gendered ...

as a

femme ''Femme'' (; , literally meaning ) is a term traditionally used to describe a lesbian woman who exhibits a feminine identity or gender presentation. While commonly viewed as a lesbian term, alternate meanings of the word also exist with some ...

. She has made a point throughout her career to write about underrepresented groups. Some of her earliest works, written shortly after she came out, are about Jewish lesbians. She later became known for her children's literature featuring LGBT and Jewish themes. Newman's short story ''A Letter to Harvey Milk'' has been adapted into a musical. Her best-known work is the controversial ''

''. Newman wrote the book when approached by a lesbian family in her neighborhood who lamented the fact that there were no books they could give their daughter that featured families like theirs. She was repeatedly advised to publish the book under a pen name in anticipation of the backlash, but declined. She was later the subject of another similar controversy in 1997, when her book ''Belinda's Bouquet'' was banned by

School District 36 Surrey School District 36 Surrey operates schools in Surrey, White Rock, and Barnston Island, British Columbia. It is the largest school district in British Columbia with 80,208 students and 195+ languages represented during the 2022-23 school year. ...

Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

, alongside Johnny Valentine's ''

One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dad, Blue Dads ''One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dad, Blue Dads'' is a children's book written by Johnny Valentine and Melody Sarecky.Johnny Valentine and Melody Sarecky ''One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dad, Blue Dads'' (1st edition: Alyson Books, 1994 1-55583-253-9) The int ...

'' and

Rosamund Elwin The name Rosamund (, also spelled Rosamond and Rosamunde) is a feminine given name and can also be a family name (surname). Originally it combined the Germanic elements ''hros'', meaning ''horse'', and ''mund'', meaning "protection". Later, it ...

and

Michele Paulse Michele () is an Italian male given name, akin to the English male name Michael. Michele (usually pronounced ), is also an English female given name that is derived from the French Michèle. It is a variant spelling of the more common (and iden ...

's ''

Asha's Mums ''Asha's Mums'' is a children's book written in 1990 by Michele Paulse and Rosamund Elwin and illustrated by Dawn Lee focusing on the topic of same-sex parents.Esposito, Jennifer. “We’re Here, We’re Queer, But We’re Just Like Heterosexuals ...

''."Surrey book ban under fire from Victoria". ''

The Province ''The Province'' is a daily newspaper published in Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid format in British Columbia by Pacific Newspaper Group, a division of Postmedia Network, alongside the ''Vancouver Sun'' broadsheet newspaper. Together, they ...

'', April 27, 1997. That ban was eventually overturned by the

Supreme Court of Canada The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC; , ) is the highest court in the judicial system of Canada. It comprises nine justices, whose decisions are the ultimate application of Canadian law, and grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants eac ...

in its 2002 decision '' Chamberlain v Surrey School District No 36''. She also authored ''

The Boy Who Cried Fabulous ''The Boy Who Cried Fabulous'', published by Tricycle Press in March 2004 () is a children's book by Lesléa Newman and is illustrated by Peter Ferguson. Plot Visually set in a mid-20th-century America, it is about an enthusiastic boy called Roger ...

'' and '' Hachiko Waits'' in 2004. In 1998, Newman was invited to be the keynote speaker for the

University of Wyoming The University of Wyoming (UW) is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Laramie, Wyoming, United States. It was founded in March 1886, four years before the territory was admitted as the 44th state, ...

's Gay Awareness Week. She had intended to discuss the backlash to ''Heather Has Two Mommies''. Two days before she was scheduled to speak, the president of the LGBT Student Organization called to tell her that fellow member

Matthew Shepard Matthew Wayne Shepard (December 1, 1976 – October 12, 1998) was an American student at the University of Wyoming who was beaten, tortured, and left to die near Laramie on October 6, 1998. He was transported by rescuers to Poudre Valle ...

had been attacked and was not found for 18 hours, at which point he was in a coma. He offered to let her cancel her appearance, but she felt it was important to come. Shepard, who was on the committee that selected her, died the morning of that Newman's appearance. Committee members had left an empty seat for him in the front row. In her remarks, she promised attendees that she would do all she could to keep his memory alive. Newman was deeply affected by his death and continues to open all lectures on LGBT rights within a dedication to him. She has written two books about Shepard: ''October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard'', a collection of 60 poems exploring his death and its impact, and ''Always Matt'', a book-length poem for teens. She wrote ''Always Matt'' when asked by the

Matthew Shepard Foundation The Matthew Shepard Foundation is an LGBTQ nonprofit organization, headquartered in Casper, Wyoming, which was founded in December 1998 by Dennis Shepard, Dennis and Judy Shepard in memory of their son, Matthew Shepard, Matthew, who was murdered i ...

to write something about Shepard's life for young readers. Newman has taught creative writing at several universities as well as private workshops. She is a faculty member of the School of Writing at

Spalding University Spalding University is a private Catholic university in Louisville, Kentucky. It is affiliated with the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. History Spalding University traces its origins to "Nazareth Academy", one of the oldest educational institu ...

. Newman gives presentations at schools, libraries, and conferences on topics including Matthew Shepard, her experience as a lesbian Jew, gender stereotypes in children's literature, censorship of LGBT literature, and

HIV/AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

. She often incorporates

Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...

words and phrases into her work. She heard lots of

Yinglish Yiddish words used in the English language include both words that have been Language shift, assimilated into English language, Englishused by both Yiddish and English speakersand many that have not. An English sentence that uses either may be des ...

growing up in Brooklyn, particularly from her grandmothers, and says that she does her most authentic writing when she incorporates it.

Selected publications

Heather Has Two Mommies

''Heather Has Two Mommies'', originally published in 1989 by

Alyson Books Alyson Books, formerly known as Alyson Publications, was a book publishing house which specialized in LGBT fiction and non-fiction. Former publisher Don Weise described it as "the world's oldest and largest publisher of LGBT literature" and "th ...

and illustrated by Diana Souza, is about a young girl who has lesbian mothers. The book was republished by

Candlewick Press Candlewick Press, established in 1992 and located in Somerville, Massachusetts, is part of the Walker Books group. The logo depicting a bear carrying a candle is based on Walker Books's original logo. History Sebastian Walker launched Walker Boo ...

in 2015. In 1990, many gay and lesbian couples and their children found the first reflections of their families in this picture book. However, ''Heather Has Two Mommies'' has faced a lot of controversy. The book has landed on the

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world. History 19th century ...

's Top 100 Most Banned and Challenged Books between 1990 and 1999 (7), as well as between 2010 and 2019 (87). In the late Nineties, the Wichita Falls library district faced harsh backlash from library-card holders "petition dthe city to move controversial materials out of the municipal library's children's section." Questionable material included ''Heather Has Two Mommies'' and ''Daddy's Roommate'' by Michael Willhoite. In 2000, a federal judge ruled that the petition was unconstitutional. Despite controversy, the book received a favorable review from ''

School Library Journal ''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, wi ...

'' and has received the following accolades: *

American Library Association Rainbow List The ALA Rainbow Book List is an annual list of "books with significant gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender content, and which are aimed at youth, birth through age 18" produced by the American Library Association's (ALA's) Rainbow Project, which ...

pick (2016) *

Lambda Literary Award Lambda Literary Awards, also known as the "Lammys", are awarded yearly by Lambda Literary Foundation, Lambda Literary to recognize the crucial role LGBTQ+ writers play in shaping the world. The Lammys celebrate the very best in LGBTQ+ literatur ...

for Children/Young Adult nominee

Saturday Is Pattyday (1993)

''Saturday is Pattyday,'' originally published in 1993 and illustrated by Annette Hegel, is a book about Frankie, whose two moms get divorced. The book was republished by New Victoria on December 13, 2010. The book was nominated for the Lambda Literary Award for Children's/Young Adult Literature.

Awards

Lesléa Newman's literary awards include Creative Writing Fellowships from the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the feder ...

and the Massachusetts Artists Foundation, the James Baldwin award for Cultural Achievement, the Dog Writers Association of America's Best Book of Fiction Award, and a Parents' Choice Silver Medal. Nine of her books have been

finalists. In 2009 she received the Alice B. Award. Her set of children's picture books ''Mommy, Mama, and Me'' and ''Daddy, Papa and Me'' were 2010 Stonewall Honor Books as well as her 2013 ''October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepherd''. In 2019, she received a

National Jewish Book Award The Jewish Book Council (Hebrew: ), founded in 1943, is an American organization encouraging and contributing to Jewish literature. The goal of the council, as stated on its website, is "to promote the reading, writing and publishing of qual ...

for ''Gittel's Journey: An Ellis Island Story''. In 2023, she was named one of ''

The Advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. The Advocate, The Advocates or Advocate may also refer to: Magazines * The Advocate (magazine), ''The Advocate'' (magazine), an LGBT magazine based in the United States * ''The Harvard Advocate' ...

s Advocates of the Year. In 2009, she was the inaugural judge of the Naugatuck River Review Narrative Poetry Prize.

Bibliography

Juvenile fiction

* ''Heather Has Two Mommies.'' Illustrated by Laura Cornell. Alyson Press. 1989. **

pick (2016) **

for Children/Young Adult nominee * ''Belinda's Bouquet.'' Illustrated by

Michael WIllhoite Michael Willhoite is an artist and writer who is best known for his children's books depicting families with gay parents. His book ''Daddy's Roommate'' (1990) was the second most challenged book in American libraries in the decade of 1990-1999, a ...

. Alyson Wonderland. 1991. * ''Gloria Goes to Gay Pride.'' Illustrated by Russell Crocker. Alyson Wonderland. 1991. **

for Children's/Young Adult * ''Saturday is Pattyday.'' Illustrated by Annette Hegel. 1993. ** Lambda Literary Award nominee for Children's/Young Adult * ''Too Far Away to Touch.'' Illustrated by Catherine Stock.

Clarion Books HarperCollins Publishers LLC is a British–American publishing company that is considered to be one of the " Big Five" English-language publishers, along with Penguin Random House, Hachette, Macmillan, and Simon & Schuster. HarperCollins is ...

. December 1995. * ''Remember That.'' Illustrated by Karen Ritz.

. February 18, 1996. * ''Matzo Ball Moon.'' Illustrated by Elaine Greenstein.

. 1998. * '' Cats, Cats, Cats!'' Illustrated by Erika Oiler.

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers Simon & Schuster LLC (, ) is an American publishing house owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts since 2023. It was founded in New York City in 1924, by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. Along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group US ...

. 2001. * ''Dogs, Dogs, Dogs!'' Illustrated by Erika Oiler. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. 2002. * ''Felicia's Favorite Story''. Illustrated by Adriana Romo. Two Lives Publ. 2002. **

nominee for Children's/Young Adult * ''Pigs, Pigs, Pigs!'' Illustrated by Erika Oiler. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. 2003 * ''The Boy Who Cried Fabulous.'' Illustrated by Peter Ferguson.

Tricycle Press Ten Speed Press is a publishing house founded in Berkeley, California, in 1971 by Phil Wood. It was bought by Random House in February 2009 and became part of their Crown Publishing Group division. History Wood worked with Barnes & Noble in 1962 ...

. March 15, 2004. * ''Where Is Bear?'' Illustrated by Valeri Gorbachev. HMH Books. October 2004. . * ''Hachiko Waits''. Illustrated by Machiyo Kodaira.

Henry Holt and Company Henry Holt and Company is an American book-publishing company based in New York City. One of the oldest publishers in the United States, it was founded in 1866 by Henry Holt (publisher), Henry Holt and Frederick Leypoldt. The company publishes in ...

. October 2004. * ''A Fire Engine for Ruthie.'' Illustrated by Cyd Moore.

. 2004. * ''The Best Cat in the Word.'' Illustrated by Ronald Himler. Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. 2004. * ''The Eight Nights of Chanukah''. Illustrated by Elivia Savadier. Harry N. Abrams. October 2005. * ''Skunk's Spring Surprise''. Illustrated by Valeri Gorbachev. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. January 1, 2007. * ''Daddy's Song.'' Illustrated by Karen RItz.

. April 17, 2007. * ''Runaway Dreidel!'' Illustrated by Krysten Broker. Square Fish. October 2, 2007. * ''Daddy, Papa, and Me.'' illustrated by Carol Thompson.

. June 9, 2009. **

Stonewall Book Award The Stonewall Book Award is a set of three literary awards that annually recognize "exceptional merit relating to the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender experience" in English-language books published in the U.S. They are sponsored by the Rainbo ...

Nominee for Children's and Young Adult Literature (2010) * ''Mommy, Mama, and Me.'' Illustrated by Carol Thompson.

. June 9, 2009. **

Nominee for Children's and Young Adult Literature (2010) * ''Just Like Mama.'' Illustrated by Julia Gorton. Harry N. Abrams. April 2010. * ''harMiss Tutu's Star.'' Illustrated by Carey Armstrong-Ellis. Harry N. Abrams. August 1, 2010. * ''Donovan's Big Day.''

. 2011. . * ''A Sweet Passover.'' Illustrated by David Slonim. ABRAMS. March 2012. * ''A Kiss on the Keppie''. Illustrated by Katherine Blackmore.

Amazon Publishing Amazon Publishing (or simply APub) is Amazon's book publishing unit launched in 2009. It is composed of 15 imprints including AmazonEncore, AmazonCrossing, Montlake Romance, Thomas & Mercer, 47North, and Topple Books. Amazon publishes e-books ...

. 2012. * ''Here Is the World: A Year of Jewish Holidays.'' Illustrated by Susan Gal. ABRAMS. September 2, 2014. * ''My Name is Aviva.''

Lerner Publishing Group Lerner Publishing Group, based in Minneapolis in the United States, U.S. state of Minnesota since its founding in 1959, is one of the largest private sector, independently owned children's literature, children's book publishers in the United Stat ...

. August 2015. * '' Ketzel, the Cat who Composed'' Illustrated by Amy June Bates.

. 2015. **

Association of Jewish Libraries The Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) is an international organization dedicated to the production, collection, organization and dissemination of Judaic resources as a library, media, and information service. AJL has members in the United St ...

Sydney Taylor Award Winner (2016) * ''Hanukkah Delight!'' Illustrated by Amy Husband.

.. 2016. * ''Sparkle Boy.'' Illustrated by Maria Mola. Lee & Low Books Incorporated. 2017. * ''Baby's Blessings.''

. October 2019. . *''Gittel's Journey: An Ellis Island Story.'' Illustrated by Amy June Bates. ABRAMS. February 5, 2019. * ''Welcoming Elijah: A Passover with a Tale.'' Illustrated by

Susan Gal Susan Gal (born 1949) is the Mae & Sidney G. Metzl Distinguished Service Professor of Anthropology, of Linguistics, and of Social Sciences at the University of Chicago. She is the author or co-author of several books and numerous articles on lingu ...

. Charlesbridge Publishing, Incorporated. January 28, 2020. **

for Children's Picture Books **

Golden Kite Award The Golden Kite Awards are given annually by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, an international children's writing organization, to recognize excellence in children’s literature. The award is a golden medallion showing ...

nominee for Picture Book Illustration * ''Remembering Ethan.'' Illustrated by Tracy Nishimura Bishop.

American Psychological Association The American Psychological Association (APA) is the main professional organization of psychologists in the United States, and the largest psychological association in the world. It has over 170,000 members, including scientists, educators, clin ...

. 2020. * ''1 2 3 Cats: A Cat Counting Book.'' Illustrated by Isabella Kung.

. April 29, 2021. . * ''ABC Cats: An Alpha-Cat Book.'' Illustrated by Isabella Kung.

. May 4, 2021. * ''As Babies Dream.'' Illustrated by Taia Morley.

. 2021. * ''Alicia and the Hurricane: A Story of Puerto Rico'' with Georgina Lazaro Leon. Illustrated by Elizabeth Erazo Baez.

Children's Book Press Lee & Low Books is an independent children's book publisher focusing on diversity. History Lee & Low was founded in 1991 by Chinese Americans Tom Low and Philip Lee as a children's book publisher specializing in books featuring people of color a ...

. March 2022.

Young Adult Fiction

* ''Good Enough to Eat: A Novel.''

Firebrand Books Firebrand Books is a publishing house established in 1984 by Nancy K. Bereano, a lesbian and feminist activist, in Ithaca, NY. Karen Oosterhouse, its publisher since 2003, describes Firebrand as "the independent publisher of record for feminist ...

. 1986. * '' Fat Chance.'' Livewire. 1994. * ''Jailbait.''

Delacorte Press Dell Publishing Company, Inc. is an American publisher of books, magazines and comic books, that was founded in 1921 by George T. Delacorte Jr. with $10,000 (approx. $145,000 in 2021), two employees and one magazine title, ''I Confess'', and ...

. 2005.

Adult fiction

* ''In Every Laugh a Tear: A Novel''. New Victoria Publishers. 1992. * ''The Reluctant Daughter.''

Bold Strokes Books Bold Strokes Books is a midsized independent publisher headquartered in Cambridge, New York that offers a diverse collection of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer general and genre fiction. Their list includes romance, mystery/intrigu ...

. 2009.

Short story collections

* ''A Letter to Harvey Milk: Short Stories.''

University of Wisconsin Press The University of Wisconsin Press (sometimes abbreviated as UW Press) is a Non-profit organization, non-profit university press publishing Peer review, peer-reviewed books and journals. It publishes work by scholars from the global academic comm ...

. 1988. * ''Secrets: Short Stories.'' New Victoria Publishers. 1990. * ''Every Woman's Dream: Short Fiction.'' New Victoria Publishers. 1994. * ''Out of the Closet and Nothing to Wear.'' University of California. 1997. * ''Girls Will be Girls: A Novella and Short Stories''. Alyson Books. 2000. * ''She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not: Romantic Fiction''. Alyson Books. 2002. * ''The Best Short Stories of Leslea Newman.'' Alyson Books. 2003.

Poetry collections

* ''Love Me Like You Mean It: Poems.'' The University of California. 1987. * ''Sweet Dark Places.'' Windstorm Collective. 1991. * ''Still Life with Buddy: A Novel Told in Fifty Poems.'' Pride Publications. 1997. * ''The Little Butch Book.'' New Victoria Publishers. 1998. **

Nominee for Lesbian Poetry * ''Signs of Love.'' Windstorm Creative. 2000. **

Nominee for Lesbian Poetry * ''Nobody's Mother.'' Orchard House Press. November 2008. * ''October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard.''

. September 25, 2012. ** Goodreads Choices Award Nominee for Poetry * ''I Remember: Hachiko Speaks.'' Finishing Line Press. September 19, 2013. * ''I Carry My Mother.''

Headmistress Press Headmistress Press is a small press based in Sequim, Washington. Founded in 2013, the press specializes in poetry by lesbian poets. Notable poets who have published collections with Headmistress include Janice Gould, Joy Ladin, Constance Merritt, ...

. January 2, 2015. * ''Lovely.''

. January 2, 2018. * ''I Wish My Father''.

. January 2, 2021.

Nonfiction

* ''SomeBody to Love: A Guide to Loving the Body You Have.'' Third Side Press. 1991. * ''Eating Our Hearts Out: Personal Accounts of Women's Relationship to Food.''

Crossing Press Ten Speed Press is a publishing house founded in Berkeley, California, in 1971 by Phil Wood. It was bought by Random House in February 2009 and became part of their Crown Publishing Group division. History Wood worked with Barnes & Noble in 19 ...

. March 1, 1993. * ''The Femme Mystique.'' Alyson Books. June 1, 1995. * ''Write from the Heart: Inspiration and Exercises for Women who Want to Write''.

Ten Speed Press Ten Speed Press is a publishing house founded in Berkeley, California, in 1971 by Phil Wood. It was bought by Random House in February 2009 and became part of their Crown Publishing Group division. History Wood worked with Barnes & Noble in 196 ...

. 2003.

Editor

* ''A Loving Testimony: Remembering Loved Ones Lost to AIDS: An Anthology.'' Crossing Press. ''April 11, 1995.'' **

Nominee for Anthologies/Nonfiction (1996) * ''My Lover is a Woman''.

Ballantine Books Ballantine Books is a major American book publisher that is a subsidiary of German media conglomerate Bertelsmann. Ballantine was founded in 1952 by Ian Ballantine with his wife, Betty Ballantine. Ballantine was acquired by Random House in ...

. 1996. * ''Pillow Talk: Lesbian Stories Between the Covers.'' Alyson Books. May 1, 1998. * ''Pillow Talk II: More Lesbian Stories Between the Covers.'' Alyson Books. July 1, 2000. * ''Bedroom Eyes: Stories of Lesbians in the Boudoir.'' Alyson Books. November 1, 2002. * ''Sappho (Gay & Lesbian Writers Series).'' Chelsea House Pub. March 1, 2005.

Contributor

* ''Women on Women: An Anthology of American Lesbian Short Fiction.'' Plume. May 30, 1990. * ''Bubbe Meisehs by Shayneh Maidelehs: An Anthology of Poetry by Jewish Granddaughters About Our Grandmothers.'' HerBooks. December 1, 1991. * ''Xanadu''.

Tor Books Tor Books is the primary imprint of Tor Publishing Group (previously Tom Doherty Associates), a publishing company based in New York City. It primarily publishes science fiction and fantasy titles. History Tor was founded by Tom Doherty, ...

. March 15, 1994. * ''Garden Variety Dykes: Lesbian Traditions in Gardening.'' HerBooks. April 1, 1994. * ''Not the Only One.'' Alyson Books. January 1, 1995. * ''Am I Blue?: Coming Out from the Silence.''

HarperTeen HarperCollins Publishers LLC is a British–American publishing company that is considered to be one of the " Big Five" English-language publishers, along with Penguin Random House, Hachette, Macmillan, and Simon & Schuster. HarperCollins is ...

. April 15, 1995. **

for Literature (1995) **

for Young Adult / Children's Book (1995) **

Minnesota Book Award The Minnesota Book Awards are presented annually for books created by writers, illustrators or book artists who are Minnesotans. The award, originally established in 1988, is organized by The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library. History ...

for Older Children (1995) * ''Set in Stone: Butch-On-Butch Erotica.'' Alyson Books. May 1, 2001. * ''Back to Basics: A Butch-Femme Anthology.''

Bella Books Bella Books is a small press publisher of lesbian literature Lesbian literature is a subgenre of literature addressing lesbian themes. It includes poetry, plays, fiction addressing lesbian characters, and non-fiction about lesbian-interest ...

. April 1, 2004. * ''Mentsh: On Being Jewish and Queer.'' Alyson Books. August 15, 2004. * ''Becoming Myself: Reflections on Growing Up Female.''

Hachette Books Hachette Books, formerly Hyperion Books, is a general-interest book imprint of the Perseus Books Group, which is a division of Hachette (publisher), Hachette Book Group and ultimately a part of Lagardère Group. Established in 1990, Hachette pu ...

. April 17, 2007. * ''Things Invisible to See.''

Circlet Press Circlet Press is a publishing house in Cambridge, in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It was founded by Cecilia Tan, who is also its manager. It specializes in science fiction erotica, a once uncommon genre, and its publications often feature BDS ...

. February 25, 2015. * ''HYSTERIA: Writing the Female Body.'' Lucky Bastard Press. June 15, 2016. * ''Conversing with Cancer: How to Ask Questions, Find and Share Information, and Make the Best Decisions.'' Peter Lang Us. January 17, 2018. * ''We Will Not Be Silenced: The Lived Experience of Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault Told Powerfully Through Poetry, Prose, Essay, and Art.'' Indie Blu(e) Publishing. November 27, 2018. * ''No Voice Too Small: Fourteen Young Americans Making History.'' Charlesbridge Publishing September 22, 2020.

References

External links

Lesléa Newman
{{DEFAULTSORT:Newman, Leslea American children's writers Jewish American children's writers American lesbian writers Lesbian Jews 1955 births Living people American women children's writers Jewish women writers American women editors Writers from Brooklyn LGBTQ people from New York (state) 21st-century American Jews 21st-century American women writers Jews from New York (state)