I'm a Wild Seed
• Explores topics such as the history of the Gay Rights movement in the US
• The tone of the text and the artwork is very friendly and inviting
• The artwork is bright and colorful and bursting with originality
• Explores LGBTQ themes
• Explores feminist themes and issues of women’s health
• Explores issues of race and culture
• Steeped in pop cultural references which will be recognizable to readers
• An honest, open sharing of the author’s own discoveries
• An invitation to the reader to learn and grow and discover alongside the author.
• The author shares her perspective as someone who has come out as queer later in life.
• A frank, no-holds-barred approach by the author to the subject matter.
• The smaller trim size and lower price point make this handy little book a sort of introduction
2. The Competition:
Delightful books by LGBTQ authors and authors of color have been charming people with their openness and their honesty. Books by Black women are getting noticed, like Hot Comb by debut author Ebony Flowers which got some great reviews and was featured in The New Yorker last year. And A Quick & Easy Guide to Queer & Trans Identities by Mady G. and J.R. Zuckerberg has gotten a lot of attention.
3. News Tie-in/Current Relevance:
• LGBTQ subject matter has been very much in demand, especially in comics.
• The Republican administration is working to limit gay rights in states around the country.
• Pete Buttigieg is the first mainstream presidential candidate to be openly gay.
• 2019 was the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, which are featured in the book.
• Women are increasingly taking ownership over their own reproductive health, as is discussed in the book.
4. Notable Author/Illustrator:
• Sharon Lee De La Cruz was profiled in a video ad for Calvin Klein in 2019.
• She regularly teaches at various workshops around the US and abroad, connecting the dots between art and tech, and encouraging STEM learning in underserved communities.
• The author had a TED residency in 2017.
• She was a Fulbright Scholar.
• The author lives in New York City.
Sharon Lee De La Cruz is an artist and activist whose work ranges from comics, graffiti, and public art murals to interactive sculptures, animation and coding. She earned a BFA from The Cooper Union, is a Fulbright scholar, and obtained her master’s degree at NYU’s ITP program (Interactive Telecommunications Program). Sharon considers her work to be in the intersection of tech, art, and social justice. She lives in New York City.
