An analysis of emerging LGBTQ+ media, queer spaces in urban areas, and sexual identity. The explosion of cable networks, cinema distributors, and mobile media companies explicitly designed for sexual minorities in the contemporary moment has made media culture a major factor in what it feels like to be a queer person. F. Hollis Griffin demonstrates how cities offer a way of thinking about that phenomenon. By examining urban centers in tandem with advertiser-supported newspapers, New Queer Cinema and B-movies, queer-targeted television, and mobile apps, Griffin illustrates how new forms of LGBTQ+ media are less “new” than we often believe. He connects cities and LGBTQ+ media through the experiences they can make available to people, which Griffin articulates as feelings, emotions, and affects. He illuminates how the limitations of these experiences—while not universally accessible, nor necessarily empowering—are often the very reasons why people find them compelling and desirable. “As a guide to emerging queer media of our new century, Hollis Griffin is funny, generous, passionate, and lucid. Whether he’s explaining Grindr’s memes or the gayborhoods of Chicago, cable travel programs or online networks, Griffin discovers how it feels to be queer in the digital age.” —Amy Villarejo, author of Ethereal Queer: Television, Historicity, Desire “Offers a piercing examination of modern identity politics focused on relationships among new forms of media consumption and marketplaces, urban centers, and the experiences of sexual minorities. . . . Feeling Normal is a must-read for scholars and students in queer studies and communication, media studies, film studies, and sociology.” —Choice

Covid and the upheaval that went along with it, including dreaded lock-downs and even more dreaded illness and loss of life are, for most people today, merely a bad memory. However, the fallout from the pandemic is still being felt by many. Although it's hard to define "normal" in terms of our emotional state, has your pre-pandemic feeling of "normal" returned or are you still searching for it? Feeling Normal Again is a popular self-help book that helps the reader to understand specifically how the pandemic impacted their emotions, perspectives and behaviors, and provides easy-to-apply tools to repair the damage that was done. Ultimately, the goal is to surpass what felt normal before the pandemic and return to an even more healthy state of mind!

From the creator of Ruby Finds a Worry, an empowering picture book about embracing and celebrating what makes you unique. Norman had always been perfectly normal . . . until one day, he grows a pair of wings! Afraid of what people will think, Norman covers them up with a big coat. But can he summon the courage to be himself? While we all might feel afraid about standing out, Perfectly Norman shows that there's nothing better than celebrating what makes you unique! The Big Bright Feelings picture book series provides kid-friendly entry points into emotional intelligence topics -- from being true to yourself to dealing with worries, managing anger, and making friends. These topics can be difficult to talk about. But these books act as sensitive and reassuring springboards for conversations about mental and emotional health, positive self-image, building self-confidence, and managing feelings. Read all the books in the Big Bright Feelings series! Ruby Finds a Worry Perfectly Norman Ravi's Roar Meesha Makes Friends Tilda Tries Again

Fully and fearlessly updated, this vital new edition of the acclaimed book on sex, sexuality, bodies, and puberty deserves a spot in every family’s library. With more than 1.5 million copies in print, It’s Perfectly Normal has been a trusted resource on sexuality for more than twenty-five years. Rigorously vetted by experts, this is the most ambitiously updated edition yet, featuring to-the-minute information and language accompanied by new and refreshed art. Updates include: * A shift to gender-neutral vocabulary throughout * An expansion on LGBTQIA topics, gender identity, sex, and sexuality—making this a sexual health book for all readers * Coverage of recent advances in methods of sexual safety and contraception with corresponding illustrations * A revised section on abortion, including developments in the shifting politics and legislation as well as an accurate, honest overview * A sensitive and detailed expansion on the topics of sexual abuse, the importance of consent, and destigmatizing HIV/AIDS * A modern understanding of social media and the internet that tackles rapidly changing technology to highlight its benefits and pitfalls and ways to stay safe online Inclusive and accessible, this newest edition of It’s Perfectly Normal provides young people with the knowledge and vocabulary they need to understand their bodies, relationships, and identities in order to make responsible decisions and stay healthy.

What you see isn't always what you get in this funny and heart-wrenching story about two girls from different crowds who find common ground, by National Book Award finalist Julie Anne Peters. Antonia is a "nerd," and Jazz is a "punk." Antonia belongs to the math club; Jazz hangs out at the tattoo parlor. Antonia's parents are divorced and her mother suffers from depression. Jazz is from a wealthy, traditional family. But when these two very different girls find themselves facing each other in a peer-counseling program, they discover they have some surprising things in common. With both humor and heart, this absorbing read will keep readers thinking and laughing.

Am I Weird or Is This Normal? is for every girl who has ever wondered whether all the stuff that's happening to her body, feelings, and relationships is normal -- and who's seeking the 411 that will get her in step with life. Am I Weird or Is This Normal? is like being a part of a private conversation where you get answers and advice about all the stuff that's on your mind. Everyone feels strange, embarrassed, and just plain weird at times. It's just that no one likes to talk about it. Except for Dr. Marlin, a psychologist specializing in teens, and Laura, her teenage daughter who has been in the trenches dealing with boys, school, her parents' divorce, and friends. This dynamic duo give the lowdown on everything so that you can handle all the sticky situations that crop up on the way to womanhood. By giving you a look into other girls' experiences, Am I Weird or Is This Normal? will walk you through the options you have when you're: Uncertain about dating and sex Faced with alcohol and other drugs Feeling jealous Fighting with your friends and family Smack in the middle of life's other awkward moments With uplifting mantras you can pull out whenever you need them, Dr. Marlin and Laura help you -- and those who love you -- get through life by seeing that weird is normal.