PHOTO: Brian Katcher, acclaimed author and school librarian, whose groundbreaking YA fiction continues to challenge norms and uplift underrepresented voices.
Award-Winning Author Explores Transgender Narratives and Inclusive Storytelling
Brian Katcher, author of Almost Perfect, discusses writing about identity, censorship, geek culture, and inclusive storytelling while drawing from experience as a librarian and advocate for banned books.
Brian Katcher writes with a rare blend of empathy, insight, and fearless honesty. His stories, though rooted in contemporary adolescence, reach far beyond the school corridors and awkward moments of youth, delving into the deeper intricacies of identity, belonging, and emotional truth. With Almost Perfect, he gave voice to a narrative that had long been missing in young adult literature—one that doesn’t flinch from the discomforts of growth, rejection, and hard-won understanding.
A school librarian by profession and a storyteller by calling, Katcher brings to his work an unwavering awareness of the cultural pressures facing both readers and the books they turn to for solace and clarity. His novels are, at once, personal and political, joyful and sobering. Whether it’s a whirlwind night at a sci-fi convention in The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak or an unconventional prom date in Deacon Locke Went to Prom, he makes room for those often left on the margins.
Yet what distinguishes Katcher most is his willingness to evolve—to reflect on past work, listen to critique, and refine his approach. He does not write to preach or to provoke, but to understand. That open-hearted curiosity, coupled with a deep respect for the emotional lives of young readers, gives his work lasting resonance.
From Missouri to the broader literary world, Brian Katcher continues to challenge, comfort, and connect through fiction that refuses to settle for simplicity.
In Almost Perfect, how did you balance Logan’s emotional journey with Sage’s identity, especially given the book’s ongoing relevance and censorship challenges?
Almost Perfect is a young adult story of a boy, Logan, who falls in love with Sage, only to realize she’s transgender. When I first wrote this book, there were almost no stories about trans people. I wanted to show Logan’s emotional journey from fear and anger, to acceptance, to caring deeply, while not subverting Sage’s identity as a trans woman. Thanks to massive efforts at government censorship, this fifteen-year-old book still winds up on ‘challenged’ lists.
The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak blends geek culture with romance. What inspired you to set a love story amid a sci-fi convention’s chaos?
My editor asked me to write a story similar to Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist, which is a great book about two really cool teens who have a lot of adventures over the course of one crazy night and fall in love. But my editor wanted me to write about two nerdy teens, kids who wouldn’t end up at parties or clubs. Well, where would two geeks go that is open all night? A Comic Con! I’ve been attending cons for years, and it was a labour of love to set a story there.
As a school librarian, how has your professional experience influenced the themes and characters in your novels?
Honestly, I’m an elementary school librarian, so my job affects my young adult stories very little. But as a librarian, I’m very aware of the perils of censorship of books, and the outright war against libraries and education that is going on right now. I’ve known too many media specialists who worry about being fired, or even arrested, for stocking the wrong book. This is not a fun time to be in charge of a library, when there are people in the United States government who look upon books and educators as the enemy.
Your unpublished manuscript Four Way Stop explores closeted relationships. What drew you to this narrative, and how does it differ from your published works?
Wow, where did you find out about that one? Four Way Stop is the story of a gay teen couple and a lesbian teen couple who pretend to be two heterosexual couples because three of them cannot come out for various reasons. This leads to a house of cards situation, with everyone’s lives depending on everyone else’s deception, and everyone being completely unhappy. This was a four POV novel, and that’s hard. Your reader has to instantly know what voice you’re using and each character must be very distinct. I’m happy with the finished product, and I hope to find a home for it one day.
In Deacon Locke Went to Prom, the protagonist takes his grandmother to prom. What inspired this unconventional storyline?
My editor had read some news articles about teen boys taking their grandmother (or even great-grandmother) to prom. We both thought it would make a fun story.
You’ve mentioned learning from critiques of Almost Perfect. How have reader responses shaped your subsequent writing?
I believe I was only the second YA author to write about a transgender character (Julie Anne Peters was the first, in her excellent book Luna). I like to think mine was a good book that helped show the struggles of transgender youth. Many readers, including transgender people, said they loved it. On the other hand, many readers said that the book was depressing, that Logan was hateful, and that Sage said and did things that no real trans person would do. This taught me a valuable lesson: it’s impossible to do too much research when writing, especially when you’re writing about someone different from you.
Your novels often tackle complex social issues. How do you approach writing about sensitive topics for a young adult audience?
After the feedback from Almost Perfect, I made sure to get as many sensitivity readers as possible. I don’t like to limit my characters to straight, white people, but one must be very careful when portraying people who are unlike you. Take Four Way Stop for instance. I must have had twenty LGBTQ friends read that to make sure I didn’t include anything stupid.
What advice would you offer aspiring authors aiming to write authentic and inclusive young adult fiction?
There are some things about being a teenager that never change: the thrill of being treated as a young adult, conflicts with your parents, worry about the future, growing apart from your old friends, the realisation of the type of person that you are, etc. If you can remember those days authentically, relate how they felt, then you can relate to a teen audience, no matter your age. Also: slang, technology, and celebrities. These things change so quickly, they’ll date your book. Leave them out.
