Brent Hartinger

Infobox Writer
name = Brent Hartinger


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nationality = American
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movement = Gay teen fiction
notableworks = "Geography Club"
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partner = Michael Jensen
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website = http://www.brenthartinger.com
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Brent Hartinger is an American author and playwright, best known for his novels about gay teenagers.

Career

Hartinger has published five novels.

His first novel was "Geography Club," about teenagers who secretly start a gay-straight alliance at their high school, which was banned by some American schools, including schools in Hartinger's home town of Tacoma.cite news |url=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/249113_book21.html |title=School district bans novel about gay teenagers |publisher=Associated Press |date=2005-11-21 |accessdate=2007-03-27] The novel has two sequels. "The Order of the Poison Oak" describes the main characters' experiences at summer camp. "Split Screen" is published as two novels; the reader can turn the book upside down to read the story of a boy trying to choose between two boyfriends ("Attack of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies") or the story of an openly bisexual girl who falls for a closeted classmate ("Bride of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies"). Hartinger has written a stage version of "Geography Club" as well as a screenplay for a possible film version of the novel.cite news |last=Jensen |first=Michael |url=http://www.afterelton.com/archive/elton/people/2007/2/brent.html |title=Attack of the Gay Teen Zombies: An Interview with Geography Club's Brent Hartinger |publisher=AfterElton.com |date=2007-02-05 |accessdate=2007-03-27]

Hartinger is the author of fifteen plays which have been performed around the country and which have been included in more than thirty-five playwriting festivals. He has also been recognized for his screenplays, although none of his screenplays have yet been filmed. cite news |url=http://www.brenthartinger.com/pressroom.html |title=Brent's Brain: Pressroom |accessdate=2007-03-27] .

He is a member of the faculty of Vermont College's MFA program.cite news |url=http://www.brenthartinger.com/pressroom.html |title=Brent's Brain: Pressroom |accessdate=2007-03-27] At one time, Hartinger taught creative writing at Tacoma School of the Arts.

Personal life

Hartinger lives south of Seattle with his partner, novelist and AfterElton.com writer Michael Jensen. He is a facilitator of Oasis, a support organization for gay teens. He is a counselor at a youth group home. He is a co-founder of [http://asifnews.blogspot.com/ AS IF! Authors Support Intellectual Freedom] , a group of Young Adult authors supporting intellectual freedom.

Works

*"Geography Club" (2003)
*"The Last Chance Texaco" (2004)
*"The Order of the Poison Oak" (2005)
*"Grand & Humble" (2006)
*"Split Screen: Attack of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies/Bride of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies" (2007)
*"Dreamquest" (2007)
*"Brainstorm" (2008) (not yet published)cite news |url=http://www.brenthartinger.com/pressroom.html |title=Brent's Brain: Pressroom |accessdate=2007-03-27]

Honors

*Book Sense pick (four times)
*Teenreads.com Best Book (four times)
*IRA Notable Book
*Lambda Literary Award finalist
*New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
*Booklist Top Ten First Young Adult Novel
*ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers
*SCBWI/Judy Blume Grant for a Contemporary Young Adult Novel
*Bookspan Book Club Main Selectioncite news |url=http://www.brenthartinger.com/pressroom.html |title=Brent's Brain: Pressroom |accessdate=2007-03-27]

External links

*Homepage - [http://www.brenthartinger.com/ Brent's Brain]
*Interview with [http://afterelton.com AfterElton.com] - [http://www.afterelton.com/archive/elton/people/2007/2/brent.html Attack of the Gay Teen Zombies]
*TeanReads.com Profile - [http://www.teenreads.com/authors/au-hartinger-brent.asp Brent Hartinger]
*Interview with [http://www.feastoffools.net/ The Feast Of Fools Podcast]

Footnotes