Welcome to the 5 Minutes Series. Each week, I’ll ask five questions of some of my favorite authors, editors, publishers, and other industry professionals. This week, I am super excited to talk to Justine Pucella Winans to find out more about their unique books (and share pictures of cute cats.)
In a delightful interview, Christen Randall said, “Also, if “weird” and “bird” are your vibe, you should fully check out Bianca Torre is Afraid of Everything by Justine Pucella Winans. It’s a campy birding murder mystery with tender, true-to-life queer rep perfect for the odd duck in your life, especially if that’s you.” I admit, I purchased the book that day! Please tell me more about this delightful book.
I think Christen described it very well! Bianca Torre is Afraid of Everything is about a sixteen-year-old anxious lesbian birder who accidentally witnesses their neighbor’s murder and gets their anime-obsessed best friend and the cute girl from their birding group to help them investigate and hopefully not get killed… all while questioning their gender identity. Grady Hendrix, a favorite author of mine who blurbed the book, called it Queer Window, which I think sums it up greatly for those familiar with the Hitchcock reference.
Can you talk a little about why it’s important for you to write queer books?
My more selfish answer is that as a queer person, there are a lot of feelings related to gender, sexuality, and identity that I want to work out and explore in my writing. While I wouldn’t say people consider my books as being about queerness and the character’s LGBTQ+ identity, I would argue that the protagonist’s queerness in all my books often mirrors their external, terrifying conflict, and the story simply wouldn’t work without the queer identity of the characters. My perhaps less selfish answer is that it is important for all marginalized people and all types of voices to be represented in children’s literature. My writing focuses on queer, neurodivergent, and disabled identities, and my ultimate goal is for people who related to those experiences to be able to see a piece of themselves in these characters and feel a little less alone. It is greatly important for queer kids, and especially trans and nonbinary kids and teens, to be able to see themselves reflected in stories where they are the heroes, they are defeating the monsters and bad guys, and they are surviving. That is ultimately who I am writing for, but I also believe it is just as important for cis and straight kids to read these stories (as well as a variety of books with different perspectives as them) to understand points of views that they do not have and develop empathy. I’ve heard from some straight/cis readers that while they didn’t identity with Bianca’s queer experience, they could relate to their anxiety or struggle to really fit in and know themselves, and I think that is important in a political climate where queer and especially trans people are constantly attacked and made out to be an “other.” It is important for me to contribute to the queer canon of kidlit, not only because it is what I know, but because it is what I wish I had readily available growing up.
A lot of my readers are on the path to publication. Do you have any advice for folks just starting that journey?
I know it is the answer everyone gives, but the biggest thing is to not give up. I was in the query trenches for seven years with eight different manuscripts and didn’t get an agent (and resulting book deal) until my ninth. So I’m saying that as someone who wanted to give up. And when I would get advice like what I am giving, I’d be a little jaded and upset like ok, glad it worked out for you but clearly that’s not happening for me so how does this help??? I’m here to say all those feelings are valid but also, I truly believe that if you keep writing and keep at it, you will get to publication the way you want to. It’s just that there are so many different paths and some of us really have to go through the ringer before we get there. (And even then, there will be other stressors and goal posts that seem impossible to reach, unfortunately.) My other pieces of advice are as follows: 1) find a small group of people you can vent to that are either also going through it or have gone through it. Publishing can feel very lonely sometimes and it can make a world of difference to have a few select people you can reach out to when you need to whine or wallow or any of those things. While some larger groups can be beneficial for information shares, I’d advise against getting too personal with and complaining to people you aren’t sure you can trust. 2) if you can, have a hobby that is NOT something you want to profit off and doesn’t rely on the opinion of others for you to do it. For me, that’s why I love having Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. My coaches aren’t going to be like “oof, we actually already have three one-stripe blue belts, so no stripes for you” or “that was a great arm bar, it just felt a little too immature and didn’t really do anything new, you know?” I show up, I get better, I’m in control of my growth. That can be so helpful to mental health when so much of publishing feels out of your hands. Lastly (because I’m already probably taking too long to answer) 3) find inspiration wherever it finds you. Read in your genre, or out of it. Read comics or listen to podcasts. Watch movies or anime or just go out and do what makes you happy. There is no one right way to study story, so go with whatever makes you the most excited to work on yours.
What are you working on now, and what’s next for readers of your work?
My next YA comedic mystery, ONE KILLER PROBLEM, which follows Gigi, a chaotic bisexual with IBS and an attitude, who comes across the body of her favorite math teacher and enlists the help of her cozy-mystery-obsessed best friends to crack the case, releases June 4th, 2024. (Ed. Note. Literally give me this book right now, please, thanks.) I think this one is similar to Bianca Torre in tone but with a very different protagonist, so I hope Bianca fans will still relate a lot to Gigi’s journey (or at least be very entertained by her). I also have a short story in Alex Brown’s YA horror anthology, THE HOUSE WHERE DEATH LIVES, out next August, which I am super excited about. On the Middle Grade side, my spooky fantasy debut, THE OTHERWOODS, is out now and has some similar themes to Bianca Torre and a wonderful cat sidekick named Mr. Fluffy Pancakes, so I would love readers to check that one out. I will also have another spooky fantasy MG out next fall, more info to come on that soon. For all updates, you can check out my website, www.justinepucellawinans.com, subscribe to my newsletter (link on website or linktree) or follow me on Instagram (I’m elsewhere as well, but most active there).
If you could have any superpower in the world, what would it be and why?
I would say the ability to stop time so I could actually be caught up on all my webcomics, manga, and TBR for once in my life haha
Bonus question: Have you ever taken a picture of a weird bird?
Most of my weird animal pictures are of my cats, Jasper and Twinklepop. (Ed. Note. We can definitely relate.)
Please look for Justine Pucella Winans on their website here.
Finnian Burnett 