To celebrate Pride and the start of summer, Litquake and Lit Camp are devoting this edition of our "How They Did It" series to authors whose fantastic new books are perfect additions to your beach bag and carry-on this summer and beyond!
From heartfelt coming-of-age tales to pulse-pounding thrillers, from magical fantasy to romantic comedy, all their books place queer characters front and center, giving them the epic adventures and happily-ever-afters they deserve. Authors Jonathan Parks-Ramage (It's Not the End of the World), Renee Swindle (Francine's Spectacular Crash-and-Burn), Edward Underhill (The In-Between Bookstore and In Case You Read This) and Shoshana von Blanckensee (Girls Girls Girls) will be joined by moderator Dominic Lim (Karaoke Queen). Fill your summer reading list with a much-needed infusion of queer joy!
We'll gather at Page Street Co-Working in San Francisco, where in addition to the conversation, we'll enjoy time for casual networking. We'll be pouring Prosecco, wine, and fancy nonalcoholic drinks. Proceeds from ticket sales will support both LitCamp and Litquake.
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About the Speakers
Jonathan Parks-Ramage is a Los Angeles–based novelist, playwright, screenwriter and journalist. His critically acclaimed debut novel Yes, Daddy (HarperCollins) was named one of the best queer books of 2021 by Entertainment Weekly, NBC News, The Advocate, Lambda Literary, Bustle, Goodreads and more. Yes, Daddy was also optioned for television by Amazon Studios. His second novel, It's Not the End of the World (Bloomsbury), will be released in the summer of 2025.
Renée Swindle received her MFA in creative writing from San Diego State University, where she taught both composition and creative writing. Her latest novel is Francine's Spectacular Crash and Burn. She lives in Oakland.
Edward Underhill grew up in the suburbs of Wisconsin, where he could not walk to anything, so he had to make up his own adventures. He studied music in college, spent several years living in very small apartments in New York, and currently resides in California with his partner and a talkative black cat. He is the author of three young adult novels, Always the Almost, This Day Changes Everything, and In Case You Read This (publishing May 2025) and a book for adults, The In-Between Bookstore.
Shoshana von Blanckensee lives in Berkeley with her partner and kids. She is an Oncology Nurse by day, and a writer by any available moment. Girls Girls Girls is her debut novel.
Dominic Lim (moderator), author most recently of Karaoke Queen, has enjoyed a lifelong love affair with music. He holds a master’s from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, is an alum of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and has sung with numerous professional choral ensembles. As a proud member of the Actors’ Equity Association, he has performed Off-Broadway and in regional productions throughout the US. Lim supports his local writing community as a member of the Writers Grotto and as a co-host of San Francisco’s Babylon Salon. He lives in Oakland with his loving and supportive partner, Peter, and their whiny cat, Phoebe.
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About Litquake
Since being founded by Jane Ganahl and Jack Boulware in 1999, Litquake has hosted 10,500 authors for 275,000 attendees and distributed 12,000 free books to San Francisco schoolchildren. With over 225 literary partners, Litquake functions more than ever as an umbrella organization stitching together the Bay Area’s literary scene. In its lively, diverse and inclusive celebration of San Francisco’s thriving contemporary literary scene, Litquake, which enters its second quarter-century in 2025, seeks to foster an interest in literature, perpetuate a sense of literary community, and provides a forum for Bay Area writing as a complement to the city’s music, film, and cultural festivals.
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About LitCamp
LitCamp exists to help writers hone their craft, navigate the world of publishing, and find community. Each year, the organization holds two conferences at the stunning Bell Valley Retreat Center in Mendocino County: one focused on craft, the other on the business of being a writer. Lit Nights events, held at the Page Street co-working space in San Francisco, give emerging writers the opportunity to read their work in front of an audience. LitCamp's in-person and online classes, taught by published writers and experienced instructors, help writers develop their craft. Retreats, held at some of the most secluded and beautiful locations in Northern California, give writers the time and space they need to write.
