Caroline Huntoon (they/them) is a non-binary storyteller and educator and the author of Skating on Mars and the forth-coming Linus and Etta Could Use a Win (2024) and Piper Goes Overboard (2025), all from Feiwel and Friends/Macmillan. By day they work as an English teacher and theater director, and by night they write stories for young people about loss, identity, and friendship that validate their messy and wonderful lives. Find out more about Caroline and their work at carolinehuntoon.com. Rapunzel Reads: Too often, in the debate about trans kids in sports, nonbinary kids get forgotten entirely--but Skating on Mars filled this gap with all the determination and righteous anger I could wish for. What inspired Mars's journey against this unforgiving backdrop, and what would you suggest to young people facing the same challenges as them? Caroline Huntoon: We have to acknowledge that there are systems in our world that don’t work for everyone. Sometimes, it’s hard for people to see that—particularly if they are benefiting from those systems. With Skating on Mars, I | Author photo credit: Hannah Holland |
wanted to paint a very clear picture of a time when a system in our world works against nonbinary kids, and I wanted to give my main character as much agency and voice as I possibly could. I really hope that this story reminds young people of their own power and allows them to see themselves as agents to change while still recognizing that change is often slower than we would like. RR: What inspired Skating on Mars? CH: Every month, I make a concept map of things that I’m thinking about—quotes, stories, tropes, random animals, tarot cards, whatever! A lot of my book ideas come from grabbing a few of those things and mixing them together. Skating on Mars combines figure skating, working through grief, the music of David Bowie, and exploring gender expression — all things that were on one of those concept maps. RR: What's your favorite thing about being an author? |