In this chapter, listeners will learn all about the history of YA literature from those who know it best — its scholars. Together, Chris Crowe, Roberta Trites, Jon Ostenson, and Robert Petrone have over five decades of experience in the field. Each of them has done groundbreaking research on the topic and been some of the first to do in-depth critical analyses on these books. They come with a wealth of knowledge, and they are so much fun to chat with!

Below each episode description you will find each scholars’ cited work, including a link to read the article(s) and/or purchase the book. To access the episode, click the title.

Episode 2: A Brief History Before Diving In

On this episode, I give a brief history of YA literature. This episode serves as a base for larger topics that we will discuss in full with our scholars. To get a complete overview of the history of YA, the origins of adolescence, and why, historically, YA has not been considered a “serious” area of study, click the link above to read my scholarship. For referenced material, head to the paper linked above.

Episode 3: What Is Young Adult Literature? With Chris Crowe

On this episode, we have Chris Crowe, a professor at Brigham Young University. Professor Crowe has been working in Young Adult literature for over three decades. He brings a wealth of knowledge to this conversation, which covers attempts to define YA, key aspects of YA books, teaching YA, the category today and more.
Articles referenced in episode:
“Young Adult Literature: What Is Young Adult Literature?” (1998)
“Young Adult Literature: The Problem with YA Literature”  (2001)

Episode 4: Historicizing and Theorizing Young Adult Literature with Dr. Roberta Seelinger Trites

On this episode of What Is YA Anyway? I’m joined by Roberta Seelinger Trites, a distinguished professor from Illinois State University. Roberta brings with her incredible knowledge of the history of Young Adult literature and what separates it from the larger umbrella of Adolescent Literature. She is also one of the prominent theorists in the YA field. This conversation includes discussions on important aspects of YA and how we can theorize on those books just like we do with canonical literature.
Articles and books referenced in episode:
Disturbing the Universe Power and Repression in Adolescent Literature (2010)
Literary Conceptualizations of Growth: Metaphors and Cognition in Adolescent Literature (2014)
“Cognitive Narratology and Adolescent Fiction” (2017)
“Becoming, Mattering, and ‘Knowing in Being’ in Feminist Novels for the Young” (2018)

Episode 5: Dystopia and Popular Genres with Jon Ostenson

On this episode of What Is YA Anyway? I talk with Jon Ostenson, an associate professor at Brigham Young University, about genre fiction within YA, specifically YA dystopian fiction. We talk about the roots of YA dystopia, why the genre appeals to readers, dystopia of the 2010s, and how to critically analyze these texts. We also explore why a genre rises to popularity at a certain time and societies’ reflection in their popular/youth culture.
Article referenced in episode:
“Understanding the Appeal of Dystopian Young Adult Fiction” (2013)

Episode 6: The Youth Lens with Robert Petrone

On this episode of What Is YA Anyway? I speak with Robert Petrone, a professor at The University of Missouri, about The Youth Lens. The Youth Lens is an analytical framework that asks us to investigate how age is being represented. We talk about why this theoretical framework is particularly effective when studying YA, the construction of adolescence and more!
Article referenced in episode:
“The Youth Lens” (2014)

Head to Chapter Three: The Authors.