Date Me, Bryson Keller(73)
The guidance counselor in this book was purposely written to be hopeless at her job. If that feels true to life for you, and you’re looking for something more helpful, I urge you to read “Coming out of the Closet: Some Resources to Aid the Process” (huffpost.com/?entry/?coming-out-resources_n_4085658). James Nichols and the rest of the team at Huffpost Queer Voices wrote this wonderful article and compiled numerous resources not only for LGBTQ+ youth but also for parents and allies. Please remember that coming out is totally up to you. You get to decide when you want to.
Coming out is an important decision—life-changing, even—which is why I wanted this book to be more than a love story with a happy ending; I wanted it to be a coming-out narrative. I’m a firm believer that stories of this nature will always be needed because there will always be a teen faced with the daunting task of coming out. I’d love for a teen like that to pick up this book and feel seen—feel understood.
For so long, gays have been banished as background characters or cast as the main character’s best friend for comedic relief. And when I think back to the rom-coms I grew up on around the late nineties, most of the characters were White and heterosexual. Those movies made it seem as if only people who looked like that or loved like that deserved love stories. So I wanted this book to show that a lead who is gay and of mixed race can have a love story that could be described as epic.
I’d like to end this note by thanking those who’ve inspired me in the writing of Date Me, Bryson Keller. These authors, filmmakers, and other creators are crafting diverse stories about teens, sparking ideas, and inspiring a new generation of writers to tell stories with authentic representation. Such stories are woven into the tapestry of this novel. I owe a great debt to all of them, including the Norwegian web series Skam (particularly season 3), To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (as well as the film adaption, Love, Simon), the manga Seven Days: Monday–Sunday by author Venio Tachibana and illustrator Rihito Takarai, and the ’90s rom-com She’s All That. Date Me, Bryson Keller is my #ownvoices take on these prior works.
Representation matters, and to all those who have inspired me, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I hope this book can inspire another writer to tell their story—to write their response. We must continue to push forward, to demand that our stories be told with authenticity and care. The readers of the world deserve it. Children growing up deserve to see themselves as heroes, whether slaying dragons, saving the world, or simply falling in love.
We deserve to be loved, supported, and accepted.
We deserve to be happy. Always.
Acknowledgments
Writing a book should be considered a team sport. As such, I have so many people to thank. Forgive me if this section runs long, but having the opportunity to even write this feels surreal. I’ve always loved reading acknowledgments, and I can’t believe I’m sitting down to write my own. Be warned: I will repeat the words thank you no less than a bazillion times, and it still may not be enough. I will also mean it. Every. Single. Time.
First and foremost, thanks go to Mom and Dad, the best parents ever! Thank you for believing in me and for encouraging me to chase my dreams, no matter what anyone else said. Your unwavering support and love have made this book possible. I truly lucked out in the parent lottery.
To Shane, the best big brother in the world: Thank you for always having my back. I’m pretty sure you’d help me bury a body, too. To Charné, the best sister-in-law in the world (seriously, you’re practically just my sister at this point): Thank you for the encouragement and for always being willing to read everything I write. Thank you for helping me fancast my books too. To my nieces and nephew, who are too young to read this: Just know that I’m thankful to you, too. I love you so much more than words can say.
Thank you to the rest of my family—those still here and those who have passed. You’ve witnessed me chasing after this dream for years. Thank you for your words of encouragement. It took me a few years to get here, but thank you for always believing that I would.
To my best friend, Naadira: When the expression ride or die is thrown around, I think of you. We’ve been friends now for close to a decade, and I’ve loved every moment of it. Thanks for the laughs and the memories. I know that without you my life would be dull and incomplete. You’re my first fan, always willing to read my books—thank you, thank you, thank you. Long live “Kevra.”
To Saira: You know I can’t call you my best friend because your sister might smack me, but know that I have loved spending every moment with you, too. Your wit and honesty are truly highlights in my life. And to the rest of the Moodley family: Thank you for being a second family to me. When I say I’m part of the furniture, we know that I mean it.
To the Fourth-Row Rejects—or whatever we’re calling ourselves now: Thank you for being weird and wonderful with me. Temara Prem, Allan Convery, and Darren Jaynarayan, film school and my life would be a lot less meaningful without you. I can’t believe our group chat has been active since 2013. I think that’s when we met. (Is that right? You know I’m bad at math.) Special thanks to Allan for the deep-cut convos and for being my buddy in misery and hope. Here’s to us adulting and figuring stuff out! We got this, friends!