Author and award-winning journalist Nico Lang appeared at an April 23 DePaul University reading and conversation with E3 Radio and and Queer News podcast host Anna DeShawn to discuss Lang’s new national bestseller and 2025 Stonewall Book Award Honoree book American Teenager: How Trans Kids Are Surviving Hate and Finding Joy in a Turbulent Era.
DePaul University College of Communication Professor Paul Booth introduced Lang as a “star alum,” at the event, which was sponsored by Women and Children First bookstore.
American Teenager focuses on seven families of trans and nonbinary youth in seven different states, all of whom Lang spent time with and interviewed to get a sense of their daily lives over about three weeks.
DeShawn started with a call out and response of the word “family” that she uses when she creates any content or hosts her podcast to “ground me that we’re here understanding that we are in this together. That the world is on fire. And that we get to celebrate somebody like Nico who helps us extinguish some of the blades that are happening all around us.”
Lang shared that they traveled to Sioux Falls, South Dakota to speak to Wyatt; Birmingham, Alabama to speak to Rhydian; Charleston, West Virginia to speak to Mykah; Houston, Texas to speak to Ruby; a Chicago suburb to speak to Clint; Pensacola, Florida to speak to Augie and Jack; and Torrance, California to speak to Kylie. Lang had previously spoken to Rhydian for a Rolling Stone article.
DeShawn asked why Lang chose those locations. Lang said they “wanted to locate this book in the sense of space. It’s very much like a travelography of all of these places in these different communities across the country, and I wanted communities that felt really different from each other.”
Lang said that the youths will always be in their heart and said that they were “so grateful” that the parents trusted them and opened up to them everywhere they went. They shared that there will be a paperback version of the book with updates on all the families, and responses to the “dumb frequently asked questions that I get,” including an answer to why there were no tragic stories in the book.
What surprised Lang the most was how self-aware these trans youths are about themselves and the world around them. Lang said it was important to showcase how idiosyncratic their interview subjects are, and that they are weird, funny and messy.
Lang said their goal was to showcase stories that hadn’t been told about trans youth because they “were hungry for that. I was hungry to expand representation… and I’m so bored with trauma” stories that dominated the landscape while they were growing up.
DeShawn asked Lang about their journalistic approach to their book and why they shifted from writing articles for publications to writing a book.
Lang said that since the journalism landscape has changed so much, they did not have a choice because there are “so few opportunities” out there. They added that they have proven themselves repeatedly as a journalist and they want to use their “resources, talents and skills” to continue to do this work in whatever way possible to earn a living and that includes their new podcast, Queer News Daily.
“We’re in this moment where I can’t afford to let people not pay attention,” said Lang. “We can’t afford to let people not engage. Because it’s these kids’ lives that are at stake … This [book] is my sanity and self-care.”
Lang has gone to 30 states for this book tour and are planning on going to all 50 states. They also said they want to break the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest book tour.