The ur-sick kid tragedy porn.

If you grew up in the 90s, chances are good you crossed paths with Lurlene McDaniel, the queen of teen lit tragedy porn. While starting from a genuinely good place, wanting to help sick kids feel seen after her young son was diagnosed with diabetes, her career mostly involved biting off waaaaaaaay more than she could chew and fitting just about every debilitating physical illness under the sun into a very pat and very Christian formula. And along the way her books grew a predominant audience of able-bodied middle school goths with a voyeuristic interest in death (trust us, we know).

CONTENT WARNING for discussion of misogyny, racism, homophobia, chronic illness, and the death of children

1:00 Personal History
3:00 Drinks
5:00 YA History
11:00 Responsibility Hats
19:00 Cancer Camp
24:00 The Evil Fiancee
28:00 Marley
37:00 Voyeurism
43:00 BOYS AND BABIES
53:00 Saint Sandy
59:00 That Gay Subtext

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