Word of South countdown: Author Ginny Sain weaves coming-of-age magic into stories
The 2024 Word of South Festival of Literature and Music is coming up April 26-28 in Cascades Park. This year’s lineup includes author Ginny Myers Sain, a Florida based author of YA, or Young Adult literature. YA refers to a target audience of teen readers, however YA has grown in popularity and is widely enjoyed by adult readers.
Sain enjoys creating dark, tangled, mysterious stories that exist in the in-between spaces where magic feels most possible. Sara Marchessault, director of the Word of South Festival, a professor at Tallahassee Community College, is the curator of a long to-be-read list that includes plenty of magical and mysterious titles.
Sain answers a few questions from Marchessault ahead of the festival.
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Q: What makes YA different from other types of fiction?
A: The main thing is that it's told from the point of view of a teen protagonist. No matter their genre, at their heart, YA books tend to be what we think of as "coming of age" stories. These are stories about young people trying to figure out who they are and what their place is in the world.
And honestly, we're all still trying to figure out those things, no matter where we are in life. So, I think that's why YA also appeals to so many adult readers. Statistics show that about 50 percent of people reading young adult books are teens and the other 50 percent are actually grown-ups, so these books have huge appeal to readers of all ages.
Q: Why have you chosen to write YA?
A: I spent many years working very closely with teens in the theatre as a director and acting teacher, so I really got to know that age group. I was so blown away by their passion, energy, and devotion to their craft, and their absolute loyalty to each other. Those were just the voices I heard in my head, so I knew I wanted to write for and about them. It's such an exciting time in life, but also terrifying. You're poised right on the brink of something that might be amazing, but also feels so scary. Who wouldn't want to write about that? There's so much drama there.
Q: What can readers expect from picking up a YA title?
A: You can expect a great story! YA books aren't simplified or easier than adult books. It's the opposite, really. YA books reflect all the complexity of life, told from the point of view of a protagonist who's perched right on the edge of everything. These are complicated stories about complicated characters, and they run the full range from light, fluffy romcoms to really dark and terrifying thrillers (like I write) and everything in between.
'Mu-aushup' on Sunday
Sain will be appearing at Word of South in one of the festival's “mu-aushup” performances at 3 p.m. Sunday on the Cascades Stage. Word of South uses the phrase “mu-aushup” to describe a unique pairing of an author and musician.
Sain will be joined on stage by Tallahassee singer/songwriter Sofia Camille. Sain’s dark, twisty mysteries paired with Camille’s sounds, which range from soul to folk, will be a performance you won’t want to miss. For the full lineup and schedule visit wordofsouthfestival.com.
If you go
What: The 2024 Word of South Festival of Literature and Music, April 26-28
When: Ginny Myers Sain/Sophia Camille at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 28
Where: Cascades Stage, Cascades Park
Details: For the schedule visit wordofsouthfestival.com
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: YA author Ginny Myers Sain matches with songwriter at Word of South
