Author talks at the San Marcos Public Library

The San Marcos Public Library will host two author talks next week that will feature author Jessica Soukup discussing being an educated ally for transgender and gender diverse people and Dr. John Lasser talking about developing positive relationships and psychology in children.

Activist and author of “He/She/They - Us,” Jessica Soukup will be doing a presentation on Sept. 24 from 7 - 8:30 p.m. about being an ally for transgender people. Soukup, a transgender woman, wrote the book when she was going through the process of transitioning in 2016. She said one of the things that can be an obstacle for those coming out is the constant questioning and misinformation.

“Coming out as transgender isn’t something that happens overnight. It takes time. When I was young, for all of those years I didn’t understand what was wrong. I knew something was wrong, but I didn’t understand it,”  Soukup said. “And one of the things that is so challenging for people that are transgender is that when they start telling people they are transgender, they are expected to be an expert on everything trans. Everybody has  questions and they are all looking for this person to have the answers, when they're really just trying to find themselves.”

According to Soukup, coming out as transgender can be a painful process that involves a lot of loss –  losses of family, friends and even healthcare and jobs in certain circumstances – and those societal implications have led to higher suicide rates among LGBTQ youth and adults. But having educated and open LGBTQ allies can help change those statistics, according to Soukup. 

Her book is a short read, but covers everything from pronouns and perspectives of transgender people to ways to be supportive of the transgender and gender diverse people in your life. 

“When I wrote it, I was thinking of my parents, my 78 year-old parents. I wanted to make something that they would be able to read and sit down and just take in.”

Soukup’s presentation will be followed by a question and answer session. Her book is available for checkout at the San Marcos Public Library, the Texas State University Alkek Library and is available on Amazon.com for sale.

Psychologist and Texas State University Professor Dr. John Lasser will give an interactive talk on using children's books to promote social and emotional learning on Sept. 26 from 7 - 8 p.m. at the library. This event is ideal for parents, teachers and caregivers who are interested in helping children develop greater self-awareness, self-regulation and empathy.

Lasser’s talk will center on his two children’s books  – “Grow Happy” and “Grow Grateful” – that he co-wrote with his daughter Sage Foster-Lasser, who is a psychology major at the University of Texas, and one book for parents raising children in the age of technology – “Tech Generation: Raising Balanced Kids in a Hyper-connected World,” that he co-wrote with Dr. Mike Brooks, a friend and colleague that Lasser met in graduate school.

Lasser’s children’s book are published by Magination Press, an initiative by the American Psychological Association. They publish biblio-therapy books for children, that help children deal with challenges and problems they face growing up. But Lasser noticed a gap in the Magination’s catalog, positive psychology, more specifically how to develop positive emotions and wellness in children.

“The first book ‘Grow Happy’ is about a child that tries to cultivate a garden, but also her own happiness by making good choices, by taking the perspective of others and by taking time to relax,” Lasser said.

After they released “Grow Happy” in February 2017, Magination invited Lasser and his daughter to write a follow up book and that is where “Grow Grateful” began – which will release Oct. 15. 

“We really wanted to get away from teaching kids to say ‘thank you’ because it’s the polite thing to do, and really emphasize the feeling of gratitude and authentically expressing it instead of just manners,” Lasser said. “There is some research that supports the idea that gratitude makes us happier and healthier, that when we take time to reflect on the things we’re grateful for, it helps us feel better. So there is a direct link to practicing gratitude and wellness.”

The books also emphasize that people don’t always feel happy, and that’s OK, which according to Lasser, helps teach kids coping skills when things are hard.

“Some things are hard to talk about, books can provide a conduit or vehicle for that conversation,"Lasser said. "Parents will tell me that their kids reference back to books they’ve read and say things like ‘I’m making a good choice just like Kiko did in her garden.’ I think there is a lasting impact.”

Lasser’s book “Tech Generation: Raising Balanced Kids in a Hyper-connected World,” deals with responsible management of technology with kids. His book deals in specific strategies that parents can use to help reduce screen time and screen dependency and teach kids how to develop their own self regulation. The book does not promise a quick fix, but evidence-based parenting strategies that can be applied to technology use.

Lasser said screentime dependency is a pervasive issue for children now days. He jokes that the tagline for the book is “This is a book for any adult that knows a child.”

“I think that the technology companies would like us to believe that all of this tech makes us happier, more productive, entertained, but there’s not a lot of evidence to support that we’re any happier now than we were before,” Lassersaid. “I think what generally makes us happy is our interpersonal relationships and our connections to people and that’s the foundation of our model. If you want to influence your children, it’s through a high-quality relationship, not through punishments and restrictions.”

For more information about the upcoming author talks go to the library’s website.