In this week’s liberty lit: finding comfort in bad books, steampunk and gender identity, an interview with Michelle Tea, a “photographer of books” and the best place to discover new poetry.

“I am glad to be here with you in 2012. But I am glad someone was there in 1950.”

NPR’s list of Top 100 Choices For Best Teen Novels lacked proper queeriosity. Thus we present our top 20 picks for Queer Teen Novels For Girls.

Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus (“The Nanny Diaries”) re-imagine the story of how Britney Spears ended up under her father’s permanent legal control in their new novel.

In which five of us talk about our favorite poet ever. “Those of us who think we know / the same secrets / are silent together most of the time.”