Teghan Hammond and Mel Hammond are sisters who grew up punching each other whenever they saw a P.T. Cruiser, dying their hair blue together, and fabricating a fake band in which their middle brother was (allegedly) the lead singer. Writing Lucy, Uncensored was their first time co-writing. Unless you count the summer they spent scribbling down recipes for the strangest sandwiches you’ve ever heard of, like the Tax Exemption Wrap (Teghan) and the Nail Gun Sandwich (Mel).
Today, Teghan lives in northern Indiana, where she drinks excessive amounts of coffee and volunteers for LGBTQIA+ causes. When she’s not tearing down gender norms, Teghan is probably watching cartoons or gaming. Mel lives in Madison, Wisconsin, where she writes books in a rainbow-painted room. Besides writing, she loves walking in the woods and eating dairy-free ice cream. Between the two of them, Teghan and Mel have four adorable cats.
SE: “Lucy, Uncensored” explores gender identity and self-expression through a road trip narrative. What inspired you to choose this particular storytelling format for addressing these themes?
M&T: We wanted Lucy’s story to be full of fun, silliness, and trans joy. And what could be more fun than jamming to a road trip playlist, eating sour gummy worms, and stopping at a kitschy cheese shop with your BFF? But the road trip narrative serves a deeper purpose, too. One of the big decisions Lucy has to make is whether to stay close to home after high school or move somewhere totally unfamiliar. For a trans teenager eager for a fresh start, a road trip to a faraway college offers Lucy a chance to introduce herself on her own terms, without any of the baggage she carries around back home.
SE: As sisters co-authoring this book, how did your collaborative process work? Were there any unique challenges or benefits to writing together, especially given the personal nature of the subject matter?
M&T: Our co-writing process was pretty wild. We started writing Lucy’s story in 2017 when Teghan was serving time in an Indiana state prison. Teghan would handwrite chapters and mail them to Mel in state-issued envelopes. Mel would type up the pages and send back her own chapters via the clunky prison email system, which would deliver the messages hours, days, or weeks later, always out of order. Co-writing was a way for us to connect during that incredibly difficult period.
Writing together helped us connect in new ways we never expected. At the end of her chapters, Teghan would write about the personal stories that inspired what she’d written about, like when she painted her nails in high school and was called gay slurs because of it. Mel found herself opening up, too, such as about times she wished she’d been a better ally to Teghan. The process brought us closer together than ever.
SE: The story follows Lucy Myers and her best friend Callie Katz on their journey to explore a women’s college. How did you approach writing the dynamic between these two characters, and what role does their friendship play in Lucy’s journey of self-discovery?
M&T: Since we couldn’t spend time together in person, writing about Lucy and Callie’s adventures became a way for us to spend time together, living vicariously through our characters. Lucy is inspired by Teghan, and she’s the more contemplative, thoughtful, deliberate character of the pair. Callie is inspired by Mel, and she’s more loud, impulsive, and carefree. They balance each other out well, just like Teghan and Mel do in real life.
Lucy and Callie’s friendship is central to the story. When the book opens, they’re obsessed with the Dream: going to college together, being roommates, and studying theater. Their friendship becomes strained when the Dream loses its shine for Lucy. Will their friendship survive if they don’t end up at the same school?
Callie’s friendship is really invaluable in Lucy’s journey. It is too easy to grow up feeling like you’re the only trans person in existence. When there aren’t people who share your experience, an ally and best friend is the person who will hear you out and validate your feelings. Callie may not fully know what Lucy’s journey feels like, but is there every step of the way to support Lucy’s self-discovery and growth.
SE: Your book tackles the “thorny process of figuring out where you fit after high school as an out-and-proud transgender” individual. What research or personal experiences informed your portrayal of this transition period?
M&T: The transition aspects are inspired by Teghan’s personal experience as a trans person. In her first year of college, Teghan spent a lot of time with other queer people, exploring her own identity and trying to reconcile that with the stigmas she had internalized for years. The following summer, she was able to intern in Seattle and attend her first ever Pride celebration. Hours away from anyone who knew her past, it was the first time she experienced real trans joy. That experience let Teghan return to the midwest with new courage, a new sense of self, and a mission to be out and proud in all aspects of her life.
SE: The concept of finding a place where one can “finally be” themselves is central to the story. How does the women’s college setting contribute to this theme, and what message do you hope readers take away about creating inclusive spaces?
M&T: Lucy wonders if a women’s college environment will help cement her identity as a woman in the eyes of her classmates. (Though she learns it is not quite so simple – she meets a trans man and non-binary student on campus for example, so not all students are women.) But the college turns out to be a hub for activism, where the students make demands for the inclusive spaces they want and deserve. We hope that readers feel empowered by the activism scenes in this book and are inspired to demand inclusivity in the spaces they inhabit.
SE: As authors, what do you hope “Lucy, Uncensored” will contribute to the growing body of literature featuring transgender protagonists, and how do you see it impacting readers, both within and outside the LGBTQ+ community?
M&T: We’re so proud that our book can now sit on the shelf with other YA lit featuring transgender protagonists: books by Kacen Callender, Naomi Kanakia, Peyton Thomas, Akwaeke Emezi, Magdelene Visaggio, Aiden Thomas, and so many others.
We hope that Lucy, Uncensored can help young queer people find their truth and let older queer readers heal their inner child. For all readers, both within and outside the LGBTQ+ community, we hope the book can inspire folks to find or create spaces where they can express their full selves, plus be fearlessly and selflessly supportive of their friends.
Interview: SHELF ESCAPE
