Jane Severance | |
|---|---|
 Severance in 2017 | |
| Born | 1957 (age 66–67) Moscow, Idaho, U.S. |
| Occupation | Writer, educator |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Notable works | When Megan Went Away (1979) |
Jane Severance (born 1957) is an American author of children's literature and an educator. She has published three books for young readers, including her first work, When Megan Went Away (1979), the first children's picture book to include LGBT characters.
Severance grew up in Idaho before coming out as a lesbian and moving to Denver to study early childhood education. There, she became involved with the local lesbian feminist community. Her works, all of which include lesbian characters, deal with parental separation (When Megan Went Away), non-nuclear communal parenting (Lots of Mommies, 1983), and parental alcoholism (Ghost Pains, 1992). Scholars of children's literature have described Severance's works as unique and honest portrayals of lesbian life that differ in tone from the portrayals in many other picture books with LGBT characters.