Kristen Arnett is a queer novelist and librarian who was born in Orlando and still lives there. Her debut novel, Mostly Dead Things, was a New York Times bestseller, and With Teeth was a Lambda Literary Award finalist. Her 2025 novel, Stop Me If You've Heard This One, follows a queer aquarium worker who wants to become a professional clown. In August 2026 she gave keynote talks when the Golden Crown Literary Society brought its sapphic literature conference to Orlando.