65
Austen, 17, sits by a bonfire with his
parents in South Dakota. Austen
has loved storytelling ever since
he was a kid, when he and his dad
would tell each other scary stories
on walks, “popcorning off of each
other.” Now, with dreams of being
an author, he makes a point of
fighting stereotypes by representing
diverse genders and sexualities
in his writing—including a book
project already in progress.