For many, Chris Colfer will always be Kurt Hummel, the confident, fashion-conscious countertenor of Glee’s titular Glee Club. But, to a generation of young readers, Colfer is the author of the beloved The Land Of Stories book series that continues to grow thanks to the release of prequel novel A Tale Of Magic on October 1. And while Colfer’s days of singing and dancing on a network dramedy may be long behind him, he seems content to live in both worlds, even if it means younger fans will sometimes tell him he, “looks like that guy from Glee.” We spoke with Colfer ahead of A Tale Of Magic’s release, and he explained why it was important to him that the themes of his series reach Middle Grade readers, and shared some of the lessons he’s learned from his young readership. That day also happened to be the ten-year anniversary of Glee’s “Preggers” episode—in which Kurt joins the football team and comes out to his father—so we couldn’t resist walking down memory lane and discussing the show’s legacy of LGBTQ representation.