From: Kathleen Horning <horning>
Date: Mon, 08 Jun 1998 13:34:12 -0500

Thanks, Cindi O'Connor, for giving us some early insights into a young reader's views of "Smack." And thanks to all of you other readers for sharing your first impressions and posing questions for others to consider. You've made my job as facilitator so easy, this first week. I'd like to especially acknowledge the contributions of Michael Thorn for letting us in on some of the publishing history of "Junk" and how it was first received in the U.K. We'll hear more from Michael as the month progresses.

I'd like to return to a point that was raised last week by Karen Simonetti in response to John Peters. Karen mentioned the distance we as readers feel from the characters and their stories. Do you think young readers will feel the same distance, or will they identify with Tar and Gemma? A lot of people have expressed a personal dislike for Gemma; I wonder if teen readers will have the same impression of her as adult readers?

Cindi (and any others who have shared "Smack" with teens), please keep us posted!

Kathleen Horning

 

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Received on Mon 08 Jun 1998 01:34:12 PM CDT