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Autobiography: Looking Back by Lois Lowry
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From: Kathleen Horning <horning>
Date: Wed, 07 Apr 1999 18:03:39 -0500
Ruth, thanks for mentioning the Tomi Ungerer autobiography as another addition to the growing body of author/artist memoirs created for young readers. It's interesting to consider this one in light of the other three works ("No Pretty Pictures" by Lobel; "Looking Back" by Lois Lowry; and "Knots in My Yo-Yo String" by Jerry Spinelli) we've been discussing this month, since Ungerer was their contemporary, as well.
After reading over the messages posted over the past week or so on the topic of author/artist autobiographies, it seems that one could draw a distinction between the sort of book written by Anita Lobel, which is more of a straightforward autobiographical account, and the ones written by Lowry and Spinelli which shed light on occurrences in their lives that have a direct correlation to the books they write today for children.
Let's turn our attention now to "Looking Back" by Lois Lowry. In addition to the things that have already been mentioned about it, I'd like to add that I appreciate
how accessible it is. Each photograph is accompanied by a brief account, usually no more than a couple of paragraphs, in which the author recalls something from her own past. Readers can enter into the book at any point, rather like a photo album ? it invites you to browse. But one is quickly drawn in and, in looking at the book more closely, one can see an underlying complexity. The entries are not arranged in strict chronological order, but the order makes perfect sense, as Lowry links memories and events, just as we do in real life. One observation or memory triggers another.
It's clear from reading "Looking Back" that Lowry has a remarkable memory of her childhood, not just the events but how she felt about them and what was important to her at the time. I think this is evident in her novels for children as well, as the points of view of her young protagonists are always credible and ring true to child readers. Much of "Looking Back" made me think of one of her early novels, "Autumn Street," in which she writes from the perspective of a six-year-old girl. As a whole, "Looking Back" made me want to go back and reread everything I've ever read by Lois Lowry, with all these details in mind.
Kathleen Horning Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education University of Wiscosnin-Madison
Received on Wed 07 Apr 1999 06:03:39 PM CDT
Date: Wed, 07 Apr 1999 18:03:39 -0500
Ruth, thanks for mentioning the Tomi Ungerer autobiography as another addition to the growing body of author/artist memoirs created for young readers. It's interesting to consider this one in light of the other three works ("No Pretty Pictures" by Lobel; "Looking Back" by Lois Lowry; and "Knots in My Yo-Yo String" by Jerry Spinelli) we've been discussing this month, since Ungerer was their contemporary, as well.
After reading over the messages posted over the past week or so on the topic of author/artist autobiographies, it seems that one could draw a distinction between the sort of book written by Anita Lobel, which is more of a straightforward autobiographical account, and the ones written by Lowry and Spinelli which shed light on occurrences in their lives that have a direct correlation to the books they write today for children.
Let's turn our attention now to "Looking Back" by Lois Lowry. In addition to the things that have already been mentioned about it, I'd like to add that I appreciate
how accessible it is. Each photograph is accompanied by a brief account, usually no more than a couple of paragraphs, in which the author recalls something from her own past. Readers can enter into the book at any point, rather like a photo album ? it invites you to browse. But one is quickly drawn in and, in looking at the book more closely, one can see an underlying complexity. The entries are not arranged in strict chronological order, but the order makes perfect sense, as Lowry links memories and events, just as we do in real life. One observation or memory triggers another.
It's clear from reading "Looking Back" that Lowry has a remarkable memory of her childhood, not just the events but how she felt about them and what was important to her at the time. I think this is evident in her novels for children as well, as the points of view of her young protagonists are always credible and ring true to child readers. Much of "Looking Back" made me think of one of her early novels, "Autumn Street," in which she writes from the perspective of a six-year-old girl. As a whole, "Looking Back" made me want to go back and reread everything I've ever read by Lois Lowry, with all these details in mind.
Kathleen Horning Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education University of Wiscosnin-Madison
Received on Wed 07 Apr 1999 06:03:39 PM CDT
