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Some questions
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From: yvette_lapierre at pleasantco.com <yvette_lapierre>
Date: Mon, 1 Nov 1999 09:52:07 -0600
Jerri Chase Ferris wrote: Now I'll do the same. At the beginning of my career as a writer for children, I (now I understand naively) wrote a book about rock art (Native American Rock Art: Messages From the Past, Thomas-Grant 1994). My reason for writing the book was much like Ferris's: I could find no books on this fascinating subject for younger readers at the time (several have been published since). And I was concerned about the vandalism of rock art sites and hoped that after reading my book, children, and their parents, would respect and protect rock art.
My book is clearly written from an "outsider's" perspective, and though I am very proud of this book, I have wondered many times if I should have written it. I hope that some day soon there will be a children's book about rock art written by an American Indian writer (and If there already is one, please excuse my ignorance), which will add insight to the topic that I never could. Until then, I hope my book will help educate children about the signficance of rock art.
Which brings me to my question. Should non-Native authors write about issues outside their culture in order to tell stories or convey information that the majority of children otherwise wouldn't have access to? Should publishers publish these books? Or is better to wait until a Native American author tackles the subject? The downside is that the story may not be available to children for a long time. The upside is that when it is, it will be told from the correct cultural perspective.
Yvette La Pierre Madison, WI
Received on Mon 01 Nov 1999 09:52:07 AM CST
Date: Mon, 1 Nov 1999 09:52:07 -0600
Jerri Chase Ferris wrote: Now I'll do the same. At the beginning of my career as a writer for children, I (now I understand naively) wrote a book about rock art (Native American Rock Art: Messages From the Past, Thomas-Grant 1994). My reason for writing the book was much like Ferris's: I could find no books on this fascinating subject for younger readers at the time (several have been published since). And I was concerned about the vandalism of rock art sites and hoped that after reading my book, children, and their parents, would respect and protect rock art.
My book is clearly written from an "outsider's" perspective, and though I am very proud of this book, I have wondered many times if I should have written it. I hope that some day soon there will be a children's book about rock art written by an American Indian writer (and If there already is one, please excuse my ignorance), which will add insight to the topic that I never could. Until then, I hope my book will help educate children about the signficance of rock art.
Which brings me to my question. Should non-Native authors write about issues outside their culture in order to tell stories or convey information that the majority of children otherwise wouldn't have access to? Should publishers publish these books? Or is better to wait until a Native American author tackles the subject? The downside is that the story may not be available to children for a long time. The upside is that when it is, it will be told from the correct cultural perspective.
Yvette La Pierre Madison, WI
Received on Mon 01 Nov 1999 09:52:07 AM CST
