CCBC-Net Archives
More musings on awards
- Contemporary messages sorted: [ by date ] [ by subject ] [ by author ]
From: Julius Lester <jbles>
Date: Tue, 9 Jan 2001 16:21:18 -0500
Maia wrote:
And how would it be possible for any awards committee to ascertain how the award is perceived and by whom, not to mention where and during what historical period.
The year I served on the NBA committee we wrestled with the question of what criteria were we using to evaluate the books and, as I recall, in the parameters set out by the National Book Foundation, we were asked to choose the most "distinguished" book. While that was vague and, of course ultimately subjective, it helped me at least separate out the books I thoroughly enjoyed which were "good reads," which were even well-written but they lacked that ineffable quality which I would call "distinguished."
We are living in a time when awards abound. Indeed, I would not be surprised if soon there will not be a new cable channel called The Awards Channel and it will do nothing but run tapes of past awards shows. I think most people are like me -- we see that a CD, book, TV show or film has been given an award and regard it as a sign that the book or whatever was considered to be excellent by a particular organization or body. And that's it. I have no idea what criteria they use for the Oscars or Newbery, for that matter. Some years I agree. Some I don't.
assistants), then I think that considering less than the whole package is risky. If awards are to reward the writers/illustrators/etc. for some aspect of their craft -- if they are therefore more about adult community -- then perhaps those SOA's belong somewhere else?<<
I think awards are a device to help us bring some semblance of order to more products and information than we can assimilate. Awards say that if you are looking for a book for a child, a committee of respected and informed people about children's books think this book is a good place to start. I read reviews of software for the digital darkroom and if a piece of software has been given an award by a magazine I respect, I feel safer in spending what might be $100 or more for something that I can't return.
what the community thinks it is purchasing should have at least as much weight as the intentions and desires of the committees. E.g. If you speak in a language that tells me I am buying a good washer, then I expect all the parts to work, and not just the spin cycle...<<
There is a blueprint that indicates every part of a washer and exactly where that part fits for the washer to function properly. And it is also clear what the purpose of a washer is. Literature is not so simple. Indeed, I doubt that very many on this list would agree on what the purpose of literature is, not to mention what constitutes "good" literature.
Julius Lester
Received on Tue 09 Jan 2001 03:21:18 PM CST
Date: Tue, 9 Jan 2001 16:21:18 -0500
Maia wrote:
And how would it be possible for any awards committee to ascertain how the award is perceived and by whom, not to mention where and during what historical period.
The year I served on the NBA committee we wrestled with the question of what criteria were we using to evaluate the books and, as I recall, in the parameters set out by the National Book Foundation, we were asked to choose the most "distinguished" book. While that was vague and, of course ultimately subjective, it helped me at least separate out the books I thoroughly enjoyed which were "good reads," which were even well-written but they lacked that ineffable quality which I would call "distinguished."
We are living in a time when awards abound. Indeed, I would not be surprised if soon there will not be a new cable channel called The Awards Channel and it will do nothing but run tapes of past awards shows. I think most people are like me -- we see that a CD, book, TV show or film has been given an award and regard it as a sign that the book or whatever was considered to be excellent by a particular organization or body. And that's it. I have no idea what criteria they use for the Oscars or Newbery, for that matter. Some years I agree. Some I don't.
assistants), then I think that considering less than the whole package is risky. If awards are to reward the writers/illustrators/etc. for some aspect of their craft -- if they are therefore more about adult community -- then perhaps those SOA's belong somewhere else?<<
I think awards are a device to help us bring some semblance of order to more products and information than we can assimilate. Awards say that if you are looking for a book for a child, a committee of respected and informed people about children's books think this book is a good place to start. I read reviews of software for the digital darkroom and if a piece of software has been given an award by a magazine I respect, I feel safer in spending what might be $100 or more for something that I can't return.
what the community thinks it is purchasing should have at least as much weight as the intentions and desires of the committees. E.g. If you speak in a language that tells me I am buying a good washer, then I expect all the parts to work, and not just the spin cycle...<<
There is a blueprint that indicates every part of a washer and exactly where that part fits for the washer to function properly. And it is also clear what the purpose of a washer is. Literature is not so simple. Indeed, I doubt that very many on this list would agree on what the purpose of literature is, not to mention what constitutes "good" literature.
Julius Lester
Received on Tue 09 Jan 2001 03:21:18 PM CST
