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LETTER FROM THE PEN CHILDREN'S BOOK COMMITTEE
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From: fran manushkin <franm>
Date: Fri, 21 May 2004 15:39:50 -0700
To all who are thinking about the PEN Children's' Book Committee Panel of June 8 and Arnold Adoff's letters and the responses:
Arnold's second message of May 19th and the contributions of other thoughtful people have helped us feel that we can talk together without accusations. He says in his second message that he chastizes out of love. Well, we all know how exasperating and seemingly in error those you love can be.
We respect Arnold's point of view. We know we have looked at panels and conferences convened by others, and asked ourselves, "How come at this late date this panel is so homogeneous?" And when oh when will the offices of our publishers reflect the mix of people who read our books in the classrooms of America? The members of the PEN Children's Book Committee and of greater PEN's board feel and believe that it is it part of our social responsibility to keep struggling toward a world of inclusion.
We have chosen this year's panel, Katherine Arnoldi, K. L. Going, Brian Selznick, Vicki Cobb, and Gail Carson Levine, for the contributions they can make. We were drawn to their forms of expression, to the characters they have pulled from the marginalized of our society into their books, and to the way they have enlarged our sympathies, and our ways of learning. They have moved us and made us want to hear them talk about their work, just as we have wanted to hear from writers and editors on our recent panels, including Brian Collier, Walter Dean Myers, Ginee Seo, and Christopher Paul Curtis.
And now... there are the panels yet to come. Arnold Adoff has reminded us of the great diverse pool of writers (including poets) that we can delight in and learn from, and who belong on our panels. And, yes, friends, we are taking note.
Sincerely, Vera B. Williams Fran Manushkin
Co-chairs Pen Children's Book Committee
.
Received on Fri 21 May 2004 05:39:50 PM CDT
Date: Fri, 21 May 2004 15:39:50 -0700
To all who are thinking about the PEN Children's' Book Committee Panel of June 8 and Arnold Adoff's letters and the responses:
Arnold's second message of May 19th and the contributions of other thoughtful people have helped us feel that we can talk together without accusations. He says in his second message that he chastizes out of love. Well, we all know how exasperating and seemingly in error those you love can be.
We respect Arnold's point of view. We know we have looked at panels and conferences convened by others, and asked ourselves, "How come at this late date this panel is so homogeneous?" And when oh when will the offices of our publishers reflect the mix of people who read our books in the classrooms of America? The members of the PEN Children's Book Committee and of greater PEN's board feel and believe that it is it part of our social responsibility to keep struggling toward a world of inclusion.
We have chosen this year's panel, Katherine Arnoldi, K. L. Going, Brian Selznick, Vicki Cobb, and Gail Carson Levine, for the contributions they can make. We were drawn to their forms of expression, to the characters they have pulled from the marginalized of our society into their books, and to the way they have enlarged our sympathies, and our ways of learning. They have moved us and made us want to hear them talk about their work, just as we have wanted to hear from writers and editors on our recent panels, including Brian Collier, Walter Dean Myers, Ginee Seo, and Christopher Paul Curtis.
And now... there are the panels yet to come. Arnold Adoff has reminded us of the great diverse pool of writers (including poets) that we can delight in and learn from, and who belong on our panels. And, yes, friends, we are taking note.
Sincerely, Vera B. Williams Fran Manushkin
Co-chairs Pen Children's Book Committee
.
Received on Fri 21 May 2004 05:39:50 PM CDT
