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From: Karen Cruze <kcruze>
Date: Wed, 08 Jun 2005 11:04:54 -0500
To the critics - You see self-involvement. I see people who are able to reach out and create their own community of friends (Weetzie Bat) who are accepting and caring. You see the trappings of pop culture and hedonistic consumerism, I see a reflection of reality and kids who are trying to get beyond the trappings finally to help each other (Violet and Claire) and realize their dreams. You see young adults with weird problems, I see young adults finding the strength to cope with the way their elders' have hurt them and move on (The Hanged Man). Often what you see isn't pretty. Yes it's not. But, no insult intended, where exactly do you live?
I live in an area of affluent suburbs north of a major metropolitan area. I can think of three transgender people I know - two teachers with families, one a kid who used to work at the library. I know 8th graders who have STDs and have had abortions. Sweet kids that wear angel wings and can't cope with the competitive nature of their high schools and wind up in
"special" schools for kids with a variety of problems. I know so many kids on anti?pressants it isn't even funny. And of course self-involvement. What teenager isn't self-involved? Even the so?lled
"good" prep kids who go through all the correct motions, volunteer, get good grades and fool most of their elders are pretty screwed up (usually they drink way too much and go along with the crowd).
If FLB's kids are extreme, they still reflect a certain reality that plenty of people don't want to deal with. And if all her kids are affluent, so what! Does anyone criticize a writer whose characters are all poverty-stricken? It'd be pretty un-PC if one did.
Karen Cruze
Received on Wed 08 Jun 2005 11:04:54 AM CDT
Date: Wed, 08 Jun 2005 11:04:54 -0500
To the critics - You see self-involvement. I see people who are able to reach out and create their own community of friends (Weetzie Bat) who are accepting and caring. You see the trappings of pop culture and hedonistic consumerism, I see a reflection of reality and kids who are trying to get beyond the trappings finally to help each other (Violet and Claire) and realize their dreams. You see young adults with weird problems, I see young adults finding the strength to cope with the way their elders' have hurt them and move on (The Hanged Man). Often what you see isn't pretty. Yes it's not. But, no insult intended, where exactly do you live?
I live in an area of affluent suburbs north of a major metropolitan area. I can think of three transgender people I know - two teachers with families, one a kid who used to work at the library. I know 8th graders who have STDs and have had abortions. Sweet kids that wear angel wings and can't cope with the competitive nature of their high schools and wind up in
"special" schools for kids with a variety of problems. I know so many kids on anti?pressants it isn't even funny. And of course self-involvement. What teenager isn't self-involved? Even the so?lled
"good" prep kids who go through all the correct motions, volunteer, get good grades and fool most of their elders are pretty screwed up (usually they drink way too much and go along with the crowd).
If FLB's kids are extreme, they still reflect a certain reality that plenty of people don't want to deal with. And if all her kids are affluent, so what! Does anyone criticize a writer whose characters are all poverty-stricken? It'd be pretty un-PC if one did.
Karen Cruze
Received on Wed 08 Jun 2005 11:04:54 AM CDT
