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[CCBC-Net] Astonishing Octavian
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From: Cynthia Grady <gradyc>
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:26:17 -0500
With regard to 20th/21st century sensibilities being imposed on Octavian Nothing . . . I remember reading an article in graduate school, though unfortunately, I don't recall where it came from . . . that if you really want to learn the thinking culture of any era, in this case it was the early 1900s, don't read books written in the early 1900s, read what writers of historical fiction were writing in the early 1900s, because whatever time period they wrote about would be informed by the milieu in which they were writing.
If we look at all historical fiction in this light, as Elaine D. has suggested, I think it opens up a breadth and flexibility of thinking and perspective that we might not otherwise consider. Does this make a work anachronistic? I'm not so sure. Every era has had thinkers ahead of their time. And in every era groups of people have been silenced, so we don't know what they were thinking, feeling, or imagining.
Octavian Nothing is remarkable for the subject it explores and the language in which it is executed. That should be enough to warrant its purchase and discussion. My seventh and eighth graders are craving literature that is written in language as nuanced as their developing intellectual and ethical interests. And generally speaking, they are the ones who are skipping over YA literature for adult fare.
So much YA literature can be emotionally satisfying, but rarely intellectually so. I hope that more publishers take the chance that Candlewick did. Reading is such an intimate experience, we need books that satisfy the whole child, every child.
When I read the first volume of Octavian Nothing, I couldn't put it down, and I have never been a fan of American history in fiction. My second volume just arrived and you can bet, it's what I'll be reading over the Thanksgiving holidays.
--cynthia
Cynthia Grady, Head Librarian Sidwell Friends Middle School 3825 Wisconsin Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20016
(202) 537 - 8157 gradyc at sidwell.edu
-----Original Message----- From: ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
[mailto:ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu] On Behalf Of Elaine Dimopoulos Sent: Friday, November 21, 2008 11:11 AM To: Smithhemb at aol.com Cc: ccbc-net at lists.education.wisc.edu Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] Astonishing Octavian
Interesting, Sue. Some of my colleagues have taken issue with the volumes along these same lines. I'd be interested to hear what you think of the second book, which situates Octavian in the midst of a documented historical event in Virginia (I won't give anything away here since you haven't yet read it). I heard Anderson speak, and he said there were scarce primary accounts of this event (journal entries, letters and such), so much of Octavian's experience is admittedly his own invention.
I certainly agree with your statement that the thrust of the volumes seems "more in tune with 20th century scholarly preoccupations and sensibilities than with 18th century concerns." I wonder, though; isn't this the case with much/all historical fiction for young people these days? Sympathy for the oppressed is a consistent central theme. Are Anderson's novels more egregious because they look, feel, and sound like novels from the period? That is, do they disappoint because you expect a sheep but get the wolf in sheep's clothing?
Elaine Dimopoulos
www.elainedimopoulos.com
On Fri, Nov 21, 2008 at 6:34 AM, <Smithhemb at aol.com> wrote:
> I'm an 18th century person (scholarly work focuses on political
thought in
> this era with a special interest in African-American political
thought), but I
> found the first book really annoying. Clearly it wasn't because an
18th
> century prose style would put me off, nor was it a matter of length.
It was
> because the book didn't ring true to me in a myriad of little ways and
because
> it seemed more in tune with late 20th century scholarly
preoccupations and
> sensibilities than with 18th century concerns.
>
> I'll try to spend a little time this week re-reading the first volume
to
> provide examples of the things that were off (I remember one of the
first ones
> was that if this sort of experiment were happening in colonial America
it would
> have been in Philadelphia -- not Boston). My copy of the second
volume
> just arrived and I haven't read it yet, but I intend to. Not
surprisingly,
> given my own interests, I'm curious to see what Anderson is doing with
this
> material.
>
> Another element of my reaction to the first volume was that this was a
case
> where the truth(s) of 18th c. African-American lives were much richer
and
> more telling than this particular fiction.
>
> Sue Hemberger
> Washington, DC
> **************One site has it all. Your email accounts, your social
networks,
> and the things you love. Try the new AOL.com
>
today!(http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1212962939x1200825291/aol
?redir=http://www.aol.com/?optin=new-dp
> %26icid=aolcom40vanity%26ncid=emlcntaolcom00000001)
> _______________________________________________
> CCBC-Net mailing list
> CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
> Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe...
> http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
>
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Received on Fri 21 Nov 2008 12:26:17 PM CST
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:26:17 -0500
With regard to 20th/21st century sensibilities being imposed on Octavian Nothing . . . I remember reading an article in graduate school, though unfortunately, I don't recall where it came from . . . that if you really want to learn the thinking culture of any era, in this case it was the early 1900s, don't read books written in the early 1900s, read what writers of historical fiction were writing in the early 1900s, because whatever time period they wrote about would be informed by the milieu in which they were writing.
If we look at all historical fiction in this light, as Elaine D. has suggested, I think it opens up a breadth and flexibility of thinking and perspective that we might not otherwise consider. Does this make a work anachronistic? I'm not so sure. Every era has had thinkers ahead of their time. And in every era groups of people have been silenced, so we don't know what they were thinking, feeling, or imagining.
Octavian Nothing is remarkable for the subject it explores and the language in which it is executed. That should be enough to warrant its purchase and discussion. My seventh and eighth graders are craving literature that is written in language as nuanced as their developing intellectual and ethical interests. And generally speaking, they are the ones who are skipping over YA literature for adult fare.
So much YA literature can be emotionally satisfying, but rarely intellectually so. I hope that more publishers take the chance that Candlewick did. Reading is such an intimate experience, we need books that satisfy the whole child, every child.
When I read the first volume of Octavian Nothing, I couldn't put it down, and I have never been a fan of American history in fiction. My second volume just arrived and you can bet, it's what I'll be reading over the Thanksgiving holidays.
--cynthia
Cynthia Grady, Head Librarian Sidwell Friends Middle School 3825 Wisconsin Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20016
(202) 537 - 8157 gradyc at sidwell.edu
-----Original Message----- From: ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
[mailto:ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu] On Behalf Of Elaine Dimopoulos Sent: Friday, November 21, 2008 11:11 AM To: Smithhemb at aol.com Cc: ccbc-net at lists.education.wisc.edu Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] Astonishing Octavian
Interesting, Sue. Some of my colleagues have taken issue with the volumes along these same lines. I'd be interested to hear what you think of the second book, which situates Octavian in the midst of a documented historical event in Virginia (I won't give anything away here since you haven't yet read it). I heard Anderson speak, and he said there were scarce primary accounts of this event (journal entries, letters and such), so much of Octavian's experience is admittedly his own invention.
I certainly agree with your statement that the thrust of the volumes seems "more in tune with 20th century scholarly preoccupations and sensibilities than with 18th century concerns." I wonder, though; isn't this the case with much/all historical fiction for young people these days? Sympathy for the oppressed is a consistent central theme. Are Anderson's novels more egregious because they look, feel, and sound like novels from the period? That is, do they disappoint because you expect a sheep but get the wolf in sheep's clothing?
Elaine Dimopoulos
www.elainedimopoulos.com
On Fri, Nov 21, 2008 at 6:34 AM, <Smithhemb at aol.com> wrote:
> I'm an 18th century person (scholarly work focuses on political
thought in
> this era with a special interest in African-American political
thought), but I
> found the first book really annoying. Clearly it wasn't because an
18th
> century prose style would put me off, nor was it a matter of length.
It was
> because the book didn't ring true to me in a myriad of little ways and
because
> it seemed more in tune with late 20th century scholarly
preoccupations and
> sensibilities than with 18th century concerns.
>
> I'll try to spend a little time this week re-reading the first volume
to
> provide examples of the things that were off (I remember one of the
first ones
> was that if this sort of experiment were happening in colonial America
it would
> have been in Philadelphia -- not Boston). My copy of the second
volume
> just arrived and I haven't read it yet, but I intend to. Not
surprisingly,
> given my own interests, I'm curious to see what Anderson is doing with
this
> material.
>
> Another element of my reaction to the first volume was that this was a
case
> where the truth(s) of 18th c. African-American lives were much richer
and
> more telling than this particular fiction.
>
> Sue Hemberger
> Washington, DC
> **************One site has it all. Your email accounts, your social
networks,
> and the things you love. Try the new AOL.com
>
today!(http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1212962939x1200825291/aol
?redir=http://www.aol.com/?optin=new-dp
> %26icid=aolcom40vanity%26ncid=emlcntaolcom00000001)
> _______________________________________________
> CCBC-Net mailing list
> CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
> Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe...
> http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
>
_______________________________________________ CCBC-Net mailing list CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe... http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
Received on Fri 21 Nov 2008 12:26:17 PM CST
