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From: Queeline at aol.com <Queeline>
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 2009 13:16:30 EDT
I think I get what you're saying here, Perry--but no matter how aware my colleagues and I are of the responsibility we have taken on by writing for young people (and for the most part I actually believe we are), I would worry if we stay hyper-conscious of this as we write, edit and publish, I fear nothing would ever get done--or as I found from my experiences in textbook publishing (no offense to anyone!), we'd remain so scarily vigilant of the impact we were having that everything would be whitewashed to the point of saying nothing at all. It is for this reason I think that, no matter how conscious we are of our impact--and it's fine to keep this in mind and always question our underlying intentions--that at some point we simply have to say, "yeah--I think this is what I want to evoke and get across," and then put it out there for readers to do with it what they will--albeit with the love, support and guidance of parents, teachers and others who also have a background, history, their own underlying intentions, etc. Perhaps your book can help people like me become more aware of what we may actually be achieving, intended or not, and that's great. But as each reader is going to do with it what they will, no matter how careful we are--what is the alternative except to always do the best that we can, or otherwise do nothing at all?! (Or maybe that ultimately is your point, in which case perhaps on some level we actually do agree!)
In a message dated 7/25/2009 12:54:38 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, perry_nodelman at shaw.ca writes:
On 24-Jul-09, at 12:50 PM, Queeline at aol.com wrote:
> It may be cliche, but I think that for whatever purpose we write a
> book (to
> entertain, to inform, to get in touch with, or respond to our inner
> child--whatever), a child (or anyone for that matter--child or
> adult) is going
> to take from it what they need/want and leave the rest.
I like to believe this. But I also worry that, in assuming readers will take only what they need from books, writers, editors, publishers, librarians and the rest of us are downplaying the power of texts to reveal and persuade, and therefore not thinking seriously enough about it, or about our own power over what and how young readers read and the burden that responsibility imposes. It's nice for a writer, for instance, to think that he or she can write anything he wants because readers will only take what they need from it. It's easy--too easy, i think. An awareness of how your words might actually effect people in ways they weren't aware they needed and maybe didn't even really want would, I hope, lead to a keener perception of one's real power and an exercising of it with greater responsibility.
> I think I took to books as a kid because I was looking for people
> (or at least characters) who I related to in a way
> that I could not fully articulate to friends and family . . . . Did
> I get out of these
> books and stories what their creator intended? I didn't know and
> didn't really
> care. I got out of them--the ones I liked most--what I was looking
> for. And
> I guess that was good enough for me!
What might have missing here is the possibility that the books and stories conveyed meanings and values that their creators didn't consciously intend, and effects on yourself that you weren't consciously aware of?
Perry
_____________ Perry Nodelman http://pernodel.wordpress.com/
Book Trailers: The Hidden Adult: Defining Children's Literature http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3t7JAfPQeA The Ghosthunters2: The Curse of the Evening Eye http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qapDE1Kwnis The Ghosthunters I: The Proof that Ghosts Exist http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw0ow7oQV7k
_______________________________________________ CCBC-Net mailing list CCBC-Net at lists.education.wisc.edu Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe... http://lists.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
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Received on Sat 25 Jul 2009 12:16:30 PM CDT
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 2009 13:16:30 EDT
I think I get what you're saying here, Perry--but no matter how aware my colleagues and I are of the responsibility we have taken on by writing for young people (and for the most part I actually believe we are), I would worry if we stay hyper-conscious of this as we write, edit and publish, I fear nothing would ever get done--or as I found from my experiences in textbook publishing (no offense to anyone!), we'd remain so scarily vigilant of the impact we were having that everything would be whitewashed to the point of saying nothing at all. It is for this reason I think that, no matter how conscious we are of our impact--and it's fine to keep this in mind and always question our underlying intentions--that at some point we simply have to say, "yeah--I think this is what I want to evoke and get across," and then put it out there for readers to do with it what they will--albeit with the love, support and guidance of parents, teachers and others who also have a background, history, their own underlying intentions, etc. Perhaps your book can help people like me become more aware of what we may actually be achieving, intended or not, and that's great. But as each reader is going to do with it what they will, no matter how careful we are--what is the alternative except to always do the best that we can, or otherwise do nothing at all?! (Or maybe that ultimately is your point, in which case perhaps on some level we actually do agree!)
In a message dated 7/25/2009 12:54:38 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, perry_nodelman at shaw.ca writes:
On 24-Jul-09, at 12:50 PM, Queeline at aol.com wrote:
> It may be cliche, but I think that for whatever purpose we write a
> book (to
> entertain, to inform, to get in touch with, or respond to our inner
> child--whatever), a child (or anyone for that matter--child or
> adult) is going
> to take from it what they need/want and leave the rest.
I like to believe this. But I also worry that, in assuming readers will take only what they need from books, writers, editors, publishers, librarians and the rest of us are downplaying the power of texts to reveal and persuade, and therefore not thinking seriously enough about it, or about our own power over what and how young readers read and the burden that responsibility imposes. It's nice for a writer, for instance, to think that he or she can write anything he wants because readers will only take what they need from it. It's easy--too easy, i think. An awareness of how your words might actually effect people in ways they weren't aware they needed and maybe didn't even really want would, I hope, lead to a keener perception of one's real power and an exercising of it with greater responsibility.
> I think I took to books as a kid because I was looking for people
> (or at least characters) who I related to in a way
> that I could not fully articulate to friends and family . . . . Did
> I get out of these
> books and stories what their creator intended? I didn't know and
> didn't really
> care. I got out of them--the ones I liked most--what I was looking
> for. And
> I guess that was good enough for me!
What might have missing here is the possibility that the books and stories conveyed meanings and values that their creators didn't consciously intend, and effects on yourself that you weren't consciously aware of?
Perry
_____________ Perry Nodelman http://pernodel.wordpress.com/
Book Trailers: The Hidden Adult: Defining Children's Literature http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3t7JAfPQeA The Ghosthunters2: The Curse of the Evening Eye http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qapDE1Kwnis The Ghosthunters I: The Proof that Ghosts Exist http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw0ow7oQV7k
_______________________________________________ CCBC-Net mailing list CCBC-Net at lists.education.wisc.edu Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe... http://lists.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
**************An Excellent Credit Score is 750. See Yours in Just 2 Easy Steps!
(http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1222585106x1201462830/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=62&bcd=Jul yExcfooterNO62)
Received on Sat 25 Jul 2009 12:16:30 PM CDT
