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Re: Social Justice in Books for Children and Teens
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From: Lyn Miller-Lachmann <lynml_at_me.com>
Date: Fri, 04 Nov 2011 11:52:49 -0400
Good question, about whether the depiction of class is taboo in books for young readers (or in books for readers in general). There's some evidence that during the anti-Communist hysteria of the 1950s the CIA penetrated cultural organizations in the U.S., including publishing houses, to support certain kinds of artistic expressions and push out others. In one of my first blog posts, guest blogger and former MultiCultural Review feature writer Barbara Trachtenberg highlighted an event sponsored by PEN New England to discuss this issue:http://web.mac.com/lynml/Site/Blog/Entries/2008/4/8_The_American_Blandscape.html.
It seems that in children's and YA literature, racial oppression has come to stand in for class. Stories about slavery, Jim Crow, and the civil rights movement reflect the struggles of people denied opportunities due to the circumstances of their birth. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian brilliantly portrays the complexities of class under the prominent theme of race and culture.
I have begun to see more middle grade and teen novels that depict working-class characters as well as conflicts between rich and poor. Mindi Scott's Freefall and April Henry's Girl, Stolen come to mind. To me, the most intriguing one to appear in the past year is Lauren Myracle's Shine, which portrays what I see as a neo-feudal society in a poor, isolated North Carolina town. One family appears to "own" the town, and the scion of the family feels entitled to have his way with any of the young women, whose families cannot protest lest they lose their homes and livelihoods. The endemic pathology of the characters reflects their sense of hopelessness.
My latest two YA projects portray working-class families. In the one I just finished, it's just part of the reality, and not a major theme of the story. In the one I'm working on now, it is a major theme. We'll see whatever comes of these. Unfortunately, my brave and wonderful small press publisher, Curbstone Press, closed at the end of 2009 following the sudden passing of its founder and editorial director.
Lyn Miller-Lachmann MFA student, Vermont College of Fine Arts Editor, Once Upon a Cuento (Curbstone Press/Northwestern University Press, 2003) Author, Gringolandia (Curbstone Press/Northwestern University Press. 2009) and Dirt Cheap (Curbstone Press/Northwestern University Press, 2006, now back in print)
Received on Fri 04 Nov 2011 11:52:49 AM CDT
Date: Fri, 04 Nov 2011 11:52:49 -0400
Good question, about whether the depiction of class is taboo in books for young readers (or in books for readers in general). There's some evidence that during the anti-Communist hysteria of the 1950s the CIA penetrated cultural organizations in the U.S., including publishing houses, to support certain kinds of artistic expressions and push out others. In one of my first blog posts, guest blogger and former MultiCultural Review feature writer Barbara Trachtenberg highlighted an event sponsored by PEN New England to discuss this issue:http://web.mac.com/lynml/Site/Blog/Entries/2008/4/8_The_American_Blandscape.html.
It seems that in children's and YA literature, racial oppression has come to stand in for class. Stories about slavery, Jim Crow, and the civil rights movement reflect the struggles of people denied opportunities due to the circumstances of their birth. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian brilliantly portrays the complexities of class under the prominent theme of race and culture.
I have begun to see more middle grade and teen novels that depict working-class characters as well as conflicts between rich and poor. Mindi Scott's Freefall and April Henry's Girl, Stolen come to mind. To me, the most intriguing one to appear in the past year is Lauren Myracle's Shine, which portrays what I see as a neo-feudal society in a poor, isolated North Carolina town. One family appears to "own" the town, and the scion of the family feels entitled to have his way with any of the young women, whose families cannot protest lest they lose their homes and livelihoods. The endemic pathology of the characters reflects their sense of hopelessness.
My latest two YA projects portray working-class families. In the one I just finished, it's just part of the reality, and not a major theme of the story. In the one I'm working on now, it is a major theme. We'll see whatever comes of these. Unfortunately, my brave and wonderful small press publisher, Curbstone Press, closed at the end of 2009 following the sudden passing of its founder and editorial director.
Lyn Miller-Lachmann MFA student, Vermont College of Fine Arts Editor, Once Upon a Cuento (Curbstone Press/Northwestern University Press, 2003) Author, Gringolandia (Curbstone Press/Northwestern University Press. 2009) and Dirt Cheap (Curbstone Press/Northwestern University Press, 2006, now back in print)
Received on Fri 04 Nov 2011 11:52:49 AM CDT
