From: Brosnan, Rosemary <rosemary.brosnan_at_HARPERCOLLINS.com>
Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2011 09:39:21 -0500

In response to the wonderful discussion taking place and to the thoughtful posts from Miriam Lang Budin and Susan Kuklin, copied below, Rita Williams- Garcia writes:

I'm often asked about my most successful novel, ONE CRAZY SUMMER, but when I think of impact, I can say with no hesitation that my most successful no vel is NO LAUGHTER HERE. Don't get me wrong. All of the praise and acknow ledgement for OCS has saved me in more ways than I can name, but NLH is my gift to the readers. Not to all readers, but to those who have found Akila h and Victoria's story. Through emails I've learned that NLH's readers sha re this book with their parents. They appreciate that NLH has given them l anguage and permission to talk about trauma, shame, secrets, friendship and culture. These readers are primarily grateful to have been trusted with t his story, the information, even with the idea of the unthinkable. What th ey recognize is the plight of children. This is their concern, first and f oremost; that this does happen to girls younger than them.

I've visited classrooms where students have shared their own experiences qu ite openly. Most memorable was a 7th grader who told her class that she ha d been circumcised. They applauded her. Another boy in the same class sai d the reason his family moved to the US was to escape the practice. These students see a human issue first and foremost, and for an hour or so, they treat each other with respect. (I've shared this book with many classroom s; this was among the more memorable. And no, there have been no less than positive classroom visits.)

I've been privy to so many stories of impact re: NLH. I am right now cor responding with an uncircumcised Nigerian woman who is fighting deportation for fear that both her husband's family and her own will perform the rite on her and her daughter. I am praying for them.

I wrote this story to reflect the realistic pre-pubescent ages of girls who are mutilated, rather than write an upper YA story on this subject. I kne w I'd tell this story as gently as I could for this younger reader because an even younger reader, about eleven, could come upon this story, as the vo ice and world invites a younger reader. So I included my email address to reach out to readers who might be deeply disturbed by the story. Since 20 04, I've heard from an emotionally disturbed adult suffering from childhood trauma. I received an email from two eighth graders and one 16 year old w ho didn't understand exactly what had happened to Victoria, so I explained in more detail. The letters I've received are mostly from 12, 13, and 14 y ear olds, and a smattering of tens and elevens. They mainly write to thank me for the information and the story, and in many cases, they want to know even more. And then there are those who are stirred toward activism.

So pleased to know this critical discussion is going on. Is NLH a classroo m book? Should everyone read it? Should it be available-in plain sight? Well...it's not for everyone. It isn't. Nor should it be forced down some one's throat. But it must be allowed to do its work for those who are mean t to find it. The payout has been beyond measure. We like to say as wri ters of books for teens and children that books save lives. We say this wi th an earnest hope that this is true. But I do know it to be very true. I hear it from my readers. In the words of Chaucer (Troilus and Criseyde), "Go little book. Go." --Rita Williams-Garcia

From: Miriam Lang Budin

Date: Mon, 21 Nov 2011 10:59:34 -0500

The book which I have had the most trouble, in this regard, is the

brilliant Rita Garcia-Williams' NO LAUGHTER HERE, which deals with the

female circumcision (or mutilation...) of a pre-pubescent girl.

I read the book in 2004, during my term of service on the Newbery Award

Committee. I liked it so much that I thought of nominating it for the

Newbery. I found it well-written, accessible, nuanced, passionate and

pitched well to an audience the same age as the circumcised girl and her

best friend. That is to say, it was suitable for the kids using our

children's room (birth through 5th grade).

But.

Was this a book I wanted kids to stumble upon casually? Or was it

something I wanted available *in case they had questions* about female

circumcision? And--despite my frequent assurances to parents that kids

should be able to read anything they want because if read things they

"weren't ready for" the content would fly over their heads--I couldn't

bring myself to put NO LAUGHTER HERE out into our collection as if it were

just any old work of contemporary fiction. And because of the fraught

content, I decided it wasn't a Newbery Award contender.

I felt *so *uncomfortable. And I was uncomfortable with my discomfort. I

couldn't make a decision about placing the book that I couldn't argue

myself out of, even as I was deciding. I ended up putting it into our

JPARENT section with our "Books on Tough Topics". Almost every book in

that collection is a picture book, though. It really doesn't fit there and

I wince whenever I think about it. I also wince when I think about an

unsuspecting kid or parent taking the book home from the general fiction

stacks and--only later--discovering the subject matter.

I am still unhappy with my reactions to the book.

No one has ever asked me for a book about female circumcision in the last

seven years, by the way...

Any comments?

Miriam Lang Budin

Head of Children's Services

Chappaqua Library, NY

Date: Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:36:48 -0500

As a nonfiction author of "books on tough topics," my heart goes out to Mir iam's discomfort. We are not making it easy for you. And yet, it is essenti al that we realistically portray harsh realities. I deal with this by being true to my primary sources. Perhaps its a sign of the times that my source s have become more and more explicit. To the right of this email, another s creen explodes with the F-bomb. And I'm thinking, "Oh, the librarians, teac hers, and parents are going to have a fit." I wonder how you feel about t hat.

It surprises me that in seven years no one has asked for a book about femal e circumcision. Every time - EVERY TIME - I visit a high school, students a sk me to do a nonfiction, primary source book about female circumcision.

Susan

Susan Kuklin

skuklin1_at_nyc.rr.com


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Received on Wed 23 Nov 2011 09:39:21 AM CST