CCBC-Net Archives
Another message from Susan
- Contemporary messages sorted: [ by date ] [ by subject ] [ by author ]
From: Merri Lindgren <mlindgren_at_education.wisc.edu>
Date: Fri, 30 May 2014 14:47:21 -0500
Hi Miriam
Your kind words and support for Beyond Magenta are reaffirming and so very much appreciated. The questions about dealing with "narrowing down choices" and the "breathe of diversity" require more than a
"yes," "no," or a numerical answer. I hope you all don't mind my going inside these questions with a longer explanation. This also gives me the chance to add my two cents to CCBC conversations that I care about deeply.
It took about a year to find a way to approach the teens. Why? I'll try to boil this down to the main issues so as not to bore everyone. A longer explanation can be found on an interview I did with E. M. Kokie for “The Pirate Tree: Social Justice & Children’s Literature.” Here's the link: http://www.thepiratetree.com/2014/03/13/beyond-magenta-an-interview-with-susan-kuklin-part-i/
Diversity is a fundamental feature when writing the kind of contemporary nonfiction that I write. Inclusiveness is an absolute necessity or the book won’t capture wide-ranging social issues. Besides, it makes much more interesting story telling. For Magenta, I was not only searching for articulate, introspective young people, but for individuals from various parts of the transgender umbrella. Added to these two elements, for want of a better word, was the need for individuals from various ethnic, racial, and socio-economic backgrounds. Added to these three elements was a fourth: people whose transitions covered a wide range of societal experiences – teens whose families supported them, teens whose families did not, teens who were bullied, teens who were not bullied, etc. One more step to make this process work - please raise an eyebrow here - I promised myself to not turn down anyone who wanted to participate. No rejections, no turndowns.
I lucked out when I met the staff and caregivers at HOTT [Health Outreach to Teens], a program at the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center in New York City. They understood what I was trying to do, and understood the need for such a book. But they also needed assurances that their participation would not compromise patient-caregiver confidentiality. To satisfy the organization's integrity, my promise, and the need for multiple forms of diversity, we came up with a plan. Here's how I described it in The Pirate Tree: “The psychologist would describe in very general terms [no names] a person whom she thought would fit the criteria for the book. When I agreed, and I usually did, she’d tell her client about the book and about me. If they were interested, she gave THEM my contact information.” To my great relief this plan worked out beautifully. The first five participants came via this plan. The sixth person volunteered from an LGBTQ teen theater company in Madison called Proud Theater. (A plug: they are performing in Madison this weekend.)
Merri asked what it was like interviewing my subjects.
It was a marvelous experience. The participants inspired me with their bravery, honesty, and wicked senses of humor. They gave this somewhat cynical writer hope for future generations.
All the best,
Susan
Susan Kuklin
susankuklin_at_gmail.com
www.susankuklin.com
==== CCBC-Net Use ==== You are currently subscribed to ccbc-net as: ccbc-archive_at_post.education.wisc.edu.
To post to the list, send message to...
ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu
To receive messages in digest format, send a blank message to...
digest-ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu
To unsubscribe, send a blank message to...
leave-ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu
==== CCBC-Net Archives ==== The CCBC-Net archives are available to all CCBC-Net listserv members. The archives are organized by month and year. A list of discussion topics (including month/year) is available at...
http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/ccbcnet/archives.asp
To access the archives, go to...
http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/ccbc-net
...and enter the following when prompted...
username: ccbc-net
password: Look4Posts
Received on Fri 30 May 2014 02:47:50 PM CDT
Date: Fri, 30 May 2014 14:47:21 -0500
Hi Miriam
Your kind words and support for Beyond Magenta are reaffirming and so very much appreciated. The questions about dealing with "narrowing down choices" and the "breathe of diversity" require more than a
"yes," "no," or a numerical answer. I hope you all don't mind my going inside these questions with a longer explanation. This also gives me the chance to add my two cents to CCBC conversations that I care about deeply.
It took about a year to find a way to approach the teens. Why? I'll try to boil this down to the main issues so as not to bore everyone. A longer explanation can be found on an interview I did with E. M. Kokie for “The Pirate Tree: Social Justice & Children’s Literature.” Here's the link: http://www.thepiratetree.com/2014/03/13/beyond-magenta-an-interview-with-susan-kuklin-part-i/
Diversity is a fundamental feature when writing the kind of contemporary nonfiction that I write. Inclusiveness is an absolute necessity or the book won’t capture wide-ranging social issues. Besides, it makes much more interesting story telling. For Magenta, I was not only searching for articulate, introspective young people, but for individuals from various parts of the transgender umbrella. Added to these two elements, for want of a better word, was the need for individuals from various ethnic, racial, and socio-economic backgrounds. Added to these three elements was a fourth: people whose transitions covered a wide range of societal experiences – teens whose families supported them, teens whose families did not, teens who were bullied, teens who were not bullied, etc. One more step to make this process work - please raise an eyebrow here - I promised myself to not turn down anyone who wanted to participate. No rejections, no turndowns.
I lucked out when I met the staff and caregivers at HOTT [Health Outreach to Teens], a program at the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center in New York City. They understood what I was trying to do, and understood the need for such a book. But they also needed assurances that their participation would not compromise patient-caregiver confidentiality. To satisfy the organization's integrity, my promise, and the need for multiple forms of diversity, we came up with a plan. Here's how I described it in The Pirate Tree: “The psychologist would describe in very general terms [no names] a person whom she thought would fit the criteria for the book. When I agreed, and I usually did, she’d tell her client about the book and about me. If they were interested, she gave THEM my contact information.” To my great relief this plan worked out beautifully. The first five participants came via this plan. The sixth person volunteered from an LGBTQ teen theater company in Madison called Proud Theater. (A plug: they are performing in Madison this weekend.)
Merri asked what it was like interviewing my subjects.
It was a marvelous experience. The participants inspired me with their bravery, honesty, and wicked senses of humor. They gave this somewhat cynical writer hope for future generations.
All the best,
Susan
Susan Kuklin
susankuklin_at_gmail.com
www.susankuklin.com
==== CCBC-Net Use ==== You are currently subscribed to ccbc-net as: ccbc-archive_at_post.education.wisc.edu.
To post to the list, send message to...
ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu
To receive messages in digest format, send a blank message to...
digest-ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu
To unsubscribe, send a blank message to...
leave-ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu
==== CCBC-Net Archives ==== The CCBC-Net archives are available to all CCBC-Net listserv members. The archives are organized by month and year. A list of discussion topics (including month/year) is available at...
http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/ccbcnet/archives.asp
To access the archives, go to...
http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/ccbc-net
...and enter the following when prompted...
username: ccbc-net
password: Look4Posts
Received on Fri 30 May 2014 02:47:50 PM CDT
