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Realism: Disturbing the Universe
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From: Megan Schliesman <schliesman_at_education.wisc.edu>
Date: Thu, 10 Jul 2014 09:47:33 -0500
Just as I was posting the opening message to this discussion, Malinda Lo was also posting, about the removeal of "The Education of Cameron Post" by Emily Danforth from a summer reading list. This, in turn, got me wondering about realistic fiction and book challenges, because my impression is that realism that tends to be more upsetting than the fantastic, all in all. And indeed, looking at the American Library Association's Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books 2000-2009, realism is far more prevalent than fantasy.
Fantasy offers both escape from the world as we know it and, often, imbedded, veiled (or not so veiled) commentary on it. Realism has no such distance. We are always hungry for stories that explain us to ourselves, and realism offers teens intimate encounters with their own hopes and dreams and uncertainties and yes, despair. The darkest and brightest parts of themselves may be revealed or affirmed through characters they encounter. Succesful works of realistic fiction offers teens insight into what they may be thinking ; what they may be feeling
; what they may be doing; what others may be doing to them. Realism can offer escape too--into someone else's life in the world as we know it. But it also demands that we acknowledge the world as it is. (This, of course, is where it can get itself into trouble, especially as our values as a society have come to allow for more and more honesty in publishing.) Teens do have sex. They do swear. Awful things can happen to them. They can do awful things. They can do wonderful things. They are learning and growing and challenging and defying.
When I think about "coming of age" in light of Maggie's post about the shift she's observed from self-reliance to connection since the 1970s, I think and hope that what we are ultimatley seeing is an emphasis on the value of both--self-reliance within the circle of connectedness. But the coming of age journey is unique for every reader and every character. What it means to be self-reliant and connected differs, too.
( I'm thinking right now about Francisco X. Stork's "Marcelo in the Real World" and "The Last Summer of the Death Warriors" --two books from a single author that explore characters wrestling with this.)
Realistic fiction can examine life as it is with a deft blending of humor and pathos ("The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie, "Fat Kid Rules the World" by K.L. Going, "Skim" by Mariko Tamaki); or raw honesty ("Lockdown" by Walter Dean Myers;
"Candy" by Kevin Brooks; "My Book of Life by Angel" by Martine Leavitt;
"The Milk of Birds" by Sylvia Whitman). It can be emotionally challenging, mind- and eye-opeining, and immsensely rewarding in a way that I think is distinct from fantasy (which absolutely offers its own rewards).
Megan
Date: Thu, 10 Jul 2014 09:47:33 -0500
Just as I was posting the opening message to this discussion, Malinda Lo was also posting, about the removeal of "The Education of Cameron Post" by Emily Danforth from a summer reading list. This, in turn, got me wondering about realistic fiction and book challenges, because my impression is that realism that tends to be more upsetting than the fantastic, all in all. And indeed, looking at the American Library Association's Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books 2000-2009, realism is far more prevalent than fantasy.
Fantasy offers both escape from the world as we know it and, often, imbedded, veiled (or not so veiled) commentary on it. Realism has no such distance. We are always hungry for stories that explain us to ourselves, and realism offers teens intimate encounters with their own hopes and dreams and uncertainties and yes, despair. The darkest and brightest parts of themselves may be revealed or affirmed through characters they encounter. Succesful works of realistic fiction offers teens insight into what they may be thinking ; what they may be feeling
; what they may be doing; what others may be doing to them. Realism can offer escape too--into someone else's life in the world as we know it. But it also demands that we acknowledge the world as it is. (This, of course, is where it can get itself into trouble, especially as our values as a society have come to allow for more and more honesty in publishing.) Teens do have sex. They do swear. Awful things can happen to them. They can do awful things. They can do wonderful things. They are learning and growing and challenging and defying.
When I think about "coming of age" in light of Maggie's post about the shift she's observed from self-reliance to connection since the 1970s, I think and hope that what we are ultimatley seeing is an emphasis on the value of both--self-reliance within the circle of connectedness. But the coming of age journey is unique for every reader and every character. What it means to be self-reliant and connected differs, too.
( I'm thinking right now about Francisco X. Stork's "Marcelo in the Real World" and "The Last Summer of the Death Warriors" --two books from a single author that explore characters wrestling with this.)
Realistic fiction can examine life as it is with a deft blending of humor and pathos ("The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie, "Fat Kid Rules the World" by K.L. Going, "Skim" by Mariko Tamaki); or raw honesty ("Lockdown" by Walter Dean Myers;
"Candy" by Kevin Brooks; "My Book of Life by Angel" by Martine Leavitt;
"The Milk of Birds" by Sylvia Whitman). It can be emotionally challenging, mind- and eye-opeining, and immsensely rewarding in a way that I think is distinct from fantasy (which absolutely offers its own rewards).
Megan
--
Megan Schliesman, Librarian
Cooperative Children's Book Center
School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Through July 31:
600 N. Park Street, Room 4290
Madison, WI 53706
Beginning August 1:
Room 401 Teacher Education
225 N. Mills Street
Madison, WI 53706
608/262-9503
schliesman_at_education.wisc.edu
ccbc.education.wisc.edu
My regular hours are T-F, 8-4:30.
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Received on Thu 10 Jul 2014 09:48:15 AM CDT
