If only Look-Look Could See This

I mentioned last week that I would have three teenagers in my home when I arrived from GSLIS classes.

Big surprise, when I greeted them, they told me they were bored. My TV-less/small child dwelling/Vermont home was a drag. They were thrilled when I handed them the People Magazine I borrowed from Linda. They were clinging to shiny cellphones. They asked me for a computer with Internet access.

I didn't see them until dinner time. When my six year old remarked that one of them was eating off a plate he had designed himself she responded "it's very gangster." That's a compliment, right?

Anyway, after they left I saw what they left in their address history. It's pretty interesting. I don't know much about myspace, but it seems like there's auxiliary services for it.

Looks like they took advantage of their quiet evening to do a little housekeeping on their myspace pages!

"Any Idiot Can Face a Crisis...

it's the day to day living that wears you out." That's a favorite saying of mine by Anton Chekov. I was reminded of it while reading Tyrell by Coe Booth this week. I found myself comparing Tyrell's and his mother's reactions to the stressful crisis they both found themselves in during one cold week in winter. What kind of choices do you make when tragedy visits your family? Depends on who you are. If you are emotionally stunted like his mother, you might tend and remain inflexible, just waiting for something to happen to you, or for someone to do something for you. So much became clear when Tyrell recounted that his mother had been with his father since she was fifteen – “ah, so that’s where the self-absorbed irrational whining is coming from.” She has’t really matured much despite all the opportunities. In their family, the mother is reserving the right to act like a fifteen-year old, which negates Tyrell’s rights to be a teenager.

If I had this book in my library (when I have this book in my library?) I would guide discussions around Tyrell’s reactions to his circumstances. This is the universal message for any reader. The novel offers so many ways to support the YAL developmental assets. Really challenging ones, too, regarding developing one’s character. Tyrell is a terrific read, because like all good YAL novels, you get a character that allows you think about yourself and grow emotionally from having exposed yourself to his life and world.

I have no doubt that if Tyrell heard Chekov's observation he would respond with a "true that." But without realizing it, Tyrell is following another credo that's more applicable and useful for his life. The motto for the U.S. Marines is "Adapt, Improvise, Overcome". As Tyrell proves, following this formula is a safe bet for anyone who wants digging out from all kinds of adversities.

It’s not necessary at all to be able to correlate exactely Tyrell’s particular circumstances with one’s own in order to learn from them. Reader’s shouldn't’t finish Tyrell and only experience gratitude that maybe their lives, -- despite all its own complications -- are not as gritty and stressful. Everyone’s problems are valid. Comparing lives does’t really help anyone grow or change. However, following his example of not exploding, not going against his principles, not caving in to pressure the next time something happens in your life that’s unexpectedly shitty would be a great way to prove to yourself that you have absorbed the higher lesson in this novel.

Congrats Nick and Nora!

A favorite kid-lit blog (brought to my attention last semester by Kerri-Ann) announced the Cybils winner list. The bloggers have spoken, and they love Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist.

Now that I have a new post going, I would like to add that I look forward to being more familiar with all the awards given out by ALA and others. I looked at the YALSA page and browsed some of the lists. The Alex awards are a clever idea.

I recently read one of this year's winners, Black Swan Green. And even though it is about a teen, I'm not sure if I would have thought to recommend it to one. But of course, I realize this would be a great novel for a sensitive kid struggling socially at school.

This novel takes place in England in the early 1980s. Like my previous post mentioned, I lived there at the same time. (The time frame is no coincidence. My sister and I are ruminating on writing a screenplay that depicts our childhood during this time, so we are reading various materials that depict this era to help remind us of all those little details one forgets. )

Mitchell's writing is spooky, poetic and just generally lovely. The time frame lends itself to the story, (colored by mentions of popular music and Thatcher's government, ect. ) but anyone could relate to Jason's personal triumphs and failures throughout one year living in Black Swan Green. We have either already gone through it, or we need to know that we will survive it!

It's got a bit of everything. Some passages are funny, but over all, this is no Adrian Mole. The atmosphere is somber and tense most of the time, and very, very internal. Could be particularly good for a kid who gets picked on a lot.

"A Penny for the Guy?"

That’s what English kids used to say on Guy Fawkes night, going from door to door, collecting money for charity. I wonder if they still do. Well, here's my two cents on V for Vendetta.

I lived in the UK from 1979 until 1983-roughly the same era that produced V for Vendetta. While reading their novel it was fascinating to look back on that time and see it from the perspective of Alan Moore and David Lloyd.

Knowing what I do about this era, I think the best curriculum connections for this comic novel would be in a history class -- to read this book in the context of how much fear Europeans had for what would turn out to be the last hurrah of the cold war. I was there, and believe me, I cannot say I have personally witnessed so much human effort to thwart a government's actions before or since.

It was such a frightful time in so many ways -- there was a real threat of nuclear war that no one could deny. And living in Europe instead of America at the time gave me such an unvarnished exposure to this threat that our government was helping to create. I lived there because my father was in the military. On the day Russia invaded Afghanistan he was told to "go home and wait for orders." I stayed up all night praying World War Three wasn't going to start. And apparently, I was not being overly dramatic. Just look at the time on Doomsday Clock for 1981.

In addition to the Cold War fears about the planet blowing up, there were homegrown fears to contend with right in London, where I lived. The IRA was also going full throttle at this time. Letter bombs at post offices everywhere, bombs going off in public places, assasinaitons and hunger strikes in cell block H. Now, obviously, these were dark days, but honestly, overall I think they were some of the happiest time of my life. If there's one thing I know about kids, they are resilient.

But looking back now, it's easy to see how the author and artist were inspired and compelled to write V For Vendetta. This world is dark and frightening, and reflects many fears of adults in society at the time. There's so much brutality and violence in this book. I feel like a guided reading would be most helpful to a teen. Not only do I think American teens would need help understanding the context and the cultural references, I think group discussions about the disturbing images would be most helpful.

Personally, I had a hard time with the artwork. I found the characters either looked too similar, or their expressions in certain panels changed them too much and they didn't look the same. (ex. Evey after her fake prison confinement)

I frequently consulted the wikipedia entry and this site to get through it, so I'm sure young readers might need support with following the plot as well. And, the ultimate reason why this book should be read under the guidance of an instructor or librarian: V the character is custom-made for discussion and debate! Is he a hero or a villain? What does this story mean today for modern readers--how do we see V's actions in light of our modern society's struggle with terrorism? Characters like V appeal to the American zest for lone gunmen and vigilantes and freedom fighters--but I worry about American teens, esp. males being V for vulnerable to complicated ideas that no adult is explaining to them.

Last week, while discussing the teen romance books, I mentioned in class that sometimes these books are not welcome by parents because they fear just having them in the library will give their children ideas. Well, I snicker at that premise when it comes to sexual content, but I just cannot when it comes to violence. I do worry that reading about, and seeing violent content will harm children and young adults. I was disturbed by some of the images in "V" and wish I had not seen them. (ex. human torso's hung on meat hooks)

I plan to find some information on the connection -- if any -- to violent behavior in teens and exposure to violent content in books. I started thinking about violence (and what was acceptable) in children's and young adult fiction last semester, and heaven knows I probably will continue to for some time.

That is all. Librarians Prevail.

Two Teens Walk into a Bar...

In honor of the time frame in Nick/Nora, I read the novel in one sitting. I felt just as tired (but pleased and happy) when I closed the book after midnight as they did when Nora jumped over that turnstile. Kind of like I created my own *sense around* experience or something.

And you can never go wrong when a love story ends with the pair hopping on a train . Lucky Jim, anyone? A top favorite of mine by Kingsley Amis.

Some thoughts on the book, in terms of its place in the current realm of YAL:

Were the two main characters straight-edge, I wonder, in order to make the book less controversial, or was it more of a plot device? One just would not have the stamina to stay out all night AND be coherent if they drank too. Just look at Caroline. N/N could not end with them passed out in a van, right?

Cohn gets credit for being edgy and realistic enough to depict teenage drinking, but not via any characters that readers will emotionally connect with.

Cohn did a fantastic job including homosexual teens interspersed with the heterosexual main characters. I appreciated how blended this world--with punk music connecting them- was.

As for Seventeenth Summer--(by the way, Maureen Daly just died last September) I was struck by how similar these four characters were as far as their depth of feelings for one another. Just goes to show that either way, adults should take teens seriously no matter what kind of relationship they are in (in terms of how sexually active they are). It's all legit, and all very, very real.

I think the main differences in two novels have more to so with the language. 17th Summer was so languid and sensual with the intensively descriptive passages depicting nature. Especially in the beginning, when Angie has begun to realize how different she feels--and how it must be because she is in love for the first time.

Reminded me of a Noel Coward lyric about a man describing how he was falling in love:
"Something very strange is happening to me/every cat I see seems to be purring/
and every single leaf/ on every tree/seems to be aware/of something in the air

N/N was also very internal, but used sparser language. But then again, although both books have limited time frames, Daly's takes place over a long hot summer, but Cohn's is just one brief night in Spring.

Both were lovely first time reads for me, personnaly.

Another Antidote

In addition to Adbusters--which can be quite strident, I would also plan to have Stayfree in the periodicals collection and in any online resources at any HS library I ran.

It's funnier, it's younger, it's completely media related.

Adbusters Will Save Us All

Ah, Merchants of Cool. I battled revulsion on several fronts while viewing this documentary.

Revulsion one: The disingenuousness of Dee Dee Gordon and to a (only slightly) lesser extent, Jimmy Iovine while they justified their careers. But I felt very vindicated and relived when I read the teen transcript. They quoted my thoughts which smelt down to this: Just admit you do this because it pays a lot of money!

Then, go ahead and prattle on about Dylan and Lennon and how Eminem is just a continuation of their legacy. I would actually be in a more receptive frame of mind to their insights once this very real fact was aired and addressed. Please don't hide behind phony pragmatism. It just makes you look like a clueless a**hole, instead of just a garden-variety corporate tool a**hole.

Revulsion Two: I hated seeing how other Americans place their priorities --choosing to spend their precious time on such ultimately useless pursuits as screaming in the streets while snotlicking drunk or making sure they have on the right outfit and makeup before stepping outside. I'm not saying we should be spending every weekend on a habitat for humanity project, but clearly, many of the young folks filmed in MOC spend most of their time and efforts on activities that don't support the positive development of their character.


This to me was the most insidious revelation about MOC. Everyone knows teens are so vulnerable--playing up on their fears about beauty or sexual attractiveness--just so you can sell sneakers and carbonated corn syrup. To Todd Cunningham of MTV I ask, Sir, have you no sense of decency, at long last?

I once read some musing by Jack Keroac--can't recall the title it came from, but the general idea has stayed with me. It's another example of the feedback loop Rushkoff identified in MOC. To paraphrase, he wrote about laying in bed one morning, hearing all these other people rushing off to their jobs, so they could get money to buy more doodads.

It's our love of possessions, and doodadery that's crippling our society right now. We have what me and an old friend long ago identified as "poverty of the soul". Many Americans seem convinced that they need a lot more money than they actually do. Most paychecks are allocated to buying more crap. More. Useless. Crap.

If I end up working in a High School library, I truly hope I can offer Adbusters to the periodicals collection. Because after watching MOC one is left with a "well, what now?" frame of mind. Is this acceptable, to allow big companies to dictate teenage behavior --encouraging that behavior to constantly be acting out its basest desires? Reading Adbusters will allow teens to truly deconstruct the intricate maze marketers have created and perhaps get themselves extricated from the feedback loop that currently has many of them entwined.