This week I read "Boy Meets Boy," by David Levithan. It's been labeled the most important gay novel since "Annie on My Mind," by the Booklist and "represents a new revolution in the publishing of gay themed books for adolescents."
I do think it's well written and a great book for gay themed topic, but this said it's more for pleasure reading or to recommend to a student that's experiencing these sexual orientation themes, than for the classroom. The jest of the plot is about romance, teen love, trivial teen issues, friendships, lost friendships, and sexual orientation. Also, has some bad language, depiction of betting in school as ok, and only same sex kissing, no other sexual scenes.
It's about a gay sophomore, Paul, who is a great, round character who is totally at peace with his choice and his lifestyle. His gay friends envy him because "he knows what he wants," and his life is too perfect. Even his parents are accepting of of his choice.
But, his best friend Tony, who is also gay, has a harder time. His parents are very religious and don't accept that he is gay. This character and his parents probably represent the feelings of many parents, especially from a religious view point. They believe he will be damned if he continues to like boys, forbid him from hanging out with any boys, and push him into dating girls. Tony's parents don't get that by being so intolerant they are pushing him farther away; and he still dates boys and does things behind their backs. By the end, they are becoming a little more tolerant as his mother allows him to have Paul over to their house, as long as they are not in his bedroom. Even though they are just friends, who are both boys. I like that the book shows how gay boys can be friends with other gay boys. It doesn't mean they are romantically involved, which represents a cultural stigma. If boys and girls can be just friends. This should be viewed the same way.
Also, in this book gays and non-gays are friends. Paul's other best friend is a straight girl named Joni. This shows openness and understanding to teens of other's differences. Just as race or class shouldn't create a gap, neither should sexual orientation.
Noah, is "the boy" Paul falls for. The majority of the plot is about how their relationship forms and the problem that arises when Paul's, ex-boyfriend, Kyle wants to get back together. Noah wants to break off their relationship when he finds out Paul has kissed Kyle.
Another important part of the book, is the chapter where Paul describes when he came out, being very young in elementary school. His Kindergarten teacher labels him as gay on his report card (p. 9.) This brings up the topic of what age to approach sexual orientation with kids? To me K seems a little young to establish this. I don't talk about liking girls with my boys in Kindergarten. We are not really focusing on sexual orientation yet. My question is "Is Paul's teacher setting him up for the path of gay, by labeling him this so early?" Does Paul already know he is gay at age five? Or does he, and I am just ignorant to this?
The setting is maybe a little too wacky, the high school is so eccentric that it seems very "fictional," and fantasy like. The characters are all of the above, trans gender, bi-sexual, lesbian, gay, and straight. They have a gay/straight alliance at their school and a parent association for parents of gays and lesbians. There's a school bookie, who helps the school place bets on everything from who will kiss who next to whether Paul is gay or turning straight. The school dance theme is death, and the students visit a cemetery to come up with themes. While some of it is very cool, it doesn't represent life in Indiana, for sure. Maybe NYC or LA, but I still don't know. The high school represents too much of this perfect world, where all differences are depicted and accepted. Will students here in Indiana see this as too far fetched to relate or will they still like the themes?
See you in class,
Staci
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Monday, February 26, 2007
yeah 100th post!!
For this week I read Alex Sanchez's ground breaking work Rainbow Boys. I Say groundbreaking because while I was dozing off reading it, I accidentally fell out of my chair and landed hard on the ground. Based on the butterfly effect, chances are there was an earthquake in Taiwan. I'm just kidding, it wasn't that bad, but pretty typical of what I would expect from a YA novel about boys coming out in high school. Primarily the book focused on just that: coming out and the issues that go along with such an action. The book presented coming out as an issue relevent only insofar as it relates to parents, peers, and teammates (why there always seems to be an athletic side to this I don't know. I knew and am still friends with plenty of gay men who, pardon the cliche, throw like girls). Anyway, I found that the book pretty much confirmed the expectations associated with homosexuality and in doing so didn't particularly offer young readers a safe haven for reading within the classroom. How this book is to be taught is beyond me. The story (which I gather has been made into a series) centers around three high school students. On one hand, you have Jason, the star athlete who's dissatisfied with himself despite dating the most popular and beautiful girl in the school. Then we have Kyle, also an athlete yet coming to grips with the fact that he is gay. Kyle's best friend, Nelson, epitomizes homosexuality in his socially defiant nature, rebellious attitude toward conventional assumptions and wild hairdos. When Jason begins to question his own sexuality, his math tutor, Kyle, begins to develop a crush on the confused youth, much to the dismay of lovestruck Nelson. The three soon become involved in a love triangle where the stakes aren't just a broken heart, but also disease, alienation, and pure social suicide! A must read for no one, this book serves as yet a further example of why certain books are meant for pleasure while others have no business whatsoever within the classroom.
Don't get me wrong by any means. At times, I enjoyed reading it. Certain instances made me remember when I was in high school surrounded by homosexuals in plays and choir contests in which I religiously took part. My orientation was constantly up for re-examination as I was the cute yet naive kid dating the college girl that no one ever saw and since I appeared to have no interest in dating any of the (several) willing girls with whom I was associated, questions about my own sexuality emerged as I walked (or rather, stumbled) through the ominous halls of the biggest high school in the state of Indiana. To that, I could certainly relate with Jason. Where I got hazy though was in the contrived binaries that the author threw together to create tension. There are athletes and there are nerds. The are the popular and the socially destitute. There are the gays and then the homophobes. Athletes don't like gays and no one cared what the nerds thought. I fail to see how such a myopic perspective of an otherwise complicated and troubling time in life can be conducive to pedagogical purposes. All teleological perceptions aside, read this book if you wish in your own time, but bringing it into the classroom with only bring with it the all the more scathing assumptions and expectations of the school system which holds the students captive. More later...like in three weeks...at least, I think...
Don't get me wrong by any means. At times, I enjoyed reading it. Certain instances made me remember when I was in high school surrounded by homosexuals in plays and choir contests in which I religiously took part. My orientation was constantly up for re-examination as I was the cute yet naive kid dating the college girl that no one ever saw and since I appeared to have no interest in dating any of the (several) willing girls with whom I was associated, questions about my own sexuality emerged as I walked (or rather, stumbled) through the ominous halls of the biggest high school in the state of Indiana. To that, I could certainly relate with Jason. Where I got hazy though was in the contrived binaries that the author threw together to create tension. There are athletes and there are nerds. The are the popular and the socially destitute. There are the gays and then the homophobes. Athletes don't like gays and no one cared what the nerds thought. I fail to see how such a myopic perspective of an otherwise complicated and troubling time in life can be conducive to pedagogical purposes. All teleological perceptions aside, read this book if you wish in your own time, but bringing it into the classroom with only bring with it the all the more scathing assumptions and expectations of the school system which holds the students captive. More later...like in three weeks...at least, I think...
Hard Love
If you are one of those who is convinced by the idea of teaching novels about (LGBTQ) in your classroom, Hard love is a safe novel to a certain extent to share with your high school students. This book has no explicate description of sex except for the words “shit” and “fuck”. It is a very sophisticated, multilayered book, it discusses many issues about teen identity and how they cross the line from friendship to more…I liked the poems that match with what was going on in the novel, it expresses the feelings of the characters in a deep sense.
Hard Love by Wittlinger, Ellen, a winner of the Lambda Literary Award, is about a relationship between a boy (John/Gai )who is “immune to emotion”, he has interest neither to men nor to women. He met a lesbian girl(Marisol) who used to have a girl fried(Kati) but they just broke out. Both John and Marisol got to know each other through their writings to a journal called “Zine”, through these essays, they reflect on their personal conflicts and how their irresponsible parents affected their lives, they felt either controlled or ignored by their careless parents. Any ways, they discovered many common things between each other; they started to trust each other to the degree that John fell in love with the lisbiean “Marisol”. She was emotionally struggling because she was not sure if she is a lesbian or a straight girl, at the end of the story, she decided to go and live with two girl friends in New York to discover her identity and sexual orientation.
Sexual orientation is not a bad idea to be part of our curricula, but what type of sexual orientation is safe and what is not and at what age we should start introducing students to sexual orientation? These are debated issues nowadays not be ignored. From my personal view I would first say that “God” who created us know what is good and what is harmful to us physically and emotionally that’s why certain kinds of sex are forbidden not only in the Bible but in the Qur’an as well. What is called today (LGBTQ) is to my knowledge not a safe topic to be taught specially to young children. Some developmental theorists argue that homosexuality would negatively affect the human reproduction, how would the life cycle continue when a man has a sex with a man and a woman with a woman? May be we would try to have sex with “Witches” in order to have a baby to be named a “Witch Baby”. Is not that against human nature? Then why do we want to teach our children these things that may lead to anarchy in our “developed” society?
Finally, if introducing students to (LGBTQ) is an inevitable issue then we should as teachers give background knowledge about this issue from physicians, religious, and social, point of views, and then we would leave the student or the person to choose which path he feels comfortable with.
I apologize for my frankness but this is my view!
Hard Love by Wittlinger, Ellen, a winner of the Lambda Literary Award, is about a relationship between a boy (John/Gai )who is “immune to emotion”, he has interest neither to men nor to women. He met a lesbian girl(Marisol) who used to have a girl fried(Kati) but they just broke out. Both John and Marisol got to know each other through their writings to a journal called “Zine”, through these essays, they reflect on their personal conflicts and how their irresponsible parents affected their lives, they felt either controlled or ignored by their careless parents. Any ways, they discovered many common things between each other; they started to trust each other to the degree that John fell in love with the lisbiean “Marisol”. She was emotionally struggling because she was not sure if she is a lesbian or a straight girl, at the end of the story, she decided to go and live with two girl friends in New York to discover her identity and sexual orientation.
Sexual orientation is not a bad idea to be part of our curricula, but what type of sexual orientation is safe and what is not and at what age we should start introducing students to sexual orientation? These are debated issues nowadays not be ignored. From my personal view I would first say that “God” who created us know what is good and what is harmful to us physically and emotionally that’s why certain kinds of sex are forbidden not only in the Bible but in the Qur’an as well. What is called today (LGBTQ) is to my knowledge not a safe topic to be taught specially to young children. Some developmental theorists argue that homosexuality would negatively affect the human reproduction, how would the life cycle continue when a man has a sex with a man and a woman with a woman? May be we would try to have sex with “Witches” in order to have a baby to be named a “Witch Baby”. Is not that against human nature? Then why do we want to teach our children these things that may lead to anarchy in our “developed” society?
Finally, if introducing students to (LGBTQ) is an inevitable issue then we should as teachers give background knowledge about this issue from physicians, religious, and social, point of views, and then we would leave the student or the person to choose which path he feels comfortable with.
I apologize for my frankness but this is my view!
Luna -A great pick!
On Jim's recommendation, I decided to read Luna for this week. As he described earlier in the semester, Luna is a TG (transgendered) teenager. More specifically, she is a female trapped in a male's body. This story is told through the eyes of her younger sister, Regan. Regan has tried to "protect" Luna (formally Liam) "from herself" her entire life, but eventually nothing Regan does can stop Luna from presenting herself to the world.
At first, Regan is upset for her brother and herself as many embarrassing and painful moments result from Luna's public transformation. Eventually, however, Regan understands why this is so important for her "brother" and continues to support him and his decisions. He too realizes how difficult this is for his sister and solves the problem by "setting her free" as he sets himself free by moving to another part of the country where he can begin the process of physically becoming a woman.
I very much enjoyed reading Luna because I have been in situations similar to that of Regan. Never have I had an immediate relative disclose that they were gay or TG, however, I have had several cousins and close friends confide in me their true identity. Like Regan, I have felt extremely scared for them at times, anticipating the hateful reactions of others.
I was raised in an extremely tolerant and respectful environment and really didn't realize how cruel the world could be until I moved from a small seaside community in Massachusetts to Indiana and listened to the way friends and more often their parents, spoke of homosexuality and transgenderism. I have several friends here in Indiana who are gay and feel that I could never bring them around my boyfriend's family. That is especially upsetting for me and often makes me question marrying into the family. -I was just raised so differently.
Even though Regan continues to "protect" what she believes to be her weaker sibling throughout the entire novel, Luna finally breaks through all barriers, working her way through the pain and coming out much stronger on the other side. I though this novel was an amazing testament to the strength of teenagers. I believe it prove to be empowering not only to transgendered teens but also to the friends and relatives that support them. -An excellent book!
At first, Regan is upset for her brother and herself as many embarrassing and painful moments result from Luna's public transformation. Eventually, however, Regan understands why this is so important for her "brother" and continues to support him and his decisions. He too realizes how difficult this is for his sister and solves the problem by "setting her free" as he sets himself free by moving to another part of the country where he can begin the process of physically becoming a woman.
I very much enjoyed reading Luna because I have been in situations similar to that of Regan. Never have I had an immediate relative disclose that they were gay or TG, however, I have had several cousins and close friends confide in me their true identity. Like Regan, I have felt extremely scared for them at times, anticipating the hateful reactions of others.
I was raised in an extremely tolerant and respectful environment and really didn't realize how cruel the world could be until I moved from a small seaside community in Massachusetts to Indiana and listened to the way friends and more often their parents, spoke of homosexuality and transgenderism. I have several friends here in Indiana who are gay and feel that I could never bring them around my boyfriend's family. That is especially upsetting for me and often makes me question marrying into the family. -I was just raised so differently.
Even though Regan continues to "protect" what she believes to be her weaker sibling throughout the entire novel, Luna finally breaks through all barriers, working her way through the pain and coming out much stronger on the other side. I though this novel was an amazing testament to the strength of teenagers. I believe it prove to be empowering not only to transgendered teens but also to the friends and relatives that support them. -An excellent book!
Weetzie Bat
When I spied the YA novel Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block at Half Price Books, one scrap of memory came to mind "…this book changed my life." I couldn't remember who said it, or where I had read it, or maybe it was just a blurb from the publishing companies; but if it had the power to change somebody's life, it was worth a look. It was short. It dealt with "a bleach-blond punk pixie… who lived a life of surf and slam." Well, for fifty cents, that was good enough for my bookshelf at school.
Flash forward to the beginning of a December when a girl in my third period class approached me with a dilemma: she knew that she wouldn't be able to finish her novel before the end of grading period, let alone the project showing me what she'd learned from the novel. Ahhh… Mr. Fisher to the rescue... "I've got just the book for you, a bit quirky, short, and it will change your life." After a couple of days, she asks if she can speak to me...
"Sure, how'd you like the book? What do you mean you can't do a novel project on it? It's weird? You don't understand it? Well, tell me what it's about, and maybe I can come up with something. Okay, let me get this straight (pun intended)… this girl lives with two gay guys and her boyfriend doesn't want to have a baby, so she decides to have a baby with the two gay guys, and they all plan on raising the baby together. The boyfriend finds out, is upset, and leaves. While the boyfriend is gone, he has sex with a witch and they have a baby, which he brings back to the girl and two gay guys. They decided to raise this other child as well, and they name it 'Witch Baby' and they actually call it 'Witch Baby'. Okay… that's enough. I'm obviously going to need to read this, so let's see what other short novels I have on my bookshelf."
Now that I've gotten around to reading the book, I think my student could've completed the novel project. She seemed to be having some difficulty understanding if these character's relationships were even possible, which combined with the modern fairytale style (who would've thought you'd run into witches and genies in Los Angeles) and the fact that I provided absolutely no scaffolding what-so-ever, made the possibility of this particular student coming up with any sort of a theme nearly impossible. If I'd had a little more knowledge of the book, I suspect we could've worked through this despite her discomfort.
--But could this novel be taught to a class? Possibly. The situations described above sound a bit crazy, but there are no explicit descriptions of sex in the book; and I think the author only uses the word 'shit' twice, and it seems strategic and artistically necessary. The author loves popular culture, but unlike the name-dropping of The Clique or Gossip Girl novels, she's just interested in selling a lust for life by describing experiences like finding a cool coat at a Goodwill store or hanging out at retro-styled chili dog stand. I don't think these specific experiences are in the book, but the novel reminded me of non-material (or just cheap) experiences that my friends and I treasured when I was a young and it was all about the newness of our independence, discovery and excitement. Yesh, I sound like some crumbling geezer in that sentence!
The book is also interesting in the way that the outsider/insider dynamic doesn't seem to apply. The characters are all insiders. We as readers might be outsiders, but that's our problem, and the author leaves us to figure it out for ourselves. I'm pretty sure that homophobia is absent from this setting, which is Los Angles, but it's referred to as a mythical 'Shangri-L.A.' where 'normal' situations don't apply or even exist for that matter. This group of people without blood relationships becomes their own family and puts their collective energy into making small independent movies. They feel at ease and inspired when creating their own world through these projects, reminding me of the literacy events described in the course pack, with Shakespeare's 'play within the play' concept interpreted through the 1980's D.I.Y. alternative spirit.
The conflicts of this novel, however, seem different than the course pack descriptions of LGBTQ YA novels. (Is that like one-quarter the alphabet?) The author focuses on the difficulties of the characters finding each other and building their family and losing older family members. Having grown up in the dawning of the AIDS crisis (more alphabet), I found the concluding chapter especially moving as the characters despair over the effect that the disease has on their community. Overall, the uniqueness of the book's quirky characters, their family relationship, the detailed and mythical setting, the almost lyrical writing style, and ground breaking content (especially at the time it was written in 1989), make this the kind of book that could… I don't know… change somebody's life or something.
Flash forward to the beginning of a December when a girl in my third period class approached me with a dilemma: she knew that she wouldn't be able to finish her novel before the end of grading period, let alone the project showing me what she'd learned from the novel. Ahhh… Mr. Fisher to the rescue... "I've got just the book for you, a bit quirky, short, and it will change your life." After a couple of days, she asks if she can speak to me...
"Sure, how'd you like the book? What do you mean you can't do a novel project on it? It's weird? You don't understand it? Well, tell me what it's about, and maybe I can come up with something. Okay, let me get this straight (pun intended)… this girl lives with two gay guys and her boyfriend doesn't want to have a baby, so she decides to have a baby with the two gay guys, and they all plan on raising the baby together. The boyfriend finds out, is upset, and leaves. While the boyfriend is gone, he has sex with a witch and they have a baby, which he brings back to the girl and two gay guys. They decided to raise this other child as well, and they name it 'Witch Baby' and they actually call it 'Witch Baby'. Okay… that's enough. I'm obviously going to need to read this, so let's see what other short novels I have on my bookshelf."
Now that I've gotten around to reading the book, I think my student could've completed the novel project. She seemed to be having some difficulty understanding if these character's relationships were even possible, which combined with the modern fairytale style (who would've thought you'd run into witches and genies in Los Angeles) and the fact that I provided absolutely no scaffolding what-so-ever, made the possibility of this particular student coming up with any sort of a theme nearly impossible. If I'd had a little more knowledge of the book, I suspect we could've worked through this despite her discomfort.
--But could this novel be taught to a class? Possibly. The situations described above sound a bit crazy, but there are no explicit descriptions of sex in the book; and I think the author only uses the word 'shit' twice, and it seems strategic and artistically necessary. The author loves popular culture, but unlike the name-dropping of The Clique or Gossip Girl novels, she's just interested in selling a lust for life by describing experiences like finding a cool coat at a Goodwill store or hanging out at retro-styled chili dog stand. I don't think these specific experiences are in the book, but the novel reminded me of non-material (or just cheap) experiences that my friends and I treasured when I was a young and it was all about the newness of our independence, discovery and excitement. Yesh, I sound like some crumbling geezer in that sentence!
The book is also interesting in the way that the outsider/insider dynamic doesn't seem to apply. The characters are all insiders. We as readers might be outsiders, but that's our problem, and the author leaves us to figure it out for ourselves. I'm pretty sure that homophobia is absent from this setting, which is Los Angles, but it's referred to as a mythical 'Shangri-L.A.' where 'normal' situations don't apply or even exist for that matter. This group of people without blood relationships becomes their own family and puts their collective energy into making small independent movies. They feel at ease and inspired when creating their own world through these projects, reminding me of the literacy events described in the course pack, with Shakespeare's 'play within the play' concept interpreted through the 1980's D.I.Y. alternative spirit.
The conflicts of this novel, however, seem different than the course pack descriptions of LGBTQ YA novels. (Is that like one-quarter the alphabet?) The author focuses on the difficulties of the characters finding each other and building their family and losing older family members. Having grown up in the dawning of the AIDS crisis (more alphabet), I found the concluding chapter especially moving as the characters despair over the effect that the disease has on their community. Overall, the uniqueness of the book's quirky characters, their family relationship, the detailed and mythical setting, the almost lyrical writing style, and ground breaking content (especially at the time it was written in 1989), make this the kind of book that could… I don't know… change somebody's life or something.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Is He or Isn’t He? After reading this piece of corny garbage, you really won’t care.
To sum up this trite attempt at “hip” contemporary gay young adult fiction, I’ll quote Dorothy Parker: “This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force.” While reading this book, I was sorely tempted, on numerous occasions, to simply grab it and hurl it against the nearest wall. This is like a gay version of the Gossip Girl books: all the characters attend posh Peppington Prep, they’re all rich beyond belief because their parents, who are never around, are all fashion designers, television stars, or multibillionaire entrepreneurs, and they’re all shallow, materialistic label queens.
The author, John Hall (if you want to laugh, check out his cheesey website), packs the book with every conceivable stereotype about gay guys, straight guys, straight girls, Italian people, rich people, people in the fashion industry, people in the entertainment industry… Nothing about this book is original. In fact, on the Acknowledgements page, Hall even mentions that the idea for the book came from a friend who “pitched” him a “two-sentence premise” and asked him to come up with an outline for the story. From the looks of it, he didn’t get much further than the outline. Here is the plot (such as it is): Anthony and Paige, best friends entering their senior year, both develop a crush on Max, the hot new guy in school. They don’t know whether he’s gay or straight (hence the title), so—instead of simply asking him—they hatch asinine scheme after asinine scheme to find out his sexual orientation. After lots of shopping trips, glamorous soirées, and exclamation points (I estimate that Hall uses about three per page), they discover Max’s sexual orientation. Hall manages to sustain this idiocy for almost 300 pages.
This book contains almost no redeeming qualities, except that one character in the book recommends that another character read K.M. Soehnlein’s The World of Normal Boys, which is actually a good book. Surprisingly, Hall also thanks Libba Bray (the author of A Great and Terrible Beauty, which Jeff praised highly in an earlier post) on his Acknowledgements page. Hall, who works as editor in the publishing industry, obviously knows what good literature is, so I’m left to wonder why his own novel is so utterly lousy. This book is the literary equivalent of Saved by the Bell, only more damaging. Avoid this at all costs.
Jim
The author, John Hall (if you want to laugh, check out his cheesey website), packs the book with every conceivable stereotype about gay guys, straight guys, straight girls, Italian people, rich people, people in the fashion industry, people in the entertainment industry… Nothing about this book is original. In fact, on the Acknowledgements page, Hall even mentions that the idea for the book came from a friend who “pitched” him a “two-sentence premise” and asked him to come up with an outline for the story. From the looks of it, he didn’t get much further than the outline. Here is the plot (such as it is): Anthony and Paige, best friends entering their senior year, both develop a crush on Max, the hot new guy in school. They don’t know whether he’s gay or straight (hence the title), so—instead of simply asking him—they hatch asinine scheme after asinine scheme to find out his sexual orientation. After lots of shopping trips, glamorous soirées, and exclamation points (I estimate that Hall uses about three per page), they discover Max’s sexual orientation. Hall manages to sustain this idiocy for almost 300 pages.
This book contains almost no redeeming qualities, except that one character in the book recommends that another character read K.M. Soehnlein’s The World of Normal Boys, which is actually a good book. Surprisingly, Hall also thanks Libba Bray (the author of A Great and Terrible Beauty, which Jeff praised highly in an earlier post) on his Acknowledgements page. Hall, who works as editor in the publishing industry, obviously knows what good literature is, so I’m left to wonder why his own novel is so utterly lousy. This book is the literary equivalent of Saved by the Bell, only more damaging. Avoid this at all costs.
Jim
Procrastination--and a cartoon
The book I'm reading for this week is horrible (more on that later), so as I look for excuses to avoid it, I'll share this cartoon with everyone :-).
Jim
Jim
Friday, February 23, 2007
Week 8: Sexual Orientation and YA
Hello, all! Let's jump in and start discussing next week's topic, articles, and YA novels you're reading. Here are some questions to get us started:
1. What are "literacy events" according to Blackburn? How might participating in such events affect teen identity development, according to her? In her article, a student named Justine was "empowered" against homophobia through her literacy "performance" (writing a poem). Do you agree that such literacy acts can lead to social change and personal empowerment? Why or why not?
2. What is meant by a "queer inclusive" curricula as opposed to an LGBTQ-inclusive classroom? (consult the Blackburn, Buckley article). How are the two different? How does the "insider/outsider" concept we discussed in class last week apply here? The authors also say they "construct images of the possible" through using YA lit dealing with human sexuality. Do you think literature can serve such a purpose?
3. What do you think new teachers need to know about queer issues before entering the classroom? What should they have read? What should they have thought about or considered? Should queer issues become part of the preservice curriculum? If so, in what way?
4. What YA books have you read that deal with issues of sexual orientation? What issues or ideas have they addressed or grappled with? Have you found them to be potentially transformative for young readers or simply places where teen readers can have their often-stereotyped expectations confirmed?
Janet
1. What are "literacy events" according to Blackburn? How might participating in such events affect teen identity development, according to her? In her article, a student named Justine was "empowered" against homophobia through her literacy "performance" (writing a poem). Do you agree that such literacy acts can lead to social change and personal empowerment? Why or why not?
2. What is meant by a "queer inclusive" curricula as opposed to an LGBTQ-inclusive classroom? (consult the Blackburn, Buckley article). How are the two different? How does the "insider/outsider" concept we discussed in class last week apply here? The authors also say they "construct images of the possible" through using YA lit dealing with human sexuality. Do you think literature can serve such a purpose?
3. What do you think new teachers need to know about queer issues before entering the classroom? What should they have read? What should they have thought about or considered? Should queer issues become part of the preservice curriculum? If so, in what way?
4. What YA books have you read that deal with issues of sexual orientation? What issues or ideas have they addressed or grappled with? Have you found them to be potentially transformative for young readers or simply places where teen readers can have their often-stereotyped expectations confirmed?
Janet
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
"The House on Mango Street," and Thoughts on Other Cultures
I, too, read “The House on Mango Street,” by Sandra Cisneros for this week’s book. I could apply all three critical themes of “gender, class, and language,” centering on the theme of immigration suggested by Medina in “Interpreting Latino/a Literature as Critical Fictions” to “The House of Mango Street.” I believe this book is a modern and believable look “into” the lives of poor, urban Latinos from an “insiders” perspective. Cisneros writes from experience with this culture; drawing from her own Latino heritage. The modern setting of this story and the coming of age plot, as Heather suggested filled with struggles and emotions teens from any culture would face (boys, friendship, love, family, peer rejection etc.) must make it easier for students to relate to and ultimately achieve empathy with the text (both parallel and reactive and possibly cross-cultural, as stated by Louie.)
I was drawn to this Latino book because of the large number of Hispanic/Latino students in area schools. I agree with the following statement “Schools should also teach students about the world,-the people they live with, the stories and messages of others, the diversity of cultures,” from “The Voices of Power and the Power of Voices.” Not only should students be learning about cultures globally; they should be exposed to the different cultures within their peer groups. How does it make students of Hispanic heritage feel or how are they equipped to engage with the texts, when they sit in a class that does not recognize their own culture? Thus, I think this Latino culture is often non-existent and is one that deserves to be included in secondary English.
Cisneros makes this story authentic by including use of Spanish words, description of the Spanish meanings of characters names, memories of Mexico(the country the characters immigrated from,) language barriers for characters, Mexican myths customs and religious practices and beliefs, all neatly woven into the separate chapters. The main character, Esperanza, who so desperately wants to escape Mango St. and the expectations that her society has for her as a woman, still vows to hold on to her culture and roots. “One day I will own my own house, but I won’t forget who I am or where I came from.”
I loved the chapter titled “Those Who Don’t,” as it talked about the stereotypes that the “outsiders” had of Esperanza’s neighborhood, but in turn the stereotypes that Esperanza and the members of her neighborhood had for the rich, white people. Both cultures were uncomfortable in the other’s realms, and held stereotypes for one another. It really showed the need for cultural awareness and the chapter could help to bridge the topic in a classroom.
The book also centered on what it means to be a Latino woman and the cultural expectations for a young girl growing up in a poor, Hispanic neighborhood. Esperanza struggles with her desire to want more than to be a sexual object, young wife and mother. But, all around her she sees peers who focus on attention from boys as a way out, mothers who are left alone to raise children, women who are treated as second class citizens etc.
Honestly, I was angered while reading the chapter “Black Males and the Reading Achievement Gap.” While the claims the author made for a need to close the achievement gap for black males may be true, he became very bias by becoming too absorbed in this one group. It is important to consider the needs of poor, black males in the classroom, but it is just as important to consider the needs of affluent, black males or black females for that matter. What about poor, white students, students with learning disabilities or language challenged Hispanic students, per say. The list could go on and on. I also had a problem with the section that defined black males by the “cool pose.” Isn’t this stereotyping black, male students just a little, by trying to lump them into one biased, general category? Some of the characteristics of the “cool pose” black male students could be assigned to any general adolescent in turmoil with growing up. As teachers, we must try to include texts that represent all cultures, while helping individual students achieve strong identities. We can’t focus on one specific group of students or we will create turmoil amongst other groups.
Staci
I was drawn to this Latino book because of the large number of Hispanic/Latino students in area schools. I agree with the following statement “Schools should also teach students about the world,-the people they live with, the stories and messages of others, the diversity of cultures,” from “The Voices of Power and the Power of Voices.” Not only should students be learning about cultures globally; they should be exposed to the different cultures within their peer groups. How does it make students of Hispanic heritage feel or how are they equipped to engage with the texts, when they sit in a class that does not recognize their own culture? Thus, I think this Latino culture is often non-existent and is one that deserves to be included in secondary English.
Cisneros makes this story authentic by including use of Spanish words, description of the Spanish meanings of characters names, memories of Mexico(the country the characters immigrated from,) language barriers for characters, Mexican myths customs and religious practices and beliefs, all neatly woven into the separate chapters. The main character, Esperanza, who so desperately wants to escape Mango St. and the expectations that her society has for her as a woman, still vows to hold on to her culture and roots. “One day I will own my own house, but I won’t forget who I am or where I came from.”
I loved the chapter titled “Those Who Don’t,” as it talked about the stereotypes that the “outsiders” had of Esperanza’s neighborhood, but in turn the stereotypes that Esperanza and the members of her neighborhood had for the rich, white people. Both cultures were uncomfortable in the other’s realms, and held stereotypes for one another. It really showed the need for cultural awareness and the chapter could help to bridge the topic in a classroom.
The book also centered on what it means to be a Latino woman and the cultural expectations for a young girl growing up in a poor, Hispanic neighborhood. Esperanza struggles with her desire to want more than to be a sexual object, young wife and mother. But, all around her she sees peers who focus on attention from boys as a way out, mothers who are left alone to raise children, women who are treated as second class citizens etc.
Honestly, I was angered while reading the chapter “Black Males and the Reading Achievement Gap.” While the claims the author made for a need to close the achievement gap for black males may be true, he became very bias by becoming too absorbed in this one group. It is important to consider the needs of poor, black males in the classroom, but it is just as important to consider the needs of affluent, black males or black females for that matter. What about poor, white students, students with learning disabilities or language challenged Hispanic students, per say. The list could go on and on. I also had a problem with the section that defined black males by the “cool pose.” Isn’t this stereotyping black, male students just a little, by trying to lump them into one biased, general category? Some of the characteristics of the “cool pose” black male students could be assigned to any general adolescent in turmoil with growing up. As teachers, we must try to include texts that represent all cultures, while helping individual students achieve strong identities. We can’t focus on one specific group of students or we will create turmoil amongst other groups.
Staci
Monday, February 19, 2007
Yay for class tomorrow!
I really am excited about having class tomorrow! Yahoo for that. As far as responding to the questions is concerned, with regards to the Bruemmer article, I feel as though their is something to be said for biological differences between boys and girls. However, as with any psychological correlation, to infer causation strictly from a correlation is to commit a logical fallacy. Banning the sale of hot chocolate because there is a direct correlation between hot chocolate sales and auto accidents ignores the fact that most wrecks occur in the winter when, guess what, people are more likely to be drinking hot chocolate. Similarly, to say that 80% of all high school drop outs are boys is interesting, but to automatically assume that the sole reason for their dropping out stems from their lack of interest in literature courses implies the same cognitive laziness involved in the hot chocolate scenario. Third, fourth, or fifth variables are almost always involved. I also think the disparity between girls and boys academic performance results (as previously discussed in class) partially from a set of expectations involving what each gender should or should not value. The situation then shifts from one in which boys prefer math and sciend to one in which boys should prefer these disciplines because, historically, men have been the captains of production and, as a result, have established the United States' stronghold in the global market. I think there is a growing fear about the increasing deficiency in our math and science interests with the youth in this country. Articles like the Bruemmer piece which place literature on an equal level with math and science are dangerous because the perception is that they implicitly conflate literature with femininity or, on other words, demasculinize American schools. The feminization of our academic institutions conflicts with the historical precedent of America being governed by masculine science and intellectual superiority and consequently illicits an even stronger push to reinforce masculinity in young men as an effort to, perhaps, ameliorate the situation. In short, we're digging ourselves into a hole from which there may or may not be a clear way out. Efforts to combat this phenomenon such as adapting lesson plans to appeal to the meager attention spans of young men while, on the surface, appear beneficial ultimately beg the question, "what does society gain by catering to the increasing demands of today's apathetic culture of boys?" This brings me back to my first point: what else could be going on with these kids that exceeds the parameters of mere gender distinctions that could more effectively allow teachers to not only evoke an appreciation for literature but also (and arguably more importantly) to reclaim our international stronghold on math and sciences. Clearly boredom in schools exists outside the english classroom. Lord of the Flies is a start, but we can't belittle the value of numbers...(like in a math class...)
Briefly, for this week I read The Autobiography of My Dead Brother by Walter Dean Myers. It was a graphic novel depicting life on the inner streets of New York. Gangs, drive-by shootings, and poverty shoot themselves unto the pages of this beautifully illustrated text. The first person narrator, Jesse, takes the reader on a journey which begins and ends with the murders of two of his friends. Through Jesse's eyes, we see the struggles faced by contemporary urban youth as they search for an identity among the bullets, corrupt cops, and disfunctional families. I'll chat more about that one tomorrow. Have a great night and I'll see yall soon!
Briefly, for this week I read The Autobiography of My Dead Brother by Walter Dean Myers. It was a graphic novel depicting life on the inner streets of New York. Gangs, drive-by shootings, and poverty shoot themselves unto the pages of this beautifully illustrated text. The first person narrator, Jesse, takes the reader on a journey which begins and ends with the murders of two of his friends. Through Jesse's eyes, we see the struggles faced by contemporary urban youth as they search for an identity among the bullets, corrupt cops, and disfunctional families. I'll chat more about that one tomorrow. Have a great night and I'll see yall soon!
Kira-Kira
Kira-kira (Japanese) means glittering and shining. It's the first word Katie's sister (Lynn) taught her.
The setting of this novel takes place in the 1950s in the countryside of Iowa and Georgia. The plot is developed by one of the three popular story themes as Loh mentioned on p. 265--adjusting & assimilating to an American lifestyle.
Although both Katie's parents were American born Japanese, they still couldn't fit in well in the American society. They and other Japanese Americans were isolated and left alone in their own community. Both parents work in a poultry processing plant (one of the limited work they were permitted to do), working overtime with a little salary. The big sister Lynn was the smart one at school, and she always needed to help Katie with her homework and explain why people see them as air no matter where. Lynn and Katie enjoyed most to lie down on the country road and looked at the beautiful sky and all the glittering stars. They made wishes, hoping some day they can have a bright future and live in a big house in California by the sea.
However, things underwent a sudden change after Lynn was diagnosed cancer and eventually died. Katie had to grow up, take care of her parents and younger brother, and she would try to carry out her sister's dreams.
This novel was written by Cynthia Kadohata, an Asian American writer who embedded facts into her story. The conditions of post-war factories, the struggles of American-born Japanese, and the limitations imposed on them. Those were all what Kadohata observed or experienced in her life. The cultural and racial background of the author helps to enhence the cultural authenticity of the story and the community that has been depicted.
The setting of this novel takes place in the 1950s in the countryside of Iowa and Georgia. The plot is developed by one of the three popular story themes as Loh mentioned on p. 265--adjusting & assimilating to an American lifestyle.
Although both Katie's parents were American born Japanese, they still couldn't fit in well in the American society. They and other Japanese Americans were isolated and left alone in their own community. Both parents work in a poultry processing plant (one of the limited work they were permitted to do), working overtime with a little salary. The big sister Lynn was the smart one at school, and she always needed to help Katie with her homework and explain why people see them as air no matter where. Lynn and Katie enjoyed most to lie down on the country road and looked at the beautiful sky and all the glittering stars. They made wishes, hoping some day they can have a bright future and live in a big house in California by the sea.
However, things underwent a sudden change after Lynn was diagnosed cancer and eventually died. Katie had to grow up, take care of her parents and younger brother, and she would try to carry out her sister's dreams.
This novel was written by Cynthia Kadohata, an Asian American writer who embedded facts into her story. The conditions of post-war factories, the struggles of American-born Japanese, and the limitations imposed on them. Those were all what Kadohata observed or experienced in her life. The cultural and racial background of the author helps to enhence the cultural authenticity of the story and the community that has been depicted.
Multicultural literature
Many of the goals of multicultural education are developed and taught through the use of multicultural literature. Through the use of multicultural literature, young adults who are members of a racial or ethnic minority group can realize that they have a cultural heritage of which they can be proud. This pride can improve self concept and develop cultural identity. Through reading and discussion of multicultural lit., we can discover that not all our classmates share the same personal beliefs, values, goals identities and that all of us are human beings with feelings, emotions, and needs.
Multicultural literature can accomplish many goals: teach respect, broaden understanding of history and geograph, help raise aspirations, and help develop an understanding of social change.
A culturally responsive approach in teaching involves a teacher using his/her students' culture as an important source of the students' education. Geneva Gay(2000) described culturally responsive teaching as:
1. Acknowledgement of a student's cultural heritage as it affects their dispositions, attitudes and approaches to learning. 2. Uses a wide array of instructional strategies. 3. Build meaning between a student's home and school experience and their lived realities. 4. Teaches an appreciation of a students' cultural heritage. 5. Incorporates multicultural information and resources in all content areas and skills taught in schools. We must go beyond best reading practices as taught in the content areas, we must be culturally responsive.
the book I just finished reading, was advertised in Teaching Tolerance, so I thought it was worthwhile. The book, The Wall on 7th Street, incorporates Native American folklore, specifically that of theIroquois tribe, in the story of a teen, who with his mom and sister, relocate to another part of town after a divorce. Toby misses his dad and friends, and befriends a homeless man, Moe, who lives underneath a deck in sight of the Wall(covered with grafitti). The legends of the area indicate that it was considered sacred to American Indians. Joseph Campbell, in his book, The Power of the Myth, maintains that to understand a culture, we should begin by looking at the folklore of a group. The author of The Wall on 7th Street, Diane Martineau, does exactly that. The book is a wonderful read, providing a contemporary setting and issues, but, yet bringing us into times of the past.
Multicultural literature can accomplish many goals: teach respect, broaden understanding of history and geograph, help raise aspirations, and help develop an understanding of social change.
A culturally responsive approach in teaching involves a teacher using his/her students' culture as an important source of the students' education. Geneva Gay(2000) described culturally responsive teaching as:
1. Acknowledgement of a student's cultural heritage as it affects their dispositions, attitudes and approaches to learning. 2. Uses a wide array of instructional strategies. 3. Build meaning between a student's home and school experience and their lived realities. 4. Teaches an appreciation of a students' cultural heritage. 5. Incorporates multicultural information and resources in all content areas and skills taught in schools. We must go beyond best reading practices as taught in the content areas, we must be culturally responsive.
the book I just finished reading, was advertised in Teaching Tolerance, so I thought it was worthwhile. The book, The Wall on 7th Street, incorporates Native American folklore, specifically that of theIroquois tribe, in the story of a teen, who with his mom and sister, relocate to another part of town after a divorce. Toby misses his dad and friends, and befriends a homeless man, Moe, who lives underneath a deck in sight of the Wall(covered with grafitti). The legends of the area indicate that it was considered sacred to American Indians. Joseph Campbell, in his book, The Power of the Myth, maintains that to understand a culture, we should begin by looking at the folklore of a group. The author of The Wall on 7th Street, Diane Martineau, does exactly that. The book is a wonderful read, providing a contemporary setting and issues, but, yet bringing us into times of the past.
The Tatum Article and Mississippi Trial, 1955
First, I thought Tatum did an excellent job of organizing his argument. The sections: a brief history of Black Male turmoil, the responses to it and the need for multiple literacies, although short, directly supported his claims. I did not like the way he continuously suggested that the majority of teachers cannot/do not select more appropriate literature for Black male teens because they are preparing for standardized tests. This seemed to be a recurrent theme throughout the paper. I agree that many teachers are not selecting enough multicultural works, however, I think there are many other factors influencing this. Specifically, lack of resources and funding. I am lucky to work in a district where I am able to choose whatever literature I see fit for the classroom and often have access to funding. I realize this is not the case everywhere, but I certainly do no select literature with solely ISTEP in mind. I believe that the skills assessed by the ISTEP tests can be mastered utilizing any text. I realize, however, that I teach upper elementary and that this may not be the case at the secondary level?
Second, African American identity has been a large part of the ongoing research I have been doing to write my seminar paper. Scholars agree that the Eurocentric worldview imposed on African Americans definitely impacts identity development. Tatum also made mention of the effect on identity of Eurocentric teaching and textbooks. I feel a tremendous responsibility as an educator to find literature that not only positively impacts African Americans in my classroom, but all ethnicities. This is a huge and ongoing challenge for me! I am very appreciative of the titles provided by Nisreen and suggested in the articles!
Lastly, I too am trying to read a large selection of cultural (specifically African American) novels to aid me in the development of my final paper and presentation. For this week, I read Mississippi Trial, 1955, by Chris Crowe. The book is about a white teenager who visits his grandfather in Mississippi during the time Emmett Till is murdered. Hirim runs in to Till several times before he is brutally beaten and killed and believes a childhood friend of his may have played a part in the murder. Although the author does a decent job portraying Mississippi in 1955 while attempting to recreate the murder from a fictitious vantage point, I would have rather read an African American teenager's vantage point. I assume the author did this because is white and did not feel comfortable writing from an African American perspective -I find this to be totally understandable as I have struggled with my own credibility while writing my paper! Chris Crowe is only one of many authors to depict Emmett Till's murder in his writing, however, he was the only one I could find who openly centered his YA novel on the Till murder.
Second, African American identity has been a large part of the ongoing research I have been doing to write my seminar paper. Scholars agree that the Eurocentric worldview imposed on African Americans definitely impacts identity development. Tatum also made mention of the effect on identity of Eurocentric teaching and textbooks. I feel a tremendous responsibility as an educator to find literature that not only positively impacts African Americans in my classroom, but all ethnicities. This is a huge and ongoing challenge for me! I am very appreciative of the titles provided by Nisreen and suggested in the articles!
Lastly, I too am trying to read a large selection of cultural (specifically African American) novels to aid me in the development of my final paper and presentation. For this week, I read Mississippi Trial, 1955, by Chris Crowe. The book is about a white teenager who visits his grandfather in Mississippi during the time Emmett Till is murdered. Hirim runs in to Till several times before he is brutally beaten and killed and believes a childhood friend of his may have played a part in the murder. Although the author does a decent job portraying Mississippi in 1955 while attempting to recreate the murder from a fictitious vantage point, I would have rather read an African American teenager's vantage point. I assume the author did this because is white and did not feel comfortable writing from an African American perspective -I find this to be totally understandable as I have struggled with my own credibility while writing my paper! Chris Crowe is only one of many authors to depict Emmett Till's murder in his writing, however, he was the only one I could find who openly centered his YA novel on the Till murder.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Roll of Thunder... Red Scarf Girl... YA Native American Lit.?
Though I whole-heartedly believe that we should select authentic texts, maybe our criteria within these authentic texts should be toughened even more. Some texts like Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry (which I read this week) and Red Scarf Girl (which I've taught in the past) take into consideration the outsider audience, and these to me seem more readily useful for a classroom teacher.
Roll of Thunder… tells the story of an African-American family that struggles to maintain its economic independence in a hostile southern farming community during the Great Depression. The section that stood out to me as extremely useful and wisely crafted was when the Grandmother repeats the oral history of the family to her granddaughter named Cassie, which allows the readers access to background history of Post-Civil War Reconstruction. Cassie is also useful as a young protagonist because she's grown up in a somewhat isolated situation on the family farm, and her parents have to explain economic pressures and the culture of bigotry that she's beginning to encounter.
Student readers need various contexts if more emotionally based expressions of empathy are to occur. Why not work these contexts into the novel? After reading Nisreen's post about Naomi Shihab Nye's novel Habibi, it sounds like Nye employs some similar devices to get necessary information to young readers without giving the additional task of digging up supporing contextual materials to teachers who are stretched thin enough already. Here's my new literature selection motto: work smarter, not harder by choosing a book that actually considers it's YA audence. I'll get off soapbox now. As a side note: the more developed adult characters in Roll of Thunder… are essential in providing this context, and as a result the book felt different than most of the YA books that I've read.
Comparing the course pack description of the novella Let One Hundred Flowers Bloom to the YA novel Red Scarf Girl, I felt that RSG provided more contextual support even without supplemental materials than LOHFB. To begin with, RSG has a young protagonist, Ji-Li Jiang, who gradually learns about the Chinese Cultural Revolution that's happening around her, in the same way that my students figured things out as they read the book. I think students identify with Ji-Li more than with Hua from LOHFB because age-wise she's their peer as well as a talented student (I've only taught this book with high-ability students by the way). Hua as an adult artist… well, you know how those artistic folk are… ☺, but I would also expect students to have some difficulty understanding divorce and abortion from an adult perspective, even from an insider perspective!
Granted, I was working with high-ability seventh grade students, but little time was spent trying to understand what was happening. Socratic Seminars would begin with comments like "Well, this is sort of like the Holocaust… but It's different because…" and "Don't get me wrong, but this Chairman Mao guy was a genius, a terrible guy, but a genius." Almost all of my students came to understand that they needed to de-center their experiences from their American cultural point of view. If students have to work so hard to feel something for a book that they're gushing more over the death of a dog than a child, then maybe the teachers from the course pack article weren't using the right book to begin with.
To me, books like Roll of Thunder… and Red Scarf Girl and maybe Habibi allow readers into the 'house of the other' in a more inviting way by being aware that the audience isn't from around their neck of the woods. They find ways to work the necessary contexts in. Young protagonists help this cause, developed adult characters help too, and developed adult interactions with young protagonists also help to give readers of what-ever age friendlier access to these other worlds. In addition, teachers of young adults can more efficiently support youth in find meaning in cultures different from their own. Okay, now I'm getting off the soapbox... really.
Since I've gotten that rant out of my system... if anyone knows of a Native American novel that's inviting and written at a young adult level, I'd love to hear about it. It seems like their culture in particular has walls that are taller and thicker and legitimately built with more anger and distrust than most multi-cultural ethnicities. I've read Momaday's House of Dawn, Silko's Ceremony, and Erdrich's poetry (some of which I've used), but I'm pretty sure that these are more difficult than even my high-ability students can handle. I've also read Richter's The Light in the Forest, but now I'm wondering how authentic that book really is.
Roll of Thunder… tells the story of an African-American family that struggles to maintain its economic independence in a hostile southern farming community during the Great Depression. The section that stood out to me as extremely useful and wisely crafted was when the Grandmother repeats the oral history of the family to her granddaughter named Cassie, which allows the readers access to background history of Post-Civil War Reconstruction. Cassie is also useful as a young protagonist because she's grown up in a somewhat isolated situation on the family farm, and her parents have to explain economic pressures and the culture of bigotry that she's beginning to encounter.
Student readers need various contexts if more emotionally based expressions of empathy are to occur. Why not work these contexts into the novel? After reading Nisreen's post about Naomi Shihab Nye's novel Habibi, it sounds like Nye employs some similar devices to get necessary information to young readers without giving the additional task of digging up supporing contextual materials to teachers who are stretched thin enough already. Here's my new literature selection motto: work smarter, not harder by choosing a book that actually considers it's YA audence. I'll get off soapbox now. As a side note: the more developed adult characters in Roll of Thunder… are essential in providing this context, and as a result the book felt different than most of the YA books that I've read.
Comparing the course pack description of the novella Let One Hundred Flowers Bloom to the YA novel Red Scarf Girl, I felt that RSG provided more contextual support even without supplemental materials than LOHFB. To begin with, RSG has a young protagonist, Ji-Li Jiang, who gradually learns about the Chinese Cultural Revolution that's happening around her, in the same way that my students figured things out as they read the book. I think students identify with Ji-Li more than with Hua from LOHFB because age-wise she's their peer as well as a talented student (I've only taught this book with high-ability students by the way). Hua as an adult artist… well, you know how those artistic folk are… ☺, but I would also expect students to have some difficulty understanding divorce and abortion from an adult perspective, even from an insider perspective!
Granted, I was working with high-ability seventh grade students, but little time was spent trying to understand what was happening. Socratic Seminars would begin with comments like "Well, this is sort of like the Holocaust… but It's different because…" and "Don't get me wrong, but this Chairman Mao guy was a genius, a terrible guy, but a genius." Almost all of my students came to understand that they needed to de-center their experiences from their American cultural point of view. If students have to work so hard to feel something for a book that they're gushing more over the death of a dog than a child, then maybe the teachers from the course pack article weren't using the right book to begin with.
To me, books like Roll of Thunder… and Red Scarf Girl and maybe Habibi allow readers into the 'house of the other' in a more inviting way by being aware that the audience isn't from around their neck of the woods. They find ways to work the necessary contexts in. Young protagonists help this cause, developed adult characters help too, and developed adult interactions with young protagonists also help to give readers of what-ever age friendlier access to these other worlds. In addition, teachers of young adults can more efficiently support youth in find meaning in cultures different from their own. Okay, now I'm getting off the soapbox... really.
Since I've gotten that rant out of my system... if anyone knows of a Native American novel that's inviting and written at a young adult level, I'd love to hear about it. It seems like their culture in particular has walls that are taller and thicker and legitimately built with more anger and distrust than most multi-cultural ethnicities. I've read Momaday's House of Dawn, Silko's Ceremony, and Erdrich's poetry (some of which I've used), but I'm pretty sure that these are more difficult than even my high-ability students can handle. I've also read Richter's The Light in the Forest, but now I'm wondering how authentic that book really is.
Bilal's Bread by Sulayman X
As I was reading Bilal’s Bread, the issue of cultural authenticity, as explained in some of the articles for this week, keep gnawing at me. The author, Sulayman X , is an American convert to Islam and the founder of Queer Jihad. He has posted some biographical information on the Queer Jihad website, because—I presume—his cultural authenticity has been questioned. The Abu family, the main characters in Bilal’s Bread, are Kurdish immigrants living in Kansas City, and Bilal, the protagonist, is a 16 year-old boy who is beginning to identify himself as gay, falling in love with the son of his Imam, resorting to self-mutilation (Bilal cuts, burns, and bruises himself), and enduring brutal serial rapes and physical beatings at the hands of his oldest brother Salim, who is the male head of the family, since their father was apprehended and killed in Iraq by Saddam’s Republican Guard.
This novel addresses an entire range of issues that a Muslim youth might face in post-9/11 America: hatred born of ignorance, the autonomy of women (Bilal’s sister Fatima has chosen not to wear a veil, which displeases Salim), blending a Muslim identity with an American identity, family loyalties that are challenged by American culture… Complicating matters is Bilal’s sexual orientation and the Muslim condemnation of homosexuality.
I hoped this book would be a groundbreaking examination of Muslim culture, sexual orientation, and emerging adolescent identity. Ultimately, the book was a tremendous disappointment: graphic sex scenes (each time Salim rapes Bilal, Sulayman X spares no detail), disturbing depictions of the beatings Salim administers to Bilal, preachy dialogue, and implausible plot developments doom Bilal’s Bread to the status of well-meaning-but-ineptly-executed cultural artifact. What could have been a poignant and original story of adolescent development devolves into a disturbingly stereotypical representation of gay sexuality and Islam. For example, Fatima—who’s supposed to be a liberal, enlightened character—suggests that “Bilal might be gay because Salim sexually abused him when he was a child” (p. 205), and it is revealed that Salim himself was raped by the Iraqis before he was forced to witness the murder of his father. Bilal is often described as effeminate, and Salim—essentially the embodiment of evil—has absolutely no redeeming qualities at all, which is a problematic issue, since he is the most devout Muslim character in the novel. There are some positive aspects of this book (Bilal eventually comes out to his entire school during a poetry contest; the community begins to support and understand the Abu family by the end of the book), but they are few, they are almost too generic, and in the end they are inadequate.
Needless to say, I see no place for this novel in a secondary classroom.
Jim
This novel addresses an entire range of issues that a Muslim youth might face in post-9/11 America: hatred born of ignorance, the autonomy of women (Bilal’s sister Fatima has chosen not to wear a veil, which displeases Salim), blending a Muslim identity with an American identity, family loyalties that are challenged by American culture… Complicating matters is Bilal’s sexual orientation and the Muslim condemnation of homosexuality.
I hoped this book would be a groundbreaking examination of Muslim culture, sexual orientation, and emerging adolescent identity. Ultimately, the book was a tremendous disappointment: graphic sex scenes (each time Salim rapes Bilal, Sulayman X spares no detail), disturbing depictions of the beatings Salim administers to Bilal, preachy dialogue, and implausible plot developments doom Bilal’s Bread to the status of well-meaning-but-ineptly-executed cultural artifact. What could have been a poignant and original story of adolescent development devolves into a disturbingly stereotypical representation of gay sexuality and Islam. For example, Fatima—who’s supposed to be a liberal, enlightened character—suggests that “Bilal might be gay because Salim sexually abused him when he was a child” (p. 205), and it is revealed that Salim himself was raped by the Iraqis before he was forced to witness the murder of his father. Bilal is often described as effeminate, and Salim—essentially the embodiment of evil—has absolutely no redeeming qualities at all, which is a problematic issue, since he is the most devout Muslim character in the novel. There are some positive aspects of this book (Bilal eventually comes out to his entire school during a poetry contest; the community begins to support and understand the Abu family by the end of the book), but they are few, they are almost too generic, and in the end they are inadequate.
Needless to say, I see no place for this novel in a secondary classroom.
Jim
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Arabic YA novels
A topic for my project,
I’m trying to read Arabic/multicultural young adults novels to support my presentation for one thing and to decide a topic for my project. I’m thinking now to read all/most of the Arabic novels that have been translated into English to analyze them in terms of literary and cultural values. In addition to examining their authenticity; are they a real reflection of the Arabic culture and to what extent. I may also try to compare those books written by Arab authors and those that have been written by non-Arabs. As you know Janet, I’m trying to create a YA curriculum, as I did for children’s Lit. to teach them in our schools back home or to use them in the American schools for Arab bilingual children.
1- Habibi/ Darling by Naomi Shihab Nye
If you decide one day to `teach in your classroom an Arabic novel for young adults I highly recommend Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye. As you might have read in the articles for next week that authenticity is a key issue to be taken into consideration when choosing a book specially about a group that you are not very familiar with. As an Arab person I felt that Naomi reached the peak by her description of the daily life in the Arab world in general and the Palestinian community in particular. The other great thing about this particular book is that you do not need as a teacher or a reader to go and search for the social, historical, political, and cultural contexts to understand the Palestinian culture. The author provided such background knowledge in an explicit way between her chapters. For example, when the teen Liyana and her family moved out from the US to live in Jerusalem, Naomi introduced a section as an essay written by the main teen character to describe the political, social, and historical situations in Palestine then. Naomi also included between the lines marvelous amount of social and cultural details, whenever she included a word or a concept in Arabic she would automatically provide an explanation or translation to it to keep the reader engaged and entertained through out the whole book. The main teen character liyana was born in the US, and her mother is American but her father is a physician from Palestine. When the family decided to move to live in Jerusalem they certainly encountered many cultural differences there.In the following dialogue between liyana and her father, when she was surprised to know that to kiss somebody from the other sex who is not a relative is considered a sin, is an example of highlighting cultural differences. “Liyana, you are missing the point, [father said] if you imagine you can measure one country’s customs by another’s. Public kissing_ is not okay here. It is simply not done. Anyway, it is not supposed to be done” (Shihab, 1997, p. 57).
If I want to examine this book in terms of authenticity I would give it a %99 rate. On the other hand I do think that the narrative is not very strong; a reader doesn’t feel he/she is following a sequence of events. The chapters are mainly introducing cultural, social or political events that happened with the characters but you do not find a story that you are waiting to see what will happen next. However, the novel make young adults laugh, cry, reflect, or think about life from another point of view…a joy.
2-Men in the sun by Ghassan Kanafani
It is a fantastic novella, although not all the main characters are teenagers; only one boy who is 16 years old. He showed how much he is responsible and caring. He did a sacrifice by dropping out form school to go and work abroad to support his mother and siblings after the separation of his parents. It is also a wonderful reflection of the social and political struggles in Palestine since the Israeli occupation…
3- A stone in my hand by Kathryn Clinton
I’m currently reading this YA book which is also a reflection of the political, historical, social and cultural life in Palestine. I hope to finish reading it by the end of the week, and then I will post more a bout it…
Hope to see you all in class
I’m trying to read Arabic/multicultural young adults novels to support my presentation for one thing and to decide a topic for my project. I’m thinking now to read all/most of the Arabic novels that have been translated into English to analyze them in terms of literary and cultural values. In addition to examining their authenticity; are they a real reflection of the Arabic culture and to what extent. I may also try to compare those books written by Arab authors and those that have been written by non-Arabs. As you know Janet, I’m trying to create a YA curriculum, as I did for children’s Lit. to teach them in our schools back home or to use them in the American schools for Arab bilingual children.
1- Habibi/ Darling by Naomi Shihab Nye
If you decide one day to `teach in your classroom an Arabic novel for young adults I highly recommend Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye. As you might have read in the articles for next week that authenticity is a key issue to be taken into consideration when choosing a book specially about a group that you are not very familiar with. As an Arab person I felt that Naomi reached the peak by her description of the daily life in the Arab world in general and the Palestinian community in particular. The other great thing about this particular book is that you do not need as a teacher or a reader to go and search for the social, historical, political, and cultural contexts to understand the Palestinian culture. The author provided such background knowledge in an explicit way between her chapters. For example, when the teen Liyana and her family moved out from the US to live in Jerusalem, Naomi introduced a section as an essay written by the main teen character to describe the political, social, and historical situations in Palestine then. Naomi also included between the lines marvelous amount of social and cultural details, whenever she included a word or a concept in Arabic she would automatically provide an explanation or translation to it to keep the reader engaged and entertained through out the whole book. The main teen character liyana was born in the US, and her mother is American but her father is a physician from Palestine. When the family decided to move to live in Jerusalem they certainly encountered many cultural differences there.In the following dialogue between liyana and her father, when she was surprised to know that to kiss somebody from the other sex who is not a relative is considered a sin, is an example of highlighting cultural differences. “Liyana, you are missing the point, [father said] if you imagine you can measure one country’s customs by another’s. Public kissing_ is not okay here. It is simply not done. Anyway, it is not supposed to be done” (Shihab, 1997, p. 57).
If I want to examine this book in terms of authenticity I would give it a %99 rate. On the other hand I do think that the narrative is not very strong; a reader doesn’t feel he/she is following a sequence of events. The chapters are mainly introducing cultural, social or political events that happened with the characters but you do not find a story that you are waiting to see what will happen next. However, the novel make young adults laugh, cry, reflect, or think about life from another point of view…a joy.
2-Men in the sun by Ghassan Kanafani
It is a fantastic novella, although not all the main characters are teenagers; only one boy who is 16 years old. He showed how much he is responsible and caring. He did a sacrifice by dropping out form school to go and work abroad to support his mother and siblings after the separation of his parents. It is also a wonderful reflection of the social and political struggles in Palestine since the Israeli occupation…
3- A stone in my hand by Kathryn Clinton
I’m currently reading this YA book which is also a reflection of the political, historical, social and cultural life in Palestine. I hope to finish reading it by the end of the week, and then I will post more a bout it…
Hope to see you all in class
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Some Questions to Consider about Week 6 and 7 Reading
1. What do you think of the "brain based" research mentioned in the Bruemmer article? Do you find it convincing?
2. Do you think the average high school English class demands emotional and intellectual responses that are more comfortable or "natural" for girls? If so, why do you think we do this?
3. How do you think English teachers might help close the "gender gap" in literacy achievement?
4. Discuss some reasons why multicultural literature should be included in secondary school curricula. What is the point? Ideally (or hypothetically), how might it affect the identity development of adolescents?
5. I really want to know what you think of the chapter from the Alfred Tatum book, _Black Males and the Reading Achievement Gap_. Thoughts?
Janet
2. Do you think the average high school English class demands emotional and intellectual responses that are more comfortable or "natural" for girls? If so, why do you think we do this?
3. How do you think English teachers might help close the "gender gap" in literacy achievement?
4. Discuss some reasons why multicultural literature should be included in secondary school curricula. What is the point? Ideally (or hypothetically), how might it affect the identity development of adolescents?
5. I really want to know what you think of the chapter from the Alfred Tatum book, _Black Males and the Reading Achievement Gap_. Thoughts?
Janet
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Snowed in too...but on the southside of the county, I am going to post with my own thoughts on this weeks readings. But before I start, I agree with Lisa on tailoring assignments to fit student's needs and interests. Being that I have yet to teach in a classroom, I would love some more examples of ways that you may do this.
I loved the "Lord of the Flies" project in Bruemmer's article. As a mother of boys, I could definitely see my sons picking some of the non-traditional projects like building a model of the island, creating a slide show, or researching forms of government. A former teacher of mine at McCutcheon, let me observe last year in her class and the students were reading "Lord of The Flies" and researching government. They had to pick to defend Roger or prosecute him. Then they presented their cases to a younger class of students (who had yet to read the book) and they served as the jury. The students seemed to really get into it.
While male students would identify with these projects, I am sure there are even some female students who may choose these non-traditional approaches, as well. After all, as teachers, we have, both male and female students that have different learning styles for instance the hands on, or spatial styles discussed in the article. I think restricting English projects to simply essays (as we did when I was in high school) is stifling creativity level from all students (boy or girl.) In my opinion, these "brain-based methods" as Bruemmer defines must better prepare students for college. They are using different learning styles to create an end project that promotes critical thinking skills.
In "Not just boring stories..." by Taylor, I could identify with the character Gabe, from the perspective of my older son's personality. Jayden is an excellent student, he has always loved for me to read to him and still does, however he doesn't enjoy reading himself. He is in a high reading group, and has an "A" in reading, but even at this early age he can't identify with the characters or see the symbolism. I think he too, is very literal. He like Gabe, when forced to read for his reading grade, picks magazines, sports articles, factual books about animals and the Guinness World Records books. While I thought Taylor had valid points on "implementing innovative teaching approaches to address our boys' specific needs as students," I am not sure that she provided great examples for how to do this? She could have expanded more in terms of ideas and projects as we saw in Bruemmer's article. I do like Taylor's idea of a boy book club and a girl book club. I think this could be useful for free reading assignments, where the books are by choice. Much in the way that Cavazos-Kottke used "self selected reading" in his classroom. I like the idea of incorporating this, however I don't think an entire class can be based on this. I believe that a teacher still needs to couple this with some books that are read by the entire class for discussion etc. Do any of you use "self selected reading" or reading book clubs or book groups, where students read different books and how does this work in your classes? Finally, I liked many of the ideas to entice reading in "Addressing the Gender Gap in boys' reading" like a book hunt through the library, a type of student email discussion or blog, rewards for books read (the karate belt idea(not sure about this one) but something like it or the pizza party idea.) I really enjoy articles like these that give practical examples from teachers that one can really utilize in the classroom. I am becoming so intrigued by this boys and reading idea, both as a teacher and a mother, I may just snag it for the project.
I plan to blog later on my book for this week, as I am not quite finished. I decided to revisit "Huck Finn" as it has been years since I read it and it is so widely taught. However, it is not really a quick read. Anyhow, I am sure most of you have read it at least once and are familiar with the plot. More on that later...
However, I did read "Holes," as my book for the gender week and I agreed with the author from "Rough Flight," in the ways that the character, Stanley, climbs to man-hood by taking action and gaining strength throughout the story. I think he does move from a feminized boy, he learns to fulfill his duty at the camp, he becomes more aggressive and independent. It is a story of survival and as I discussed in a prior blog the book shows much aggression from boys with physical fighting and abusive discipline from the adults. However, while I agree that these books are about boys and do show that "masculinity and manhood are traditionally defined by one's toughness, individuality, strength and emotional reserve," I disagree with reading such books as only "male." Why do we have to read these books as be this way and be "male" or don't be this way and be "female." Such characteristics as strong, reliable, successful, and in control can be female traits, as well? Can't both girl and boy students read these traditional male books and with a good teacher learn to equate it to themselves?
Staci
I loved the "Lord of the Flies" project in Bruemmer's article. As a mother of boys, I could definitely see my sons picking some of the non-traditional projects like building a model of the island, creating a slide show, or researching forms of government. A former teacher of mine at McCutcheon, let me observe last year in her class and the students were reading "Lord of The Flies" and researching government. They had to pick to defend Roger or prosecute him. Then they presented their cases to a younger class of students (who had yet to read the book) and they served as the jury. The students seemed to really get into it.
While male students would identify with these projects, I am sure there are even some female students who may choose these non-traditional approaches, as well. After all, as teachers, we have, both male and female students that have different learning styles for instance the hands on, or spatial styles discussed in the article. I think restricting English projects to simply essays (as we did when I was in high school) is stifling creativity level from all students (boy or girl.) In my opinion, these "brain-based methods" as Bruemmer defines must better prepare students for college. They are using different learning styles to create an end project that promotes critical thinking skills.
In "Not just boring stories..." by Taylor, I could identify with the character Gabe, from the perspective of my older son's personality. Jayden is an excellent student, he has always loved for me to read to him and still does, however he doesn't enjoy reading himself. He is in a high reading group, and has an "A" in reading, but even at this early age he can't identify with the characters or see the symbolism. I think he too, is very literal. He like Gabe, when forced to read for his reading grade, picks magazines, sports articles, factual books about animals and the Guinness World Records books. While I thought Taylor had valid points on "implementing innovative teaching approaches to address our boys' specific needs as students," I am not sure that she provided great examples for how to do this? She could have expanded more in terms of ideas and projects as we saw in Bruemmer's article. I do like Taylor's idea of a boy book club and a girl book club. I think this could be useful for free reading assignments, where the books are by choice. Much in the way that Cavazos-Kottke used "self selected reading" in his classroom. I like the idea of incorporating this, however I don't think an entire class can be based on this. I believe that a teacher still needs to couple this with some books that are read by the entire class for discussion etc. Do any of you use "self selected reading" or reading book clubs or book groups, where students read different books and how does this work in your classes? Finally, I liked many of the ideas to entice reading in "Addressing the Gender Gap in boys' reading" like a book hunt through the library, a type of student email discussion or blog, rewards for books read (the karate belt idea(not sure about this one) but something like it or the pizza party idea.) I really enjoy articles like these that give practical examples from teachers that one can really utilize in the classroom. I am becoming so intrigued by this boys and reading idea, both as a teacher and a mother, I may just snag it for the project.
I plan to blog later on my book for this week, as I am not quite finished. I decided to revisit "Huck Finn" as it has been years since I read it and it is so widely taught. However, it is not really a quick read. Anyhow, I am sure most of you have read it at least once and are familiar with the plot. More on that later...
However, I did read "Holes," as my book for the gender week and I agreed with the author from "Rough Flight," in the ways that the character, Stanley, climbs to man-hood by taking action and gaining strength throughout the story. I think he does move from a feminized boy, he learns to fulfill his duty at the camp, he becomes more aggressive and independent. It is a story of survival and as I discussed in a prior blog the book shows much aggression from boys with physical fighting and abusive discipline from the adults. However, while I agree that these books are about boys and do show that "masculinity and manhood are traditionally defined by one's toughness, individuality, strength and emotional reserve," I disagree with reading such books as only "male." Why do we have to read these books as be this way and be "male" or don't be this way and be "female." Such characteristics as strong, reliable, successful, and in control can be female traits, as well? Can't both girl and boy students read these traditional male books and with a good teacher learn to equate it to themselves?
Staci
Snowed in thoughts
I think I'm pretty much snowed in until further notice. Word is that 25N isn't good, and that's where I live! Some thoughts for this week's topic: Boys and YA lit
I'm intrigued by the articles this week. I'm becoming more and more aware of the students I teach, both males and females. As I was reading the articles, it was like a lightbulb of realization lit up, and I had an epiphany. So many times as a teacher, I have to play a tug and war game with my male students when it comes to reading literature. The boys tend to like stories with male characters, especially Lord of the Flies, while many of them prefer not to read "books" because "they don't read." They seem to laugh when Piggy dies for reasons that I thought stemmed from not wanting to have emotion for a feminine boy character. As one can imagine, I appreciated the attention given to this novel in the first article, "Rough Flight: boys Fleeing the Feminine in Young Adult Literature." Some quotes that I marked while reading this article:
"...in order to be fully masculine, man must establish dominance over and, metaphorically, kill off his feminine impulses and inflluences" (212/59).
Quotes from the analysis of Lord of the Flies:
"...if they were to listen to Piggy, they would risk being associated with the feminine themselves" (216/63).
"...Ralph is by no means entirely un-masculine, he does embody many feminine traits. By rejecting Ralph, the boys take their final flight from the feminine" (216/63).
[Regarding the naval officer at the end of the book], "The fact that he is moved shows a glimpse of his femininity. And by turning away from the crying boys, the officer illistrates his own flight from the feminine" (217/64).
I read Lord of the Flies as well for this week's book choice because I didn't make it through all of Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger. The first half of Hard Love that I did read, though, shows many external flights from the feminine yet many internal embraces of it as well. At one point the protagonist says that he felt like crying but of course didn't. He becomes a writer, meets and somewhat falls in love with a lesbian. He is at war with himself and his parents who divorced when he was young. His mom won't even touch him, and he is crushed by it. This is a story, not of a coming to age, but trying to come to an identity. I don't forsee this book being taught in the classroom, or at least in my school, because of language and other content.
Other thoughts from the readings:
Donna Lester Taylor's article "Not just boring stories..." was another realization point for me. I realize that I have many male students who just won't read, but they can program computers, operate combines, or rebuild engines, etc. They are motivated by passion towards their interests. Individual reading is key in my classroom setting to reach students like Gabe. I try to be open about all kinds of reading opportunities. If "Damon" wants to read the latest car magazine, who am I to keep him from that aspect of literacy, just because it's not The Great Gatsby. I am always compromising by making project choices that fit to all levels and interests. Usually when I make learning the text at hand fun, the students are more likely to read. I have many examples to share the next time we meet. On April 3, I will be focusing discussion on motivation and reading. For now, I will save some of this discussion until then.
To conclude this very long blog, I think we need to pay more attention to the needs of both genders and how we can productively address issues of literacy. Not all girls are going to be psyched about car magazines, if any at all; but if we address the gender/literacy gap that is among us, we can ultimately better benefit all students. I would love comments and such if I missed anything, etc.
Snowily yours,
Lisa
I'm intrigued by the articles this week. I'm becoming more and more aware of the students I teach, both males and females. As I was reading the articles, it was like a lightbulb of realization lit up, and I had an epiphany. So many times as a teacher, I have to play a tug and war game with my male students when it comes to reading literature. The boys tend to like stories with male characters, especially Lord of the Flies, while many of them prefer not to read "books" because "they don't read." They seem to laugh when Piggy dies for reasons that I thought stemmed from not wanting to have emotion for a feminine boy character. As one can imagine, I appreciated the attention given to this novel in the first article, "Rough Flight: boys Fleeing the Feminine in Young Adult Literature." Some quotes that I marked while reading this article:
"...in order to be fully masculine, man must establish dominance over and, metaphorically, kill off his feminine impulses and inflluences" (212/59).
Quotes from the analysis of Lord of the Flies:
"...if they were to listen to Piggy, they would risk being associated with the feminine themselves" (216/63).
"...Ralph is by no means entirely un-masculine, he does embody many feminine traits. By rejecting Ralph, the boys take their final flight from the feminine" (216/63).
[Regarding the naval officer at the end of the book], "The fact that he is moved shows a glimpse of his femininity. And by turning away from the crying boys, the officer illistrates his own flight from the feminine" (217/64).
I read Lord of the Flies as well for this week's book choice because I didn't make it through all of Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger. The first half of Hard Love that I did read, though, shows many external flights from the feminine yet many internal embraces of it as well. At one point the protagonist says that he felt like crying but of course didn't. He becomes a writer, meets and somewhat falls in love with a lesbian. He is at war with himself and his parents who divorced when he was young. His mom won't even touch him, and he is crushed by it. This is a story, not of a coming to age, but trying to come to an identity. I don't forsee this book being taught in the classroom, or at least in my school, because of language and other content.
Other thoughts from the readings:
Donna Lester Taylor's article "Not just boring stories..." was another realization point for me. I realize that I have many male students who just won't read, but they can program computers, operate combines, or rebuild engines, etc. They are motivated by passion towards their interests. Individual reading is key in my classroom setting to reach students like Gabe. I try to be open about all kinds of reading opportunities. If "Damon" wants to read the latest car magazine, who am I to keep him from that aspect of literacy, just because it's not The Great Gatsby. I am always compromising by making project choices that fit to all levels and interests. Usually when I make learning the text at hand fun, the students are more likely to read. I have many examples to share the next time we meet. On April 3, I will be focusing discussion on motivation and reading. For now, I will save some of this discussion until then.
To conclude this very long blog, I think we need to pay more attention to the needs of both genders and how we can productively address issues of literacy. Not all girls are going to be psyched about car magazines, if any at all; but if we address the gender/literacy gap that is among us, we can ultimately better benefit all students. I would love comments and such if I missed anything, etc.
Snowily yours,
Lisa
Monday, February 12, 2007
Two different novels with some similiraties
Since I had a problem with the my plugger account I merged the two responses in one, hope it will not take you very long to read!
If we all agree that literature is a reflection of particular people’s lives in a particular culture in some ways and at sometimes, then I feel that the books that I have read Chanda’s Secrets and Habibi/ My lover by Naomi Shihab Nye addressed the teenagers in southern Africa and in Palestine in a different way than that is used to reflect the teenagers in the US and some other countries.
The teen characters in Chanda’s Secrets for example, are different to a certain extent from those described in the article "Reviving Ophelia with Young Adult Literature" by Mary Ann Tighe. In that too much support is given by parents to their children. Parents are very connected to their children; keep teaching them life lessons to make them strong society members. Chanda’s mother who has been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS sacrifices all her life for the sake of her children. She married several men just to support her children financially after her first husband’s death.
It seems that the family relationships are very strong; every member in the family is working hard, in some way or another, to stay together as a family. Chanda’s best friend who is a teenager too was very responsible; she started to work as a night girl a trashy job just to support her family financially and to live together and not to be separated from each other after their parents’ death.
Chanda is a very responsible and strong girl who not only took care of her younger siblings but of her sick mother and best friend as well.
The survival of teen main character seemed very obvious in Chanda’s Secrets, many characters died in this story but not Chanda!
In Habibi novel the teenagers are also very connected to their parents and even to their grand parents. Parents are very engaged with their teen children, especially their father. Liyana and her brother Rafic share their problems with their parents and ask for their help when needed. Liyana’s mother is American but her dad is Palestinian, who was a physician in the US but he left his job and went back home to live close to his family. Although they were expecting to face some cultural difference when they move to Palestine yet they decided to go with their dad just because there is a strong bond between the children and their parents as well. When in Palestine, Liyana felt the need of having her father with her most of the time, as a mediator and a translator.
Although the main characters in both novels were girls yet they broke the stereotypes that “only” boys are strong and tough. Shanda was able to overcome all her family obstacle by her hard physical work. She was as strong as a rock. She could travel all by her self long distance to cure her sick mother.
Liyana in Habib was surrounded by those relatives who still believe that girls “only” should learn the house work skills. Her grand mother invited her to learn how to make bread from scratch. Liyana would question why her boy brother Rafik was encouraged to go to school and enjoy some boys’ sports.
Although liyanan was encouraged to learn house chores like cooking and cleaning, yet her brother Rafik, in his easy, described his sister that “she loves reading and walks around talking to herself” (Shihab, 1997, p.108). I do not know if it is true that girls like to read more than boys?
If we all agree that literature is a reflection of particular people’s lives in a particular culture in some ways and at sometimes, then I feel that the books that I have read Chanda’s Secrets and Habibi/ My lover by Naomi Shihab Nye addressed the teenagers in southern Africa and in Palestine in a different way than that is used to reflect the teenagers in the US and some other countries.
The teen characters in Chanda’s Secrets for example, are different to a certain extent from those described in the article "Reviving Ophelia with Young Adult Literature" by Mary Ann Tighe. In that too much support is given by parents to their children. Parents are very connected to their children; keep teaching them life lessons to make them strong society members. Chanda’s mother who has been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS sacrifices all her life for the sake of her children. She married several men just to support her children financially after her first husband’s death.
It seems that the family relationships are very strong; every member in the family is working hard, in some way or another, to stay together as a family. Chanda’s best friend who is a teenager too was very responsible; she started to work as a night girl a trashy job just to support her family financially and to live together and not to be separated from each other after their parents’ death.
Chanda is a very responsible and strong girl who not only took care of her younger siblings but of her sick mother and best friend as well.
The survival of teen main character seemed very obvious in Chanda’s Secrets, many characters died in this story but not Chanda!
In Habibi novel the teenagers are also very connected to their parents and even to their grand parents. Parents are very engaged with their teen children, especially their father. Liyana and her brother Rafic share their problems with their parents and ask for their help when needed. Liyana’s mother is American but her dad is Palestinian, who was a physician in the US but he left his job and went back home to live close to his family. Although they were expecting to face some cultural difference when they move to Palestine yet they decided to go with their dad just because there is a strong bond between the children and their parents as well. When in Palestine, Liyana felt the need of having her father with her most of the time, as a mediator and a translator.
Although the main characters in both novels were girls yet they broke the stereotypes that “only” boys are strong and tough. Shanda was able to overcome all her family obstacle by her hard physical work. She was as strong as a rock. She could travel all by her self long distance to cure her sick mother.
Liyana in Habib was surrounded by those relatives who still believe that girls “only” should learn the house work skills. Her grand mother invited her to learn how to make bread from scratch. Liyana would question why her boy brother Rafik was encouraged to go to school and enjoy some boys’ sports.
Although liyanan was encouraged to learn house chores like cooking and cleaning, yet her brother Rafik, in his easy, described his sister that “she loves reading and walks around talking to herself” (Shihab, 1997, p.108). I do not know if it is true that girls like to read more than boys?
perks of being a wallflower
For this week, I read The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Reminiscent of A Separate Piece or Catcher in the Rye, this epistolary novel follows high school freshmen, Charlie, through the trials and tribulations of life in the early 1990's. Covering sex, drugs, and rock and roll, the novel's protagonist learns several lessons about himself and his relationship with his family and friends. It was a good book....Okay, so there's my book reportish summary of the novel. It came as a recommendation from a friend of mine and after further research I found that the book is no longer placed in the YA section in most book stores. Though following its publication 1997, it remained classified as YA for many years, recently it has been moved to the regular adult section. However, trusting my source who said this book literally changed his life when he he first read it in high school, I had to give it a whirl. Certainly, it is not a book to be taken lightly.
For starters, nothing in the book is written for shock value. The story takes place over Charlie's freshman year in high school beginning with the suicide of his best friend and culminating with Charlie being re-institutionalized following his friends' graduation and departure for college. His year consists of fights at school, experimentation with drugs and masturbation, exposure to rape and homosexuality, and domestic violence. Still, everything is written as a letter to an ambiguous reader as Charlie simply reflects on what has happened. Similar to Flowers for Algernon in that respect, we see the world through the eyes a boy who excels academically but lacks, for the most part, any sort of capacity for making sense of the world around him. I found myself often struggling with this idea that a person could be so out of touch with reality yet succeed in all of his classes and appear to be fairly popular (his best friends are football players and well known seniors at his high school). More than just a coming of age story, the book presents a realistic account of the tensions with which teens deal in their everyday lives and conveys these tensions through a masculine, albeit naive, lens.
The plot for the book exists only insofar as the sequence of events Charlie recalls, though he tends to jump around a bit, avoiding certain topics until he is prepared to write them down. However, despite the incongruent nature of the plot, the characters contain a strange familiarity almost as if we are reading about people with whom we ourselves may have gone to high school. As a pedagogical tool, I would consider teaching this, and in ideal world I would succeed in my endeavor. However, due to the subject matter and accurate depiction of contemporary teen vernacular (YES!) something tells me, this book will never see the inside of a classroom unless it is tucked neatly away in some curious student's backpack. I'll chat more about it tomorrow in class--assuming, of course, we still have it--as well as the articles we read! Have a great day everyone and see yall soon.
For starters, nothing in the book is written for shock value. The story takes place over Charlie's freshman year in high school beginning with the suicide of his best friend and culminating with Charlie being re-institutionalized following his friends' graduation and departure for college. His year consists of fights at school, experimentation with drugs and masturbation, exposure to rape and homosexuality, and domestic violence. Still, everything is written as a letter to an ambiguous reader as Charlie simply reflects on what has happened. Similar to Flowers for Algernon in that respect, we see the world through the eyes a boy who excels academically but lacks, for the most part, any sort of capacity for making sense of the world around him. I found myself often struggling with this idea that a person could be so out of touch with reality yet succeed in all of his classes and appear to be fairly popular (his best friends are football players and well known seniors at his high school). More than just a coming of age story, the book presents a realistic account of the tensions with which teens deal in their everyday lives and conveys these tensions through a masculine, albeit naive, lens.
The plot for the book exists only insofar as the sequence of events Charlie recalls, though he tends to jump around a bit, avoiding certain topics until he is prepared to write them down. However, despite the incongruent nature of the plot, the characters contain a strange familiarity almost as if we are reading about people with whom we ourselves may have gone to high school. As a pedagogical tool, I would consider teaching this, and in ideal world I would succeed in my endeavor. However, due to the subject matter and accurate depiction of contemporary teen vernacular (YES!) something tells me, this book will never see the inside of a classroom unless it is tucked neatly away in some curious student's backpack. I'll chat more about it tomorrow in class--assuming, of course, we still have it--as well as the articles we read! Have a great day everyone and see yall soon.
perks of being a wallflower
For this week, I read The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Reminiscent of A Separate Piece or Catcher in the Rye, this epistolary novel follows high school freshmen, Charlie, through the trials and tribulations of life in the early 1990's. Covering sex, drugs, and rock and roll, the novel's protagonist learns several lessons about himself and his relationship with his family and friends. It was a good book....Okay, so there's my book reportish summary of the novel. It came as a recommendation from a friend of mine and after further research I found that the book is no longer placed in the YA section in most book stores. Though following its publication 1997, it remained classified as YA for many years, recently it has been moved to the regular adult section. However, trusting my source who said this book literally changed his life when he he first read it in high school, I had to give it a whirl. Certainly, it is not a book to be taken lightly.
For starters, nothing in the book is written for shock value. The story takes place over Charlie's freshman year in high school beginning with the suicide of his best friend and culminating with Charlie being re-institutionalized following his friends' graduation and departure for college. His year consists of fights at school, experimentation with drugs and masturbation, exposure to rape and homosexuality, and domestic violence. Still, everything is written as a letter to an ambiguous reader as Charlie simply reflects on what has happened. Similar to Flowers for Algernon in that respect, we see the world through the eyes a boy who excels academically but lacks, for the most part, any sort of capacity for making sense of the world around him. I found myself often struggling with this idea that a person could be so out of touch with reality yet succeed in all of his classes and appear to be fairly popular (his best friends are football players and well known seniors at his high school). More than just a coming of age story, the book presents a realistic account of the tensions with which teens deal in their everyday lives and conveys these tensions through a masculine, albeit naive, lens.
The plot for the book exists only insofar as the sequence of events Charlie recalls, though he tends to jump around a bit, avoiding certain topics until he is prepared to write them down. However, despite the incongruent nature of the plot, the characters contain a strange familiarity almost as if we are reading about people with whom we ourselves may have gone to high school. As a pedagogical tool, I would consider teaching this, and in ideal world I would succeed in my endeavor. However, due to the subject matter and accurate depiction of contemporary teen vernacular (YES!) something tells me, this book will never see the inside of a classroom unless it is tucked neatly away in some curious student's backpack. I'll chat more about it tomorrow in class--assuming, of course, we still have it--as well as the articles we read! Have a great day everyone and see yall soon.
For starters, nothing in the book is written for shock value. The story takes place over Charlie's freshman year in high school beginning with the suicide of his best friend and culminating with Charlie being re-institutionalized following his friends' graduation and departure for college. His year consists of fights at school, experimentation with drugs and masturbation, exposure to rape and homosexuality, and domestic violence. Still, everything is written as a letter to an ambiguous reader as Charlie simply reflects on what has happened. Similar to Flowers for Algernon in that respect, we see the world through the eyes a boy who excels academically but lacks, for the most part, any sort of capacity for making sense of the world around him. I found myself often struggling with this idea that a person could be so out of touch with reality yet succeed in all of his classes and appear to be fairly popular (his best friends are football players and well known seniors at his high school). More than just a coming of age story, the book presents a realistic account of the tensions with which teens deal in their everyday lives and conveys these tensions through a masculine, albeit naive, lens.
The plot for the book exists only insofar as the sequence of events Charlie recalls, though he tends to jump around a bit, avoiding certain topics until he is prepared to write them down. However, despite the incongruent nature of the plot, the characters contain a strange familiarity almost as if we are reading about people with whom we ourselves may have gone to high school. As a pedagogical tool, I would consider teaching this, and in ideal world I would succeed in my endeavor. However, due to the subject matter and accurate depiction of contemporary teen vernacular (YES!) something tells me, this book will never see the inside of a classroom unless it is tucked neatly away in some curious student's backpack. I'll chat more about it tomorrow in class--assuming, of course, we still have it--as well as the articles we read! Have a great day everyone and see yall soon.
The first part last
What I read for this week: The first part last (by Angela Johnson) depicts a story of a 16-year-old African American boy's growth, learning about life, and maturity. What's different from the mainstream young male images portrayed in traditional "boys novels" is the male coming of age doesn't equal to a flight from feminine (at least in my interpretation).
The story is told in first-person perspective from Bobby, a young father. Via the vignettes of the "then" and "now", changes in Bobby's life is clearly demonstrated. Like any other male teenagers, Bobby regards himself as a "boy" not yet a man. Therefore, as he knew his girfriend--Nia--was pregnant, he felt lost and panic. The idea of giving his daughter away for adoption first seems like an tempting appeal--so both Nia and Bobby can get back to their ordinary teeange life. However, after Feather was born, Bobby felt a close tie with his baby daughter, and would do anything to keep her and raise her.
However, finding a balance among his school work, prepare for college, stay in touch with his good friends, and taking care of his daughter stressed him out. But he has to remain strong because his girlfriend is almost dying in the hospital. Their daughter is the only thing they have, the only memory Nia gives him. No doubt, Bobby wept in darkness when he was alone, he struggled in class, found himself messed up in life, but he chose to stick to his own decision.
Taking the feminine role as a caretaker, Bobby realized his own responsibility for his daughter. He came through the shock of teenage pregnancy, the tragedy of his ill girlfriend, and led to the decision to do the "right" thing (quote from Bobby). With the support of his family members and neighbors and the empathy of his good friends, he eventually became a tough, independent young father who is clearly aware of his own responsibility and duty.
The story is told in first-person perspective from Bobby, a young father. Via the vignettes of the "then" and "now", changes in Bobby's life is clearly demonstrated. Like any other male teenagers, Bobby regards himself as a "boy" not yet a man. Therefore, as he knew his girfriend--Nia--was pregnant, he felt lost and panic. The idea of giving his daughter away for adoption first seems like an tempting appeal--so both Nia and Bobby can get back to their ordinary teeange life. However, after Feather was born, Bobby felt a close tie with his baby daughter, and would do anything to keep her and raise her.
However, finding a balance among his school work, prepare for college, stay in touch with his good friends, and taking care of his daughter stressed him out. But he has to remain strong because his girlfriend is almost dying in the hospital. Their daughter is the only thing they have, the only memory Nia gives him. No doubt, Bobby wept in darkness when he was alone, he struggled in class, found himself messed up in life, but he chose to stick to his own decision.
Taking the feminine role as a caretaker, Bobby realized his own responsibility for his daughter. He came through the shock of teenage pregnancy, the tragedy of his ill girlfriend, and led to the decision to do the "right" thing (quote from Bobby). With the support of his family members and neighbors and the empathy of his good friends, he eventually became a tough, independent young father who is clearly aware of his own responsibility and duty.
Taking Sides
Taking Sides is the story about Lincoln Mendoza, a teen who lived in the barrio(the Mission Street district in San Francisco) , and then moved with his mother, Beatrice and family pet, Flaco, to a suburb 10 miles south of the city. The move was made to escape the violence of the streetsbut irinically, their new house is broken into while Lincoln is sleeping.
Linc is a hotshot basketball playerand most of the plot revolves around the upcoming basketball game between Lin'c old school, Franklin and his new school, Columbus. Linc has friends on his old team , and remains friends with his old coach. Linc misses the old neighborhood and its sense of macho survival. In the suburbs his loyalty is questioned as the upcoming game approaches. Columbus is the favorite, has the new gym, better conference record, flashy uniforms, and Linc is concerned about rubbing it in his old teamates. Linc hass developed sensitivity as an athlete and friend quite opposite from his old setting. The macho male image is looked at and discussed in the novel fom different angles. Linc emerges as a strong male teen defending his home, his background, and his pride. Linc's coach at Columbus represents a typical male coaching mentality, a vato loco.
I consider myself a well rounded person who has many interests, played sports and appreciates sports but not at the winner at all cost phil0sophy. The book reinforced that concept to me, which many schools and coaches oppose as winning matters most.
The author, Gary Soto is a poet, novelist, and film producer. The neighborhood that Soto was raised in serves as the setting for Taking Sides as well as in the sequel, Pacific Crossing. Other notable books written by Soto are: Small Faces, his book of memoirs, Baseball in April, his book published for young adults, and Too Many Tamales, an outstanding pictue book discussing family and traditions.
The book, Taking Sides includes a glossary of Spanish terms used in the book, and includes several chapters of the sequel, Pacific Crossing, so that we see the character of Linc Mendozan another phase of his life.
Linc is a hotshot basketball playerand most of the plot revolves around the upcoming basketball game between Lin'c old school, Franklin and his new school, Columbus. Linc has friends on his old team , and remains friends with his old coach. Linc misses the old neighborhood and its sense of macho survival. In the suburbs his loyalty is questioned as the upcoming game approaches. Columbus is the favorite, has the new gym, better conference record, flashy uniforms, and Linc is concerned about rubbing it in his old teamates. Linc hass developed sensitivity as an athlete and friend quite opposite from his old setting. The macho male image is looked at and discussed in the novel fom different angles. Linc emerges as a strong male teen defending his home, his background, and his pride. Linc's coach at Columbus represents a typical male coaching mentality, a vato loco.
I consider myself a well rounded person who has many interests, played sports and appreciates sports but not at the winner at all cost phil0sophy. The book reinforced that concept to me, which many schools and coaches oppose as winning matters most.
The author, Gary Soto is a poet, novelist, and film producer. The neighborhood that Soto was raised in serves as the setting for Taking Sides as well as in the sequel, Pacific Crossing. Other notable books written by Soto are: Small Faces, his book of memoirs, Baseball in April, his book published for young adults, and Too Many Tamales, an outstanding pictue book discussing family and traditions.
The book, Taking Sides includes a glossary of Spanish terms used in the book, and includes several chapters of the sequel, Pacific Crossing, so that we see the character of Linc Mendozan another phase of his life.
Like Kilroy, the Schwa Was Here!
The novel The Schwa Was Here takes an entertaining, but sincere look at a kid who is so often overlooked that he's almost invisible, kind of like the schwa pronunciation vowel. Maybe you've noticed this 'schwa type' in class? "The Schwa" or Calvin Schwa is noticed by the narrator, Antsy (short for Anthony, it's set in Brooklyn by the way) Bonano, who begins a series of "Schwa Effect" experiments and then moves on to profitable wager/dares involving Calvin. The final dare involves sneaking into the mysterious and reclusive Old Man Crawley's apartment and stealing one of his 14 dogs' bowls. Crawley catches them, but calls off the police when Antsy and Calvin agree walk the dogs every day for twelve weeks. When Crawley's blind granddaughter, Lexie, arrives, Crawley hires Calvin to escort Lexie around town. Being blind, Lexie doesn't overlook Calvin like other people do. Lexie, who's 'on to' her grandfather's scheme, breaks up with Antsy, who doesn't catch on to her intentions and is replaced in the escort department by Calvin. The triangle of awkward tensions and expected male roles is formed and things get interesting, but saying more would spoil some decent surprises in the plot.
Plugging the male characters into the Lord of the Flies model from the Khan and Wachholz article, the Schwa most resembles Piggy in his lack of influence. Antsy's friends (moronic video gaming versions of Jack and Roger) want nothing to do with the Schwa and try to force Antsy to choose between them. The Schwa desperately wants to be noticed and I suppose feels manlier when he misguidedly believes he's won Lexie's attention and then affection. Antsy resembles Ralph in that he's sympathetic to the Schwa and can identify with him somewhat because of his overlooked position in his own family and at school. Antsy enjoys some temporarily empowerment while profiting from the Schwa, but that power disappears when they're no longer able to make the bets (too busy walking dogs). The temporary empowerment/influence reminds me of Ralph gaining attention by participating in the hunts. Of course, Lexie's attention helps Antsy's manliness as well.
Antsy's parents are possibly a bit more developed than typical adult characters in YA novels, especially with regards to socially determined roles. Antsy's mother is a terrible cook, but owns the kitchen; while his father is a genius of Italian cooking, but is only allowed to cook occasionally. During what Antsy describes as a typical stupid, yet monumental fight, he's put on the spot and tells it like it is, which crushes his mother and in fall-out sets his father adrift as well. Antsy's vocalizing of the truth, newly establishes him as a majorly noticeable part of the family. They begin calling him Anthony and have heavier conversations that they've never had before with Anthony about his future and the future of the family. In a resolution that would make Postmodern Feminists and Masculinists happy, mom takes French cooking classes and with her husband opens a French/Italian place named 'Paris, Capisce?'. Hee, hee, hee!
I only have one half-cooked idea left over, and I'm going to serve it on the blog tonight because I'm sure I'll forget it if I don't. I'm wondering if girls could be repelled by the masculine in the same way that boys are supposedly repelled by the feminine? Again I'm thinking of Kahn and Wachholz here, and I think this might apply to lesbian themes in a book like M.E. Kerr's Deliver Us From Evie that was discussed in last week's course pack. I really haven't thought this through, but I lean towards a goose/gander organization of ideas. It's late… this goose is cooked. I'm going to bed. Hopefully I'll see you all, weather permitting, on Tuesday.
Plugging the male characters into the Lord of the Flies model from the Khan and Wachholz article, the Schwa most resembles Piggy in his lack of influence. Antsy's friends (moronic video gaming versions of Jack and Roger) want nothing to do with the Schwa and try to force Antsy to choose between them. The Schwa desperately wants to be noticed and I suppose feels manlier when he misguidedly believes he's won Lexie's attention and then affection. Antsy resembles Ralph in that he's sympathetic to the Schwa and can identify with him somewhat because of his overlooked position in his own family and at school. Antsy enjoys some temporarily empowerment while profiting from the Schwa, but that power disappears when they're no longer able to make the bets (too busy walking dogs). The temporary empowerment/influence reminds me of Ralph gaining attention by participating in the hunts. Of course, Lexie's attention helps Antsy's manliness as well.
Antsy's parents are possibly a bit more developed than typical adult characters in YA novels, especially with regards to socially determined roles. Antsy's mother is a terrible cook, but owns the kitchen; while his father is a genius of Italian cooking, but is only allowed to cook occasionally. During what Antsy describes as a typical stupid, yet monumental fight, he's put on the spot and tells it like it is, which crushes his mother and in fall-out sets his father adrift as well. Antsy's vocalizing of the truth, newly establishes him as a majorly noticeable part of the family. They begin calling him Anthony and have heavier conversations that they've never had before with Anthony about his future and the future of the family. In a resolution that would make Postmodern Feminists and Masculinists happy, mom takes French cooking classes and with her husband opens a French/Italian place named 'Paris, Capisce?'. Hee, hee, hee!
I only have one half-cooked idea left over, and I'm going to serve it on the blog tonight because I'm sure I'll forget it if I don't. I'm wondering if girls could be repelled by the masculine in the same way that boys are supposedly repelled by the feminine? Again I'm thinking of Kahn and Wachholz here, and I think this might apply to lesbian themes in a book like M.E. Kerr's Deliver Us From Evie that was discussed in last week's course pack. I really haven't thought this through, but I lean towards a goose/gander organization of ideas. It's late… this goose is cooked. I'm going to bed. Hopefully I'll see you all, weather permitting, on Tuesday.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
The World of Normal Boys by K.M. Soehnlein
Like girls, boys face an enormous amount of pressure to conform to societal expectations about what it means to fulfill gender roles. Whether it’s fleeing the feminine and being tough, strong, powerful, and dominant, as Khan and Wachholz (2006) explain, or adhering to the “Boy Code,” as Gunzelmann and Connell (2006) mention, boys are expected to measure up to certain standards of masculinity as they grow and learn what it means to “be a man.”
The book that I read for this week, K.M Soehnlein’s The World of Normal Boys (2000), does an impressive job of illustrating one boy’s struggle with the pressure to be a “normal boy.” The year is 1978, and Robin McKenzie is about to enter high school. He is labeled a “brain,” his best friend is a girl, he collects Broadway cast albums, and he fantasizes about other boys. All of these aspects of his character brand him as anything but a “normal boy.”
Although Robin discovers and wrestles with his sexuality throughout the novel (along with enduring a family tragedy and learning to navigate the high school social scene), he never identifies himself as gay, which is certainly consistent with the level of awareness of this term that a 14 year-old boy in 1978 New Jersey would have had. Robin definitely worries about being a “fag,” and the “secret knowledge—how to be cool, to be tough, to get what you want” (p. 2) of being a Boy eludes him. Robin discovers (somewhat graphically) masturbation; experiences (again, rather graphically) the joy, shock, and unexpected exhilaration of first-time sex; copes with parents who confuse, embarrass, torment, love, and scold him; and tries desperately to be “cool.” Having been a 14 year-old boy in 1979 New York City who experienced many of the same things Robin experiences in this book (some of the similarities are downright eerie), I can tell you that Soehnlein gets just about all of it right.
Unfortunately, the graphic—although never gratuitous—sex, drug use, and colorful language used throughout this novel would probably prevent its use in a high school class. The World of Normal Boys is powerful stuff, and I can only hope that the boys who can benefit most from this novel will actually find it.
P.S. The website that I mentioned in class, where people post their confessions, is called PostSecret, and it’s hosted right here on Blogger.
The book that I read for this week, K.M Soehnlein’s The World of Normal Boys (2000), does an impressive job of illustrating one boy’s struggle with the pressure to be a “normal boy.” The year is 1978, and Robin McKenzie is about to enter high school. He is labeled a “brain,” his best friend is a girl, he collects Broadway cast albums, and he fantasizes about other boys. All of these aspects of his character brand him as anything but a “normal boy.”
Although Robin discovers and wrestles with his sexuality throughout the novel (along with enduring a family tragedy and learning to navigate the high school social scene), he never identifies himself as gay, which is certainly consistent with the level of awareness of this term that a 14 year-old boy in 1978 New Jersey would have had. Robin definitely worries about being a “fag,” and the “secret knowledge—how to be cool, to be tough, to get what you want” (p. 2) of being a Boy eludes him. Robin discovers (somewhat graphically) masturbation; experiences (again, rather graphically) the joy, shock, and unexpected exhilaration of first-time sex; copes with parents who confuse, embarrass, torment, love, and scold him; and tries desperately to be “cool.” Having been a 14 year-old boy in 1979 New York City who experienced many of the same things Robin experiences in this book (some of the similarities are downright eerie), I can tell you that Soehnlein gets just about all of it right.
Unfortunately, the graphic—although never gratuitous—sex, drug use, and colorful language used throughout this novel would probably prevent its use in a high school class. The World of Normal Boys is powerful stuff, and I can only hope that the boys who can benefit most from this novel will actually find it.
P.S. The website that I mentioned in class, where people post their confessions, is called PostSecret, and it’s hosted right here on Blogger.
Kat's Fall by Shelly Hrdlitschka
Let me first say, this was the first YA book I could not put down! Although the twists and turns were fairly predictable, I was completely engaged in the book. Darcy, the male protagonist (I've never heard of the name Darcy being given to a boy before, but whatever) is depicted as a very dark and distant character. He hates his mom whom is in jail for attempted murder of his younger sister, is indifferent towards his verbally abusive father (his reasons that at least his isn't physically abusive), and cares more than anything about his sister- a unique relationship that comes into question towards the end of the book.
The grief that Darcy has had to bear on top of the burden of raising his eleven-year old sister is justifiably hard on him and often times unbearable. He uses "cutting" as a way to relieve his stress and pain. He explains that it immediately calms him in a way nothing else can. His sister Kat is aware of his problem and continuously checks his arms and begs him to stop.
The only other source of love and enjoyment in his life is babysitting Sammy, a young deaf girl, who lives down the street. Kat is deaf from the fall she experienced when she was a baby (this is what Darcy's mother is in jail for), while Sammy has more recently lost her hearing. The parents although suspicious of his upbringing (as Darcy puts it, they fear he too might carry the murderer gene) pay Darcy to take care of Sammy and teach the entire family sign language. Darcy is especially good at signing because he has been the only person willing to learn and practice it in his household, so that he may communicate with his sister.
The book takes an interesting turn when little Sammy starts exhibiting disturbing behavior and eventually admits to being sexually molested. Of course, Darcy is immediately accused of the crime. Meanwhile, Darcy's mother is being released from prison and wants him and his sister back. His father has never wanted the children and Darcy feels completely helpless. Although headed on what appears to be a downward spiral without much hope, Darcy forces himself to take a chance and reach out for help from others -something totally uncharacteristic of him, as he feels he has not been able to trust anyone his entire life. Both people (a special teacher and a love interest) are extremely responsive and although predictable the book left me with a good feeling inside.
Darcy is portrayed as a stereotypical male for the majority of the book. Specifically, he keeps all of his feelings bottled up and remains composed under the most stressful of circumstances to be strong for his little sister. Cutting himself allows him to keep up the facade for some time. Eventually, however, he learns that he in fact needs to cry and let out emotion and that this too can be a soothing thing. He even comments that crying makes him feel as good as cutting. In the end, Darcy is on the path to recovery in many ways. I really enjoyed this book!
The grief that Darcy has had to bear on top of the burden of raising his eleven-year old sister is justifiably hard on him and often times unbearable. He uses "cutting" as a way to relieve his stress and pain. He explains that it immediately calms him in a way nothing else can. His sister Kat is aware of his problem and continuously checks his arms and begs him to stop.
The only other source of love and enjoyment in his life is babysitting Sammy, a young deaf girl, who lives down the street. Kat is deaf from the fall she experienced when she was a baby (this is what Darcy's mother is in jail for), while Sammy has more recently lost her hearing. The parents although suspicious of his upbringing (as Darcy puts it, they fear he too might carry the murderer gene) pay Darcy to take care of Sammy and teach the entire family sign language. Darcy is especially good at signing because he has been the only person willing to learn and practice it in his household, so that he may communicate with his sister.
The book takes an interesting turn when little Sammy starts exhibiting disturbing behavior and eventually admits to being sexually molested. Of course, Darcy is immediately accused of the crime. Meanwhile, Darcy's mother is being released from prison and wants him and his sister back. His father has never wanted the children and Darcy feels completely helpless. Although headed on what appears to be a downward spiral without much hope, Darcy forces himself to take a chance and reach out for help from others -something totally uncharacteristic of him, as he feels he has not been able to trust anyone his entire life. Both people (a special teacher and a love interest) are extremely responsive and although predictable the book left me with a good feeling inside.
Darcy is portrayed as a stereotypical male for the majority of the book. Specifically, he keeps all of his feelings bottled up and remains composed under the most stressful of circumstances to be strong for his little sister. Cutting himself allows him to keep up the facade for some time. Eventually, however, he learns that he in fact needs to cry and let out emotion and that this too can be a soothing thing. He even comments that crying makes him feel as good as cutting. In the end, Darcy is on the path to recovery in many ways. I really enjoyed this book!
Criss Cross, a book by Lynne Rae Perkins, reflects the definition of feminist writing given by Trites: “Defined simply, it is a novel in which the main character is empowered regardless of gender” (Waking 4). In a beautifully subtle way, the reader shares the everyday feelings of adolescents of both genders as they move from the comfortable relationships of childhood to the more confusing ones of adulthood. No trauma here, no scars. Just the gentle aches and longings of discovery as they are experienced by the young characters. I am particularly intrigued by Trites’ focus on voice. Both boys and girls are somewhat more articulate by the end of the story, but from the beginning, they are introspective and insightful. They grow; they stumble and correct; they come close to, and sometimes succeed, discovering each other in new ways that are simultaneously more intimate and fractured. The characters interact like sentient electrons that observe and bond when they bump. This simile is so apt I can’t remember if the author eluded to it, or if I made the connection independently. In both voice and plot this novel is the antithesis of the chic lit lamented by Cris Mazza. In these ways, Criss Cross is, perhaps, the consummate post-modern novel. It does not move in a predictable way to either satisfactory or unsatisfactory pairings. Relationships result from a combination of both agency and chance. “Hector did look at Debbie, and he saw her, really saw her for a moment. Debbie looked at Hector and she saw him, really saw him, for a moment. If it had been the same moment, something might have happened. But their moments were separated by about a second. Maybe only half a second. Their paths crossed, but they missed each other” (335). In these moments of ‘seeing’, the characters observe with wit, the reader with irony. Growth isn’t about “transcendence or separation”, but rather, about “acceptance of one’s cultural habitat” (Trites, Disturbing 18).
Friday, February 9, 2007
Will Think for Food
I'll post now with respect to the questions for the "no class week" and again later for the unit of YA Boy books (I'm not quite finished with my book, though it's coming along smoothly) Regarding the issue of the portrayal of female aggressiveness in YA novels, I definitely don't think authors shy away from the topic. In every book I have read so far ( as well as what I can recall from past literary journeys), it seems there is always a character who fills the stereotype of the "bitch" or "drama queen." However, the depictions of these characters remains consistently disparate from the portrayal of aggressive boys, at least from what I've seen. If a by were to get into a fight, the extent to which the youth is written as violent or morally flawed is fairly limited. Boys fight. And in now way is the occasional skirmish between two feisty lads a testament to their complete moral and behavioral center. With girls it seems as though fights, gossip, and all around bitchiness reflect a more fundamental problem encompassing the whole of the female character. If a girl gossips, it's because she's at the core, a bitch thus implying she is no one with whom a good, upstanding girl should associate. If the good girl gossips, the implication is that she somehow has been consumed by the dark side and often no longer posses the ability to perform in a manner reflective of her former, socially acceptable self. I guess what I'm trying to say is that while aggressiveness in boys is usually explained by (or dismissed due to) some external factor over which the boys have no control, girls aggressiveness derives from something much more internal and consequently much more permanent. A bitch can only stop being a bitch is her entire character changes where as boys can fight one minute and actively participate in church activities the next.
I would like to comment on Jim's comment a few weeks ago in class when, after watching the movie, he mentioned that when boys fight, the first inclination is to intervene while with girls, it behooves us to stay clear. Fighting for girls, is a last resort. I would like to extend this and note that it is indeed a last resort only if the girl (or perhaps character) has not previously been written as the type of person susceptible to corruptions of social norms appropriated to girls, i.e no fighting, gossiping, and spitting on animals (i just wanted to throw that in there)...This may not make any sense, but that's partially because I'm hungry and because the keyboard I'm using right now is about eight seconds behind the speed I'm typing. So if there are any words left out, please don't get mad me....hehe...I'll post again before class, but I just wanted to get something out there. Have a great weekend everyone!
I would like to comment on Jim's comment a few weeks ago in class when, after watching the movie, he mentioned that when boys fight, the first inclination is to intervene while with girls, it behooves us to stay clear. Fighting for girls, is a last resort. I would like to extend this and note that it is indeed a last resort only if the girl (or perhaps character) has not previously been written as the type of person susceptible to corruptions of social norms appropriated to girls, i.e no fighting, gossiping, and spitting on animals (i just wanted to throw that in there)...This may not make any sense, but that's partially because I'm hungry and because the keyboard I'm using right now is about eight seconds behind the speed I'm typing. So if there are any words left out, please don't get mad me....hehe...I'll post again before class, but I just wanted to get something out there. Have a great weekend everyone!
Paris & Britney: Girls Gone Wild on the cover of Newsweek
Newsweek's cover story this week might be of interest, in light of our discussion of the excerpt from Ariel Levy's Female Chauvinist Pigs. Click here for the full story: Girls Gone Bad?
Jim
Jim
Thursday, February 8, 2007
I don't know whether we've established starting a new post in response to Janet or blogging under her comments. Anyone? I will start a new post this time as Joy has done.
My book, "Out of the Dust," best compares to Robert Seelinger Trites' discussion of feminist children's books. Being that it is a historical novel, set in 1934, traditional gender roles for both boys and girls are very present. The protaganist Billie Joe, defines herself as a tomboy, she compares herself to her father often. From the first chapter, she lets the audience know that her daddy wanted a boy, but got her. He made the best with her.
Her Pa is a traditional masculine farmer. He is strong, silent and hard working. He never cries when the dust storms destroy their farm or even when her mother and baby brother die. He removes himself from his feelings after this and from Billie Joe. He can't show her the emotional comfort she needs.
Billie Joe's Ma is also in a traditional female role, as a farmer's wife. The reader mostly sees Ma cooking or cleaning. From Billie Joe's perspective we get the feeling that Ma would have liked to leave Oklahoma and go somewhere else, but she is committed as a wife and mother. We also know that she plays the piano well, but can't pursue any kind of career with this.
Billie Joe's mother setting up this stereotypical female gender role, gives Billie Joe an example to transcend above. Billie Joe strives to jump outside of this societal expectation. She pursues a career with the piano, with Mad Dog (a boy in town who also performs) by playing at local performances. She transcends what her mother wished to do when she hops on the train to head west. Bilie Joe shows determination, strength, guts, courage and spunk all characteristics one would traditionally think of as male traits. (Although I have a problem assigning certain traits to certain genders.) However, if we look at these characteristics from the perspective of Trites' article, and what Billie Joe does as female character in a historical book; she does achieve transcendance. Trites said that most historical feminist books like "Little Women," and "Anne of Green Gables," bring the indepedant girl back to conforming to society's expectations by the end. Although, Billie Joe does return to her father in Oklahoma, I don't necessarily think she has conformed. She returns because of choice to be with the family. Her indepedance actually opened her father's eyes and changed his behavior. By the end of the book, Pa has decided to try to grow a new crop with Billie Joe's persistence and Billie Joe is continuing to work on her career playing the piano. Her voice is definately a metaphor for female agency. As I said in my other posts, Billie Joe is a great female role model for young girls.
Missed discussing with you all on Tuesday, hopefully we'll have better weather next week. I am definately tired of the COLD.
Staci
My book, "Out of the Dust," best compares to Robert Seelinger Trites' discussion of feminist children's books. Being that it is a historical novel, set in 1934, traditional gender roles for both boys and girls are very present. The protaganist Billie Joe, defines herself as a tomboy, she compares herself to her father often. From the first chapter, she lets the audience know that her daddy wanted a boy, but got her. He made the best with her.
Her Pa is a traditional masculine farmer. He is strong, silent and hard working. He never cries when the dust storms destroy their farm or even when her mother and baby brother die. He removes himself from his feelings after this and from Billie Joe. He can't show her the emotional comfort she needs.
Billie Joe's Ma is also in a traditional female role, as a farmer's wife. The reader mostly sees Ma cooking or cleaning. From Billie Joe's perspective we get the feeling that Ma would have liked to leave Oklahoma and go somewhere else, but she is committed as a wife and mother. We also know that she plays the piano well, but can't pursue any kind of career with this.
Billie Joe's mother setting up this stereotypical female gender role, gives Billie Joe an example to transcend above. Billie Joe strives to jump outside of this societal expectation. She pursues a career with the piano, with Mad Dog (a boy in town who also performs) by playing at local performances. She transcends what her mother wished to do when she hops on the train to head west. Bilie Joe shows determination, strength, guts, courage and spunk all characteristics one would traditionally think of as male traits. (Although I have a problem assigning certain traits to certain genders.) However, if we look at these characteristics from the perspective of Trites' article, and what Billie Joe does as female character in a historical book; she does achieve transcendance. Trites said that most historical feminist books like "Little Women," and "Anne of Green Gables," bring the indepedant girl back to conforming to society's expectations by the end. Although, Billie Joe does return to her father in Oklahoma, I don't necessarily think she has conformed. She returns because of choice to be with the family. Her indepedance actually opened her father's eyes and changed his behavior. By the end of the book, Pa has decided to try to grow a new crop with Billie Joe's persistence and Billie Joe is continuing to work on her career playing the piano. Her voice is definately a metaphor for female agency. As I said in my other posts, Billie Joe is a great female role model for young girls.
Missed discussing with you all on Tuesday, hopefully we'll have better weather next week. I am definately tired of the COLD.
Staci
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
More on "Gossip Girl" series
The Gossip Girl books definitely lack parental presence and guidance. Parents rarely intervene, and when they do their actions are usually comical. For example, when Jenny's (sophomore) father gets a call from the principal in regards to her promiscuity and tardiness, he father resorts to sending her to an earthy-crunchy alternative school where the students make murals out of dung. After visiting the school he laughs at his own decision and ends up agreeing to send her to the boarding of her dreams- the one she has been trying to get him to agree to for the duration of the book. Similar rewards...oops I mean consequences :-) result for rebellious and often dangerous behavior throughout the book and the series.
Also, the books do not stress the importance of close relationships between females. In fact, they seem to undermine them. The main female characters in the series are typically cruel and aggressive towards each other, doing whatever they have to to establish and maintain their dominance. Most of the girls attend a female only boarding school, in which they do participate in various outings (such as senior spa weekend) as a group, but backstabbing and gossip tend to be the focal points of these events -as described by the author. When female characters experience a real loss (i.e. they break a nail -j/k) the deal with the situation in solitude or with a boyfriend. That female friend (or group of friends) that many of us require to support us through difficult times is just not there. Girls that are described as good or best friends, don't hesitate to back stab/push aside etc. their "best friend" for a guy or an opportunity to shine. -Just one more aspect of the book I found troubling!
Also, the books do not stress the importance of close relationships between females. In fact, they seem to undermine them. The main female characters in the series are typically cruel and aggressive towards each other, doing whatever they have to to establish and maintain their dominance. Most of the girls attend a female only boarding school, in which they do participate in various outings (such as senior spa weekend) as a group, but backstabbing and gossip tend to be the focal points of these events -as described by the author. When female characters experience a real loss (i.e. they break a nail -j/k) the deal with the situation in solitude or with a boyfriend. That female friend (or group of friends) that many of us require to support us through difficult times is just not there. Girls that are described as good or best friends, don't hesitate to back stab/push aside etc. their "best friend" for a guy or an opportunity to shine. -Just one more aspect of the book I found troubling!
Extended Online Discussion
Dear all:
Since we missed class this week due to the terrible weather, I wanted to post some additional questions for discussion that we might have addressed in class last night had we been there. I had planned to spend the first half of class (before our first presentation) talking about connections between YA books you have read and themes/issues raised in the articles. Below, I list each article and 2-6 themes or characteristics the author addresses when discussing YA books for and about girls. So take a look at the list and write a bit about how you see the novel(s) you have read intersecting or connecting with any of these themes. Do you think the books you have read are consistent with how Tighe, Mazza, Seelinger Trites, Simmons, and Shrieves characterize books for girls and how they might be read and responded to by female teen readers? Or do you think the books you have read are very different than the types of books the authors describe in their critical pieces? If so, how are they different? Let's begin a conversation!
"Reviving Ophelia with Young Adult Literature" by Mary Ann Tighe
--Conforming to society's expectations
--Little support from parents
--Survival of teen main character
"Who's Laughing Now? A Short History of Chick Lit" by Cris Mazza
--Post-Feminism. What is post-feminism? Are YA books ever post-feminist (i.e., "Adolescent Chick Lit")?
--Chick Lit as a genre for women/girls
"Defining the Feminist Children's Novel" by Roberta Seelinger Trites
Feminist children's books would include:
--traditional gender roles limiting both boys and girls
--characters transcending gender roles
--plots that empower the main character regardless of his/her gender
--at least one woman in a stereotypical gender role
--a reversing of traditional gender roles
--voice as a metaphor for female agency
"Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls" by Rachel Simmons
--Do YA books ever address issues of violence and aggression between or among girls?
--Do they ever address so-called "indirect" aggression? Closeness and importance of girlfriends? How girls are unprepared to negotiate conflict? Gossip as indirect aggression?
Janet
Since we missed class this week due to the terrible weather, I wanted to post some additional questions for discussion that we might have addressed in class last night had we been there. I had planned to spend the first half of class (before our first presentation) talking about connections between YA books you have read and themes/issues raised in the articles. Below, I list each article and 2-6 themes or characteristics the author addresses when discussing YA books for and about girls. So take a look at the list and write a bit about how you see the novel(s) you have read intersecting or connecting with any of these themes. Do you think the books you have read are consistent with how Tighe, Mazza, Seelinger Trites, Simmons, and Shrieves characterize books for girls and how they might be read and responded to by female teen readers? Or do you think the books you have read are very different than the types of books the authors describe in their critical pieces? If so, how are they different? Let's begin a conversation!
"Reviving Ophelia with Young Adult Literature" by Mary Ann Tighe
--Conforming to society's expectations
--Little support from parents
--Survival of teen main character
"Who's Laughing Now? A Short History of Chick Lit" by Cris Mazza
--Post-Feminism. What is post-feminism? Are YA books ever post-feminist (i.e., "Adolescent Chick Lit")?
--Chick Lit as a genre for women/girls
"Defining the Feminist Children's Novel" by Roberta Seelinger Trites
Feminist children's books would include:
--traditional gender roles limiting both boys and girls
--characters transcending gender roles
--plots that empower the main character regardless of his/her gender
--at least one woman in a stereotypical gender role
--a reversing of traditional gender roles
--voice as a metaphor for female agency
"Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls" by Rachel Simmons
--Do YA books ever address issues of violence and aggression between or among girls?
--Do they ever address so-called "indirect" aggression? Closeness and importance of girlfriends? How girls are unprepared to negotiate conflict? Gossip as indirect aggression?
Janet
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