Recently someone posted a comment on the RCLS youthlist listserv regarding an article on reading YA literature in Slate, a U.S. online current affairs and culture magazine. Just to give some background: Slate was originally created in 1996 by Michael Kinsley, the former editor of New Republic. It was owned by Microsoft, as part of MSN (Microsoft Network)but has since been purchased by the Washington Post Company (in 2004) and is managed by Graham Holdings Co.
Now for the article. Entitled “Against YA“, subtitled “Read whatever you want. But you should be embarrassed when what you’re reading was written for children,” was written by Ruth Graham, a New Hampshire writer. (I’m guessing no relation to Katharine, but have no proof.) I personally think she wrote it to prompt immediate feedback, since no one has the right to decide what others read and how they should feel while reading it. But here are some of the replies from various librarians:
Hmm. What constitutes literature? Is it only categorized in the adult section? Is there no literature now being published in YA or children’s for that matter? And has YA, a relatively new phrase, not been on the shelves of libraries for the past 50- 70 years? I can recall titles that are of great merit not having had the “YA” nomenclature being part of my adolescence. Books such as To Kill a
Mockingbird, Flowers for Algernon, A Separate Piece, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fahrenheit 451, The Outsiders, The Bell
Jar. Are these not classics? Do they not fit many of the parameters of what would be considered books for teens? Fast forward to
today to titles such as Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, The Road by Cormac McCarthy, The Giver by Lois Lowry, The Perks of
Being a Wallflower by Chbosky, will these not be considered classics one day? Let’s go back further would you say that The Great
Gatsby is of the same caliber as Hamlet or Tamburlaine the Great? Shakespeare was considered a hack next to Marlowe and
Dickens was thought of even less of in his time. It is only through history that we make these determinations, so what is being
written today will have its mark, either good or bad, by the perceptions of tomorrow. And quite frankly, I am embarrassed at having to
defend it!
My favorite:
Agreed – However, I lost patience with the article and never quite finished it… I am too busy hunting for the next lovely
picture book to read.Also,
here is a rebuttal to Graham’s articlefrom
Jezebel, a blog aimed at women’s interests, according to
Wikipedia, posted to the listserve by yet another librarian. The background on this blog: it is owned by Gawker.com, a successful online media co. owned by Nick Denton, a British journalist and internet entrepeneur (
Wikipedia). Jezebel has been criticized by both the
L.A.Times and
Forbes, among others, for “irrational discourse” and posting questionable videos. I didn’t mean to write quite this much, but I find the whole controversy interesting. So if anyone has any thoughts, I’d love to hear them…
