Julie J. Boucher Memorial Lecture on Intellectual Freedom: Brent Hartinger
- As If blog [Author’s Support Intellectual Freedom]
- Thrilled to be speaking to librarians
- Recently asked to speak at a lesbian bar; “What the hell, they’re my people”
- Opening joke didn’t go well
- “Lesbians don’t have a sense of humor, librarians do” 😉
- The Handmaid’s Tail by Margaret Atwood
- Information is censored by the government due to terrorism
- He thought it was paranoia when it was published in 1995
- Partner Michael thought is was prescient
- There’s no way that could ever happen here
- Now doesn’t seem so far fetched
- Censorship of teen books like the ones he writes
- Hardmaid’s Tale 37th most challenged book in last 10 years
- Teen books, a brief history
- YA seems patronizing
- 1967: The Outsiders
- Pre-Outsiders, teen books were idealized and emotionally flat, maintaining the status quo, preachy
- Outsiders was a “neutron bomb”
- world of violence, the greasers were the good guys
- Outsiders critized the status quo & brought relaisim
- 2nd teen best seller of all time (Charlotte’s Web #1)
- now teen books passionate and critical
- relevant to the lives of teenagers
- Judy Blume: Forever
- Teen sexuality
- previous books dealt with sex on a fear based model
- in Forever, the teens take responsibility
- Title is ironic
- accurately describing life of most teens
- sex nto terrible, but not great either
- realisim over moralizing
- speeks to the teens reading it 7th most challenged book
- Money for teen publishing cut in the 80s
- Decided to publish to teens strongly in the 90s
- high teen appeal
- grittier / edgier
- some more fun
- better covers
- genre exploded
- keep growing to this day
- now teen fantasy is big
- They’re being read by teens now
- were being published in the 70s but they weren’t being read
- Kids books to Flowers in the Attic (“trashiest book ever”)
- Gay/Straight Alliance formed in 1989
- Who doens’t love the story of an underdog?
- gay teens are underdogs
- underserved readership
- teachers would say “there are no gay students in our school”
- books to those readers seemed to be written for straight students
- didnt’ seem honest about feelings and were depressing
- Wrote 1st draft of “Geography Club” in 1991
- bookstores, libraries & schools wouldn’t carry it
- too much of a niche audience
- won award for unpublished books in 1996
- 1999, new/7th agent
- said times have changed
- still denied by 38 editors
- ended up at HarperCollins
- “won’t sell, too controversial”
- Came out in 2003
- sold out, needed 2nd printing
- second printing sold out before printed
- needed 3rd printing
- Adapted for stage in works, also film in the works
- 1000s of letters and e-mails received from readers
- thanks for being accurate of and relevant to me
- Other gay teen lit also published in 2003
- As if Affrican Amercians didn’t reas prior to Waiting to Exhale’s publication
- 30%+ of channenges are gay-related materials
- Libs & schools can buy any book they want
- shouldn’t be compelled to purchase
- can’t argue the literary quality isn’t high enough
- Adults systematically underestimate the number of gay teens in their area
- Recent banning of Geography Club
- in his home town
- parrent complained at the middle school
- parrent hadn’t read the book, just the back over
- demanded removal
- school said no
- parrent read book and made a long list of objections
- superintendent aggreeded with one point / kids met on Internet
- banned
- teacher told the newspaper
- media said much but kept repeating one quote from one article, never called him
- big blow-up in the Seattle area
- got to know major players but not the whistleblower
- finally she admitted who she was
- forced community debate
- prdominately military an morman area
- debate
- what is a library
- is school lib dif
- student rights
- who shoudl decided
- gay rights
- ban was reversed in the highschool but not in the middleschool
- when people think about this issue, most people agree with us
- taken a line out of context works, context helps
- when you can personalize the issue the censorship doens’t work
- the concern is real but…
- Road to hell is paved with good intentions
- The people who send hate mail are a small minority
- yes, some of these questions are difficult
- the debate is healthy when done in the open, important, essentials
- The Queen [film]
- the conflict between tradition and change
- death of Diana forces the question of change
- tradition is important, change can’t happen over night
- just because traditionalists are sincere, that doesn’t mean they’re right
- Do books create the change or reflect the change?
- either way, the books are important to the debate
- are the morality tales or are should they ask questions?
- both, depends on the book
- there’s room for both
- Teaching highschool
- questions about what’s “appropriate” for the classroom
- it’s the wrong question
- First line by a student: “The problem with sex dreams is who never know who will show up.”
- The right question is: Is it honest or purrient?
- Censor: The book is evil
- this is unfair not only to the book but also the author
- Everyone should be able to decide for themselves
- If you don’t like it, don’t keep it from others
- ASIF
- the threats are real, we’re not making this up
- there will always be the conflict
- it’s up to us to point out when the pendulum has swung too far
- the way to deal with a “bad” book, tell your friends but allow others the freedom to decide for themselves
- group supports librarians
- when banned, the author gets all the attention
- but librarians fight the fight
- librarians stay in the community after the controversey and the author leaves town
