It is here.
So, as I've been promising, I did this video about Young Adult Fiction about boys, written for boys and by boys... with a bunch of other kind of interrelated stuff thrown in (kind of like special effects for a crappy movie).
And here we are, February 7, the day the video was scheduled to be broadcast.
But it is not uploaded yet.
I'm sure of two things: One, that it will be uploaded sometime today, and, Two, that this (being that it's Monday and all -- and I am just that superstitious) is a telling indication of what the rest of the week is going to be like for me.
Oh. And I am now, officially, in big trouble for running my Young Writers' Group. God knows, nobody should ever do something like encourage kids to write.
And finally, a kind of cosmic, synchronous, coincidence happened. I don't exactly know how to say this -- I will try -- without making some people outraged, offended, and mad at me. That is not my intent.
You can usually tell when I'm trying to piss people off (like yesterday, for example).
And I really do, truly, like and respect the people involved in this thing I'm going to talk about here, too. But, here goes.
Over the last couple days, and continuing through tomorrow, I think, there is a kind of online forum (live) taking place. It's being hyped as a kind of "Ask a YA Author" type thing. And there are 19 authors taking place, to offer their wisdom and input to people who want to ask YA authors anything.
And there are 19 authors participating.
And every one of them is a woman.
Is there something wrong with that?
No.
Do you want me to say it again?
There is nothing wrong with that.
But... there are young people of the male persuasion who happen to dream of one day being a writer (some of them want to write YA, too). There are also adult guys who are working at becoming YA authors.
A hell of a lot of them, in fact.
And the bottom line is that what guys go through, how they have to balance their lives (whether it's dealing with an asshole football coach, their jobs, their spouses and families) is an entirely different set of experiences than what women usually encounter. Everything is different for guys who write -- especially the things they write about, their voice, and the way they connect with audience (which is what this author crap is all about).
I don't know. I just hate seeing stuff like this. I know it's not intentionally condescending and exclusionary. But sometimes the unintentional stuff makes a louder statement than the all-caps "NO BOYS ALLOWED" sign on the lawn of the country club.
Bottom line: YA means both genders.
Or, you should just call it YCL.
That is all.
Where's my goddamned medicine?
VIDEO UPDATE: The film has been fixed. Look for it on tomorrow's post. Cheers.
8 comments:
There is something wrong with that. I know some of those authors and they're all wonderful people. However, how difficult would it have been for them to get 1 YA male author? I know a bunch of them too.
No, what really makes this wrong is that if this had been a panel on some other kind of literature, and the group of authors was comprised entirely of men, women would have (rightly) demanded to know why they were excluded.
I'm sure the exclusion here wasn't intentional. They're all friends, they got together and decided to do this thing, they all happened to be women. But it doesn't change the message: In YA, Guys are the exception. The intruder. Good luck.
Oh. I expected the quote would be sneakily embedded. Anyway--I saw the stuff about the live chats this week. You make a very good point here (and I don't see how it could piss people off; it's quite reasonably stated). Maybe you talk about this in the video, but I'm really wondering what, in your opinion, the solution/intervention should be? Should those authors have made a concerted effort to reach out to male YA authors? Should it be pointed out now and should an effort be made to loop male authors in? Would you host a more gender inclusive forum yourself?
And clearly this is only a minor indicator of a larger problem. I'm wondering what you believe 1) the root and intermediate causes of this problem are and 2) based on that, what action is necessary, and from whom. I have a son, I work with young boys and their parents every day, and I'm a writer (who happens to be a woman). What should I be doing? What should others do? I'm looking forward to that video!
As long as most of YA remains Chick Lit Lite, this type of thing will continue to happen.
Another point worth mentioning...not in any negative way but just that it should be considered in this conversation, is that many of the 'accepted in the club' male YA authors writer about gay male teens.
jiminey! i bet you're right, that they just didn't think about it... but then you're also right that that says something... hmmm.
i'm looking forward to your video, too! but i wonder why you keep thinking you're going to make people mad? i hope you have a nice week!
Thank you for all these quick responses. And I am relieved that people didn't take what I was saying as any kind of attack or line being drawn (at least, not yet they haven't).
Yes, as I stated, I suspect the omission was unintentional, but yes, I think a lot of the architects of such panels (and this includes conferences) need to make a concerted effort to have guys included.
You simply can not ask a panel of 19 women authors anything about YA. How could you expect to?
Furthermore, things like this shout a very negative and subliminal message to boys and adult males who actually want to write: you're not part of this.
I see it happening all the time, not just this week and on this panel of accomplished and talented authors. It's reinforced in many other settings as well, and it is very frustrating.
And Brian, I'm not sure about the "accepted in the club" crew. I hope it's true. My next novel, Stick has a few gay characters in it, and I have two other novels after that one that do, too. It's all part of representing the spectrum of types of kids I know and the types of kids I grew up with.
But I still think that most of us guy YA authors -- and I know dozens of us -- are totally unwelcome, unwanted outsiders. And I think a lot of kids and just-starting-out authors feel the same way.
Keep out.
The established gatekeepers are more than welcome to prove me wrong.
Hm... okay, the message NO BOYS ALLOWED is loud and clear, even if the exclusion of a male author was inadvertent. BUT would you rather there was one or two token guy authors included and the whole experience feel staged? I am not sure which circumstance I'd prefer.
And this is one of those times it's really odd to be gay. As a favorite type of person of women around the world, I am still a guy and I associate with the male population. It's like, do I choose sides? Do I stay out of it? Or...wait, should I mediate???
I'll chose the option that involves starting conversations and encouraging posts like yours here: posts which gets the conversation going and does not pick a fight.
Unless someone happens to be PMSing big-time, then there's no hope for you, my man. Just sayin'.
Thanks Jonathon.
I think it's a mistake to assume that there are any sides to be taken here. The fact is clear that guys are largely overlooked when it comes to inclusion in anything related to YA, and that's a significant voice and perspective that is silenced through omission.
It doesn't matter if you're gay or straight, or anything else. Guys are guys. And they (we) are routinely discounted and ignored when it comes to thinking we have anything valid to say about writing for young people and how our participation may enhance literacy and benefit some overlooked and discounted members of our society.
Thanks for calling me out, Andrew. You sound a bit like my professors. I get caught in this black and white mentality and I avoid the grey area because I cannot define it right away.
I have been reading into blog book reviews lately and I see the undertone from female reviewers. "This book is amazing and brilliant, but there are a few things I didn't get." I think it's meant to be that way. Ya know, the whole men are from mars women are from venus debate.
Well, the grey area is still too enigmatic for me, but I can accept the fact that I am still learning about writing, reading, and myself, and that need not be defended, just loosely defined.
Post a Comment