So yesterday we filmed the majority of my upcoming video post about Boys and YA.
Save me, oh gods of film editing.
Actually, it went pretty well because the cameraman listened to me whenever I said cut.
Anyway, the film will be uploaded and linked here on Monday, February 7.
As I mentioned a week or so ago, this came about after I posted a response to a YA book blogger's video plea for "Warning Labels" on Young Adult literature. I didn't actually nail down a definitive answer as to how I feel about that (which is oh-so douchebaggy of me), because as an author as well as a parent of two teens of diverse genders, I can empathize with the easy-way-out attraction of warning labels, even if my kids choose to read whatever they want for themselves.
And I'm totally okay with that.
So, I thought the whole video-exchange thing was cool, and suggested we do something similar on the topic of boy-oriented YA that is written by guys (which most so-called YA bloggers either do not read, or they don't know exists).
And that's the gist of the origin of the upcoming video, in which I discuss certain things I would prefer to erase from the universe (and if you've been a reader of this blog for any time, you can probably guess them). And I call out President Obama, too, for just flat out getting it wrong on something I feel very strongly about (even though I love President Obama -- as is clearly demonstrated by my offer to him in the video Hint: it involves going out and getting tattooed together -- squee!!!).
I thoroughly hate myself.
About a year ago, I wrote a series of posts I called the why chromosome, about why we seem to have collectively bought into this absolute lie that boys do not like to read, they suck at reading, that reading is a feminine pursuit, and that boys can't write, either. So I introduce some stats from a couple of the academic studies about boys and literacy that I cited in those posts.
Sometimes I am convinced there is an anti-male brainwashing agenda taking place while we sit and do nothing. Every day, they shove down our throats their mantra, a myth about the XY crew which they base on the following intertwined diagnoses:
1. When we're young, we boys can neither read nor write, and...
2. When we get older, we require prescription medications to make our penises function properly.
Double-you.
Tee.
Eff.
Who the fuck believes this shit?
I don't know what universe the insane assholes behind all that crap came from.
Hmmm... maybe I really am an alien, but, holy shit... pass me my book and keep your damned drugs away from my penis.
In any event, I wrap up the video by naming a selection of very-recent works of Young Adult fiction written by guys, aimed at issues that are essentially boy-oriented, and targeted to all kinds of different boy readers.
What could be better than shit like that?
Gets real.
15 comments:
I'm looking forward to it Andrew.
I think the boys and reading myth has been around for a while, though the recent surge in the success of YA publishing seems to have made it worse. The viagra nation syndrome is relatively recent, but is not a good sign of things to come.
What the hell are they going to do to us next?
It's the stuff of a true dystopian nightmare: they convince boys for 30 years that they can't read, cultivate the generation of an economic underclass (look at college entrance/graduation rates), and then give them drugs for their penises.
Kind of makes you want to go out and burn your bra.
Or something.
Well, my bra is an intrinsic part of my side job, so I cannot afford to burn it. But I can tell you that I am looking forward to Monday and I am directing my blog's attention your way. I hope this conversation will rile, without causing opinions to become too erectile.
You're telling me not to use the word "squee!" C'mon Andrew... just let me read Stick already.
P.S. The Verification Word to post this was "scheen" and I thought it said "squee". Just thinking you were trying to play a joke on me.
That is all.
Very timely post. I'm doing a presentation at work at the end of the month, explaining why "boy books" are nothing to be afraid of. I feel I'll be quoting you liberally.
Thanks, Brian. You might look up my posts at the end of February, 2010, called the why chromosome if you need any more data about the myth of male-gender-illiteracy, and how it's really inflicted on boys by well-intentioned but misguided social, educational, and professional institutions.
Being a mom of boys and surrounded by boys between the ages of 8 -15 I can tell you there are more numbers of boy readers than most people know about. Maybe its the small world of boys I live in or maybe its the myth/fact (?) that athletes (baseball players) read more. These guys aren't blogging about it but the few times you get one or two talking about a book they all get involved and you hear bits of what they are reading.
Also now that I'm no longer with the kinder-babies but with the 3rd and 4th graders, I've been getting them motivated to read by my old technique "what are some things you like". Its still amazing that they are never asked that question because they're the struggling readers. Its always read this, read that. When I have stories that is interesting to them (boys and girls) they enjoy it more. Note to publishers - get some more YA books for boys!
Side note: Mason has already read 20 books this school year to earn his spot in the schools royal readers club. He's no longer my reluctant reader. :)
As a matter of fact, Connie, one of the studies I cited last year (and in my video) from The Reading Teacher (Nov. 2009) showed exactly the results that you point out in your comment about boys and reading.
Jonathon, thanks for the comment and the future shout-out on your blog. I mention a number of recent boy books (written BY guys) and I tried to be as diverse in the subjects/authors as possible. And all these are terrific books that I own and love. And, looking at the video, which is done entirely off-the-cuff, with no script, I realized I left some great titles out that I wanted to name, like Destroy All Cars, by Blake Nelson, which is very good.
And Jared, I just accessed the Urban Dictionary to see if they had any clarifying information on two things I totally despise: the word squee, and the textspeak word ZOMG.
Haunting.
yeah. the squee thing bothers me to no end! looking forward to your video. it seems like most the top readers in my sons' elementary school are male... but i have no idea about the jr. high and high school level kids.
What you and Connie know about young kids reading is true. The switch gets turned off around junior high school. And the switching doesn't take place because of something hard-wired in the architecture of the brains of boys, it's because of what external forces do to them.
Interesting and thoughful post
So who are THEY exactly?
Teachers? Parents? Writers? Publishers?
I certainly don' think there's some concious conspiracy to stop boys over the age of 13 reading, or that its the responsibily of YA bloggers or YA writers to get them to start. Bloggers can blog about whatever they want and writers can do the same.
Its bigger than that and has a lot more to do with how boys identify as boys during their teens and are eager to solidify that self image with activities they consider apt.
Reading is certainly not a feminine pursuit, or writing an old girls club. Just ask Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell.
Boys are taught to read and write just like girls and can have library cards, enter book shops and pick up a pen. There are plenty of great YA books out there for guys but they just aren't out swapping them in the schoolyard like the girls are. We waited with baited breath for the next in a series or gushed over some romantic character and pretty much gave anything a read.
Thats the unfortunate truth, while girls will read just about any genre, boys are wary of picking up anything that even vaguely looks like a girls book (or even if they have seen a girls reading it, which just astounds me) and the ones that are reading aren't certainly aren't telling there friends about it.
So most just give up the institution entirely, until they get a bit older, discover something on their girlfiends nightstand and realise that they actually do love it afterall (boyfriend did this with the Hunger Games and has been stealing my books ever since, bless! Still prefers that no one sees the cover of most of them!)
Reading is one of those weird fallouts from the equal rights movement in which boys somehow missed the boat.
Though for the life of me I dont know how reading and writing ended up being put in the 'girl' box when they never used to even bother teaching girls to do either!!!
Anyway I like what you are doing and I think its great that you are so passionate about it. I am sure there are plenty of guys who have seen one of your books on their girlfriends nightstand and have never looked back :)
I look forward to seeing the video, hopefully you will have some good recomendations for some of my students and for me aswell. I may keep them away from the girls to begin with though, at least until the boys have gotten through them!
Patricia,
Thank you so much for your thoughtful and articulate response. Please know I am not making fun of you when I say this, but I think you are simultaneously correct, and also very much mistaken in some of your points.
Still, I hope you continue to follow this discussion. Watch the video on Monday. It doesn't go nearly into the research that I cited in last February's series called the why chromosome, just because it's more about YA books that are written about, for, and by boys.
Here's what really I like most from your comment:
Boys are taught to read and write just like girls...
Yep. Couldn't agree more. We do teach them like girls.
And, you said,
Reading is one of those weird fallouts from the equal rights movement in which boys somehow missed the boat.
I think we're going to need a bigger boat.
Touche
It's certainly a shame after eons of male orientated education that we have managed to overshoot the mark in such a short period of time and make the classroom too girl friendly and in turn, alienate the boys.
Which kind of defeated the point entirely.
Kid's (actually people in general) are scarily malleable in that if you tell them enough they aren't supposed to like something or be good at it, most of them don't fight it.
Which is why I agree that we are going to need a bigger boat. Filled with interesting and realistic male characters who think and sound like actual boys. With their own section in the bookstore, away from the V.C. Andrewseque covers and titles that are staring and pouting and just genrally freaking them out (dont get me started on how boys are supposed to compete with the 'YA Dreamboats' who can live for ever or turn into bats or what have you).
We need more authors like you, Michael Grant, Rick Riordan (whose blog is pretty much one of the only places to find good boys ya recommendations btw)James Daschner etc to write this stuff.
So get building.
ps
But us girls can certainly help out some and I think we all need to get the word out and let the boys know that when they grow up, women really like the men that read.
Surely that can't hurt!
Patricia wrote: "Boys are taught to read and write just like girls and can have library cards, enter book shops and pick up a pen."
I've always been a proud reader and have carried a book with me at all times to read during spontaneous downtime since middle school. In high school I would sometimes read 2-3 books a week. But they were always books of my own choosing.
I can't name a specific experience or even time frame that I came to this opinion, but somehow I decided along the way that I would never like any book recommended by any teacher, librarian, or educational figure. I never enjoyed anything on the lists they gave us for book report selections. I learned if paid enough attention to lectures and discussions in class I could get away with not reading the assigned books. When my teacher made me ask the high school librarian for a suggestion, it was obvious she had no idea my interests or tastes no matter how I tried to describe them.
I loved reading, but hated school reading. If school reading had been all I knew of books, I'm sure I would have assumed the conclusion that I hated all reading.
It wasn't until years later as a professional adult attending the Public Library Association annual conference, in a session on Boys and Reading, that I had the perspective to articulate my experience. Put simply, most educators are women and the types of books they like and assign don't appeal to boys. Of course the reality is more complex and muddled than that, but the differences and trends are there. Boys are taught that reading is something they can't enjoy because of the types of books they're exposed to.
A favorite quote someone passed on to me--and I haven't bothered to find an original source or verify it--that really captures, to this day, something most educators seem to fail to grasp:
"The best morals kids get from any book is just the capacity to empathize with other people, to care about the characters and their feelings. So you don’t have to write a preachy book to do that. You just make it a fun book with characters they care about, and they will become better people as a result."
Louis Sachar, Newbery acceptance speech
Degolar,
Thank you for that comment. I think what you say reflects the truth about an entire generation (or several) that we've lost since boys missed the boat:
I loved reading, but hated school reading. If school reading had been all I knew of books, I'm sure I would have assumed the conclusion that I hated all reading.
Thankfully, and I've seen this first-hand, there is a new wave among teachers of Language Arts and librarians that recognize that in our attempt to leave no child behind, we've completely ignored the needs and learning styles of a huge segment of the learning population -- and precisely during the formative, gender-role sensitive, and very challenging developmental years.
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