tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160636034192691079.post8238493293161247925..comments2024-01-13T21:31:23.388-05:00Comments on Reading While White: September Spotlight on #OwnVoices: Allie, First At LastReading While Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07807138877345669931noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160636034192691079.post-88224954253242715882016-09-22T15:45:57.260-04:002016-09-22T15:45:57.260-04:00I want to say something about it being "reali...I want to say something about it being "realistic." Lots of things are realistic. Including teen characters who are bisexual, for example, is realistic, but VOYA felt the need to warn its readers that a book was only suitable for older readers due to that. <br /><br />The it's "realistic" defense only gets trotted out sometimes. <br /><br />--VeronicaUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18255579796886276754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160636034192691079.post-67404610721793892152016-09-19T19:01:44.991-04:002016-09-19T19:01:44.991-04:00Eric, in the context of the story the teacher'...Eric, in the context of the story the teacher's comment frames the core themes of the book. (About being first/generosity in helping others.) The quote doesn't only represent the teacher's views-- and if it did, I agree with the need for contextualization. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12859067813578509009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160636034192691079.post-69500465266947207692016-09-19T09:49:19.007-04:002016-09-19T09:49:19.007-04:00Eric, you're right that a teacher somewhere ma...Eric, you're right that a teacher somewhere may say this kind of thing. But that doesn't mean that we shouldn't raise that concern. As Allie said in a post from way back in February (https://readingwhilewhite.blogspot.com/2016/02/thoughts-on-but-kids-say-this-stuff.html):<br /><br />"Accuracy is not the issue. When we see something problematic, we need to say, “that’s a problem.” Unless books name problematic content as such, they condone and perpetuate the problems."Sam Bloomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12225131033978509934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160636034192691079.post-46849012353648978122016-09-19T09:38:20.296-04:002016-09-19T09:38:20.296-04:00I need some help with this.
Would we rather the te...I need some help with this.<br />Would we rather the teacher not make this comment stating that American settlers were trailblazers? Absolutely. But is this a comment we would be unsurprised to hear coming from the vast majority of teachers? Again Absolutely.<br />Should books provide only glimpses into idealized versions of reality? Or do our windows and mirrors need to allow students to see the world as it actual exists? One could argue that omitting this passage would be covering up reality and retaining the passage but having the narrative overtly comment on the problematic nature of what the teacher is saying could be pull the reader out of the story (which didacticism can often do). So what should be done? Are we asking realistic fiction writers to be untruthful? Just as overly enlightened characters in historical fiction can seem anachronistic, overly enlightened characters in contemporary fiction can also pull one out of the narrative if it becomes didactic.<br /><br />From a position of privilege, it is easy to simply trust the reader to make the same observation about the way this passage relates to the central theme of the novel that Sarah makes in her comment, but that ignores the potential for this passage to reinforce problematic stereotypes.<br /><br />I don't have any answers to these questions but would love to hear what others think regarding how much ugly truth these works can reflect.<br />Eric Carpenterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06009168325629611816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160636034192691079.post-66379079918208470852016-09-18T10:45:51.647-04:002016-09-18T10:45:51.647-04:00I really loved this book too-- but do want to ment...I really loved this book too-- but do want to mention one passage in the book, which is central to the book's themes regarding what it means to be first. When the teacher is explaining the Trailblazer contest to Allie's class, she says: "'It doesn't have to be a famous person necessarily. Trailblazers can be anyone. The original trailblazers were American settlers who traveled west for a better life. It just has to be someone who tried something different in order to make life better for others."<br /><br />This is one of those situations where the book as a whole is wonderful, and I really wish an editor had flagged that passage. It's the only part of the book that pulled me up short. And, at the same time, I do think that passage speaks to a deeper issue with how the idea of "first" is so often imagined in relation to the history of this country.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12859067813578509009noreply@blogger.com