Moments that others can usually savor, Liam Geller manages to screw-up—a condition to which most adolescents can probably relate. Because of his affinity for disaster, Liam, the main character in King of the Screwups (Harcourt, 2009) by K.L. Going, is a victim of his father’s verbal and emotional abuse. Liam suffers from low self-esteem and feels unnoticed or “like a strange fungus” (151) beside his corporate success of a father and his modeling mother—Sarah Geller, a model at whom you don’t just look; your eyes linger.
Starved for attention and approval and tired of competing with the professional community for his dad’s love, Liam turns to drunkenness and casual sex to escape his pain. After a particularly embarrassing moment, Liam’s enraged father evicts him from the house and sentences him to live with his proto-military grandparents. Unable to endure that possibility, Liam opts to live with his cross-dressing uncle, whom he calls Aunt Pete.
Here, he meets the effeminate boutique owner Eddie; the huge, baritone-voiced Dino who works as a cop in Pineville; and Orlando, Pete’s partner who also teaches English. The four men, who form a glam-rock band, grow into a supportive family for Liam, who learns about unconditional love for the first time in his seventeen years.
Dedicated to making the most of this clean slate, Liam decides to re-define himself. His father has always told him he won’t get far on popularity alone, so Liam goes undercover in his new school, determined to be unpopular. Yet, this young man who “looks like a guy who should be doing underwear commercials” (83) and knows fashion, can’t pull off the ruse—his clothes are way too nice for unpopularity. So used to screwing up, Liam doesn’t know how to enjoy or identify success, and soon he’s back in his usual slump, defining himself with defiance, detentions, and delinquent behavior.
Darleen Martinek , a girl also struggling with abandonment and misunderstood as Class Bitch for her social activism and refusal to play the shallow popularity game, turns out to be Liam’s unlikely savior. She teaches him that he’s brave and talented and funny—that he “can’t create love. [He has] to take it wherever [he] can find it” (295), even if that’s with a glam-rock, spandex-wearing uncle. She also advices Liam to stop trying to impress others:
I think you try too hard to please everyone, and now you’re ready to throw
everything away just because there are people like me who judge you by what’s
on the surface, without getting to know what’s underneath. . . . You have to
stop caring so much what [your father] thinks of you and start caring more
about what you think of you. Otherwise, you’ll always be looking for something
you’re never going to find. I know this sounds harsh, but you’ve got to let it go (293).
Aunt Pete offers similar advice: “If you know what you love, it doesn’t matter what other people think. . . . I may not be rich or respected like your father, but I’ve got the three best friends in the world, a pretty decent trailer, a job I love. . . the good life. I don’t need anyone’s approval (180).
Eventually, through working for Eddie and receiving support from Pete, Liam discovers he has a knack for sales and an eye for make-up and color. Fashion Einstein decides to pursue a career as a model, much to his father’s dismay.
Through the uncanny wisdom of her characters, Going teaches us all to sharpen our bullshit meters. And not since reading Dave Pelzer’s A Child Called It, have I felt so strongly about reaching into the pages of a book to choke an abusive parent. Going also has much to say about the social lies we all tell—everything’s fine, when it’s not—or the lies of omission—the times we remain silent about issues that really matter; we don’t say what needs to be said.
In addition, with Going’s treatment, fashion becomes a metaphor for life: “Fashion’s all about fantasy” (198)—glitzing up something common, adding something flashy to something ordinary—You get on stage and strike a pose. Perhaps that analogy helps explain the prevalence and peculiarity of tattoos, piercings, jewelry, clothes, and hair styles as teens search to define themselves. Maybe as they vie for independence and pursue an identity, they’re also pushing the boundaries: “People are challenged when they’re uncomfortable. Glam stretches the boundaries. Gender boundaries, fashion boundaries. . . Glam, punk, rap, metal—they all make people stop and stare. It’s good for ‘em” (180). Going’s ideas about teen experiences, about this emotionally challenging and difficult time, ring true in this novel.
I recently finished Craig S. Womack's "Drowning in Fire." The compelling story of Josh, a Native American, growing up on the Muskogee Creek Nation. Already having a difficult time growing up, Josh is faced with the confussion of his homosexuality. The story flip-flops between the life of Josh and the past life of his Grandmother Lucy. Through this technique, the reader is able to see the connection they share and the hardships they each face.
ReplyDeleteJosh is unable to speak about his homosexuality and hides his emotions through the use of anger. He becomes even more confused when his friend Jimmy and him become more than "friends." Unable to make sense of what is going on in his life, we follow his thoughts and mind provoking imagination.
Finding oneself is hard enough when growing up, but to wonder your gender prefernce on top of it, adds confusion. Many are afraid to share their true self because of the social acceptance of their home, friends, community, etc, but it is important to find who you are and be it with pride. I know when I was in my early teens I was upset that I was so skinny compared to all my girlfriends. They all had curves and I, well I look like a stick. I hated it, but before I knew it I accepted who I was. Once I finally did, I felt more beautiful then the rest because I was unique. My advice to Josh would be true to yourself, we cannot be someone else. We are ourselves.
"Hello," I Lied, by M.E. Kerr, is a fascinating read that quite gracefully shatters all the expectations behind the usual definitions: heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual. Kerr illustrates how relationships between two people are just that -- a shared experience, unique unto itself, not always falling into the easy and sanitized categories we arrange (culturally and personally) to help us make sense of these things. Love really defies definition, and as soon as we think we know exactly what love is, as soon as we think we put our finger on it, we're lost.
ReplyDeleteThe main character, Lang, not only picks his way through a labyrinth of relationships with others in the story, but is surrounded by a dizzying bevvy of inter-personal relationships that sometimes mirror his own, and sometimes counterpoint his own. The novel can be mined for endless questions about the nature of relationships: How do relationships change us? How do relationships make us want to be better people? How do relationships help define us? How do relationships bring out the parts of us we are not proud of? How do we understand ourselves and each other through the shared experience of love?
Another potent theme in this book is the real struggle of honesty. It makes painfully clear how important it is to be honest with oneself and others, but also how impossible it can be to be honest about who you are when you don't even know who you are! People are organic, ever-changing, ever-learning, ever-growing -- it's difficult to be honest with each other, and especially yourself, when your identity is ever-shifting. I think that's a theme that can relate to anyone, but especially young adults, who try on new persona's like trying on new pairs of jeans.
Addendum: I was surprised to see the book has actually received criticism for it's portrayal of biphobia (see the comments in the link). In my reading, certainly the protagonist starts off with harsh and reductive words about bisexuality, but by the end of the the novel Lang has to eat those words -- he has to face up to his own intolerance.
I thought it was a needed portrayal of how those who experience intolerance often cope with it by passing it on to someone else. I respected the character as a complicated individual who defies categorical and stereotypical definitions, sometimes despite himself.
I also wanted to comment that when I started investigating what book I would read for this section, I was appalled to only find one young adult novel dealing with the issue of intersexed individuals: Fool For Love, by Lisa Lees. Blasingame mentioned in our reading how unfortunate it is that there is so little YA Lit on gender issues, and the nearly utter lack of YA lit on intersexuality strikes me as absolutely negligent towards those who are intersexed, those who are curious and want to know about intersexuality, and those who know nothing at all about intersexuality.
ReplyDeleteFor a convincing (and brief!) article about why we need to broaden our conceptions of "gender," check out The Five Sexes: Why Male and Female Are Not Enough, by Anne Fausto-Sterling.
In Observance of Banned Book Week:
I loved the "Sampling of Early Attitudes towards Censorship" in our Nilson/Donelson reading (390-2). Reading those samples of censorship theory in quick succession really emphasize the arbitrary nature, and almost comic absurdity behind censorship.
I truly feel that censorship (along with hatred and violence) is ultimately couched in fear. People censor out of fear.
I want to share an excerpt from my reading journal from eight years ago that I feel really illustrates the absolute fear behind unfair treatment of youth. It's only related to censorship because you can see how people who think like this, and fear like this, would want to control every morsel that is consumed by our youth.
This excerpt I read in Redemption Song: Muhammad Ali and the Spirit of the Sixties, by Mike Marqusee, but the excerpt was actually written by Jimmy Cannon, a sports journalist, after Muhammad Ali dodged the Vietnam draft because, as he said, "I ain't got no quarrel with them Vietcong."
"He fits in with the famous singers no one can hear and the punks riding motorcycled with iron crosses pinned to their leather jackets and Batman and the boys with the long dirty hair and the girls with the unwashed look and the college kids dancing naked at secret proms held in apartments and the revolt of students who get a check from dad every first of the month and the painters who copy the labels off soup cans and the surf bums who refuse to work and the whole pampered style-making cult of the bored young."
I was rather excited to read a book on the topic of gender variance as I wrote an essay last semester analyzing a poem on the topic of the fluidity of gender. However, I wanted to read a book I had really heard about in class-I wanted to discover something new. After looking at the article we were sent, I decided to read "Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You" by Peter Cameron.
ReplyDeleteThe book is written in first person through the eyes of eighteen year old James. He chronicles his summer living with his sister and mother in New York City before he is supposed to attend Brown in the fall. His family dynamics are dysfunctional like many other people's-his sister is dating her married college professor, his mother just got her third divorce three days after her marriage, his father questions his sexual identity after he orders pasta, and his only solace is his grandmother. Add to the mix the fact that he doesn't want to go to college, hates people his age, and plays a prank on the one person he does have a crush on him. Did I mention his mother fires him and he has to see a therapist that asks annoying questions? It's true.
The verdict: I didn't like the book. I was really disappointed in it actually. I thought the plot was kind of dry and if I wasn't OCD about finishing books that I start I probably would have picked something different. I wish more time had been taken on getting to know James better beyond his loneliness which was easily graspable in the first chapter. And the end was kind of disappointing too.
Despite my judgement there are some pretty interesting aspects that I think would benefit students. First, I loved the references he makes to art and literature--I immediately wanted to go look up "The Voyage of Life" by Thomas Cole (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Voyage_of_Life I am only using wikipedia because it also has the pictures and pretty accurate descriptions...) because Cameron was so vivid in his descriptions.
I also appreciated that Cameron didn't go all out in trying to present homosexuality as "in your face." I feel like the stereotypes and misconceptions are sometimes supported by the literature presented. I liked that his family didn't condemn him or get angry or make fun of him. I thought it would also bring up a good discussion on differences in cultures ( Montana vs. San Francisco).
Seniors may relate to his feelings about college or about being a "misfit."
Also, this is another book that is going to be a movie in 2011. I will probably see it, too, because maybe seeing a more in-depth characterization will allow me to enjoy it more.
Cody -- I'm actually surprised that there is at least one book on intersexed teens (and now I'll have to read it). On one hand, the existence of said book is a huge step toward the inclusion of intersexed individuals in mainstream culture by its introduction in popular culture, which often (and sometimes tragically) seems to be a barometer for how accepted people in 21st American may be. On the other hand, the fact that there is only one you could find is incredibly disappointing. We have a long way to go.
ReplyDeleteI found myself being all burble-y over the gender variance book that I found for this week. The book, Totally Joe, is written by James Howe, who wrote the Bunnicula books I loved when I was a kid (vampire rabbits who drink the juice of vegetables: what's not to love?!). The predominant reason for my burble-iness stems from the fact that I would have killed for a book like this when I was in 7th/8th grade, and I'm thrilled that it is available for readers today.
The book is written as an assignment written by 7th grader Joe to be handed in to his English teacher. The format itself is nice and ingenious: it's called a "alphabiography", which is the story of his life up to this point, A through Z. Joe's life in not-so-big Paintbrush Falls is about as ordinary as a typical thirteen year old's, except for the gay part and the dating a not-out-yet kid part.
What struck me about this book was how it dealt with issues that remain touchy in American public schools, particularly the visibility of GLBTQ students. Joe is out to everyone about halfway through the book, and Howe deals with the obstacles and scary stuff that a thirteen year old kid (ANY thirteen year old kid) goes through sailing the choppy waters of middle school. Joe's sexual orientation is just another facet of his personality, to him at least; to the religious and conservative parents who freak out when they hear that two boys were seen kissing at school, this becomes the *only* facet of his personality.
Howe writes for young adults in a perfectly believable young adult voice, using the clever gimmick of the alphabiography (which, incidentally, is something I'd like to use in my future classrooms). This device allows him to paint us a character who is, at once, both a typical American teenager (whatever that means) and a burgeoning queer kid, lucky enough to be figuring out his sexual identity before the traumas of high school and college. Joe's queerness is such a part of him that it both stands out and fades into the background at the same time, which is a neat trick that Howe manages through his pitch-perfect emulation of a gay teenage boy.
Joe reminds me of me (which I'm sure a lot of Howe's gay readers say). As I said before, having access to a book like this when I was a thirteen year old kid figuring out my sexuality with little to no models (pop culture helps define us!) would have brightened middle school ... just a little.
For this week's genre, I read "Keeping You a Secret" by Julie Anne Peters, but first a story on encountering this book.
ReplyDeleteI went to the Missoula County Public Library with some ideas of what I wanted to read, but I was hoping that they could offer some of their personal favorites. Upon asking for some recommendations for Gender Variance Novels, I was directed (and re-directed) to several librarians who happened to be in the Young Adult section. Finally, after the third librarian, I was directed to some bookmarks that were hidden on a table among other advertisements. I had the thought that if I were a young student questioning my sexuality, or being secretive of my sexuality, that finding these bookmarks would be a tough thing to do. Even less likely, I would never ask and re-ask librarians as to suggestions of titles. I don't know if the normal Young Adult Librarian was out for the day or what, and this is in no way of a judgment, just something I thought about while perusing the shelves.
Now on to the meat. "Keeping You a Secret" is an interesting novel of a young girl's coming out. Our novel's protagonist, Holland, sees an "out and proud" transfer student at her school and through her relationship with her (friendship evolving to romantic) she realizes that she is gay.
The truly heartbreaking part of this story is the reactions she receives when she does reveal that she is homosexual. Her mother calls her a pervert, beats her, then gives her one minute to pack all of her belongings, and evicts her from the house. Holland is forced to stay at a homeless shelter because she has no where else to go.
However, there is light in this story. For me, this story was about more than coming out. It was about finding yourself. How when you start listening to yourself instead of other people, that you find out who you really are...and the power that comes out of that.
I misunderstood the genre for the week, but it turned out alright anyway because I read "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky as a banned/challenged book, and it includes a section that I think is relevant to gender variance. The book is a series of letters written from a young man calling himself Charlie to a mysterious friend that he's never met, but who he thought would understand his need to write letters. Charlie just writes about his life week by week, and as it is his freshman year of high school, he has quite a bit to share.
ReplyDeleteThe moment that I particularly thought stood out in the light of gender variance is when one of his two friends--Patrick--has recently broken up with his boyfriend. Patrick is trying to heal his wounded heart and in doing so, kisses Charlie. Charlie is not interested in having a male relationship, but Charlie lets him because he is trying to be a good friend. His other friend--Sam--later calls him out on it. Charlie writes about her saying, " It's like you can come to Patrick's rescue and hurt two guys that are trying to hurt him, but what about when Patrick's hurting himself? Like when you guys went to that park? Or when he was kissing you? Did you want him to kiss you?" (201). Charlie shakes his head no. I think this applies to not only GLBTQ teens but teens situated in what is considered 'the norm' as well. Everyone will occasionally do something in order to please their friends or peers that does not make themselves happy. This book is not just about trying to discover yourself in the precarious point between child and adult hood that you find yourself in when you enter high school, but also about trying to make sure once you do find yourself that you take care of yourself properly. It is easy to "rescue" yourself from a physical fight or even a verbal fight, but to save yourself from your own actions is an entirely different ball field. And that's where Charlie's tale lies, waiting to show someone else the way. Although, I probably wouldn't recommend taking his exact route.
This week, I read "Annie on My Mind" by Nancy Garden. I found the book through a list of banned LGBT books (Found here if you are interested: http://ncac.org/LGBTQ-Bans-and-Challenges), and it sounded as though I would enjoy it. I ended up reading it in one afternoon, starting the moment I picked it up at the library. I maintain no delusions that this book is a supreme and world-changing piece of literature, but that does not stop it from being an incredible resource for young adults struggling with their sexuality.
ReplyDeleteThe book follows the story of a girl named Liza who is in her senior year of high school. She meets another girl, Annie, at the Metropolitan museum, and they become fast friends. Over time, their friendship becomes much more, and they need to face their own feelings, the reactions of their family, and (here's an interesting element) the backlash from Liza's school. Liza goes to a private school that is quickly losing funding. She is class president and is expected to be an example for Foster Academy while they try to gain support from the community. When(through many trials and bad-decisions) her relationship with Annie is discovered, the school holds a tribunal and attempts to expel her.
Liza's struggles, while fictional, exemplify feelings common in young adults of all sexual orientations. Liza poses questions that she does not know how to answer, struggling with her own sexual awakening and ascent into adulthood. She feels alienated, persecuted, and misunderstood. I am sure everyone can remember feeling like that at least once in his or her adolescence. Because of this, Liza's story becomes universal,though it would primarily target a questioning/lesbian young adult audience.
While this is not a book that I would ever teach in a classroom setting, it was still very worth reading. It's the kind of novel that I wish I had picked up when I was seventeen. The message, through all the romance and drama, is that only by being true to yourself can you truly be free, which (I believe) is an incredibly valuable thing to hear at such a turbulent age.
I selected Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson from Books That Don't Bore 'Em's gender and sexuality list... but it turned out to be about a girl who was raped and didn't really deal with gender variance. I think the experience Melinda has is similar in some ways to the journey of sexuality in teens. Melinda is raped at a party and calls the police, but she doesn't tell anyone about thee rape so her friends only get angry that she ratted and ostracize her at school. She withdraws into herself, her grades go downhill, and she barely speaks. Only her art teacher can reach her and help her to express herself.
ReplyDeleteRape affects a person's sexuality because it is a sensitive issue, hard to share, it makes a person feel different, less, broken, ostracized, misunderstood. I think these elements are common to exploring sexuality. You mentioned “The times we remain silent about issues that really matter; we don’t say what needs to be said” and that is exactly what Speak is about. It was really moving and gives teens the opportunity to experience Melinda's situation without the trauma and draw from her new found wisdom and courage in their lives. It introduces art as a form of expression when expression is difficult: “Welcome to the only class that will teach you how to survive. Welcome to Art” (10). It teaches teens how to cope and express. Another really helpful lesson is not judging people who are different or whom you don't understand.
Beyond the valuable lessons, it's a really good read. I laughed out loud several times; I highly recommend it.
Did anyone else have a hard time finding a gender variance book at the Mansfield Library or at a local bookstore? I did. I had a list of twenty possible reads gathered through research and was quite astonished that the Mansfield Library didn't have one of them. Wow. What kind of message is this sending?
ReplyDeleteI also hunted around in Barnes & Noble and got to number 15 on my last before I found that they had something in stock. I found Luna by Julia Anne Peters, which is a National Book Award Finalist.
Luna is about Liam, a boy who is certain that he is a girl trapped in a boy's body. At night Liam uses his sister Regan's room to dress-up in women's clothing, wigs and make-up.
The story is told through the eye's of his sister, who is the only one who knows Liam or Luna's secret. Because the reader is hearing Regan's thoughts we can identify not only with Luna's struggles, but also with how those struggle's affect his sister who loves and cares for him.
I highly recommend this book as it potrays the heartbreaking and staggering complexity transsexual teen identity.
Gender issues are very complex. It is one of those subjects that tend to heighten emotions. Today it is considered a hot political topic due to legal issues surrounding gay marriage.
ReplyDeleteI am often dismayed to find such ignorance and hatred directed towards this issue. Below is an article that I have kept on file the last couple of years. When I encounter radical ideas and gross misinterpretation of the issues, I often hand someone a copy of the article and tell them to read it before talking to me about the subject again. I am sure you will all find it very interesting:
Homosexuality and Biology
HomosexualityBiology
ReplyDeleteElissa, in fact I ran into that same problem! I was shocked! Actually I was more angry than shocked.
ReplyDeleteI did however find a book and it was one I was very happy to have read. I read "Boy Meets Boy" by David Levithan and found it to be such a great book.
Something that surprised me was that LGBT in the community in which the book takes place is openly accepted and normal. The star quarter back went by Infinite Darlene and was also the homecoming queen. There is Joy Scouts, since the Boy Scouts decided gays had no place in their ranks they made their own and continued on. Also, P-FLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), which draws in as big a crowd as the PTA.
It was a refreshing perspective to take and the story itself was just all around great. I highly recommend it. It isn't too long and it's a "fun" read.
I ended up reading Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. Like Ellen, I looked under the Sexual Identitiy/Sexual Assault section of Books That Don't Bore 'Em. Out of this list, I also had trouble finding most of the books on this list at Barnes and Noble. Though Speak does not touch on issues of Gender Variance, it still deals with issues that relate to and can effect sexual identity.
ReplyDeleteAnderson's diction and word choice is very informal and easy to read. This story deals with a very serious issue (rape) in a somewhat lighthearted way. There is a lot of humor in the novel which also makes it an enjoyable read.
One aspect of the novel that I particularly liked was how close the text allowed the reader to get to the protagonist Melinda. The word choice and style Anderson chose to use allowed me to really come to love Melinda as a character. Anderson employs a first person present narration. After reading novels set in this perspective, particularly activate some sort of inner narration with in myself. After reading something like Speak, I am motivated to conduct some sort of self analyzation. I think this and important effect literature can have on a reader especially a teen reader. Reading novels with this kind of perspective could be beneficial in the fact that they encourage self analyzation and encourage students to look within themselves and find out who they truly are.
For this week, I plan to read Kite Runner which is a gender varience novel that can also be classified as multicultural literature. It was mentioned in the article Prof. Miller posted on blackboard titled, "Fight for Your Right:Censorship, Selection,and LGBTQ Literature." Which speaks about the fact that Kite Runner is often not allowed in schools, because of its rape scene (which is male on male). However, Speak is often read in the classroom when its theme revolves around rape. I think it will be interesting to compare the two in the week to come!
ReplyDeleteFor the gender variance novel I decided to read Kite Runner. On the negative side I don’t believe it would be the best book to teach for this specific genre, but on the positive side it was a great book that I believe every teen should read.
ReplyDeleteThe book is about the complete character change of a young teen, Amir, growing up in upper class Afghanistan. Amir’s best friend Hassan ends up becoming more beloved by Amir’s father Baba than he is, and Amir quickly becomes jealous. That jealously leads to more insecurity for Amir, and when two male bullies rape Hassan, Amir does nothing to stop it, forcing him into years of guilt. That guilt however changes him from an insecure, immature young adult, into a responsible, caring adult. His life comes full circle at the conclusion of the novel when he realized he has redeemed himself and found true happiness. The irony in his change is that he has become a better person by adopting the best characteristics of his father and Hassan, two people he had despised growing up.
The only gender concepts I saw in the novel, were the interactions amongst young adult males. It was a very interesting critique of what males can cause other males to do when they are power hungry. The rape scene is extremely graphic, and in an article that Donna posted on the shell, there is critique of whether the book should be banned because of that scene. The rape of Hassan is definitely the climax of the story and is what causes Amir to change. I feel a lot of teens can relate to life altering moments. That is definitely one of the main points I would teach in my classroom, is finding that defining moment in their childhood so far, hopefully not one that is that scarring, and learning how to make the best of every situation. Because, even if Hassan and Amir lost their friendship, it still in the end made Amir realize he needed to change.
Like Katie, I also read Drowning in Fire by Craig Womack. We're reading it for our Native American studies class, which I'm really enjoying. Anyway, I'll skip a summary since you can read Katie's too (the very top I think).
ReplyDeleteJosh is a captivating character in that his mind is always flowing and his creativity never ceases. The old stories about his heritage, told by his aunt Lucy, spring numerous daydreams that entertain, yet at the same time confuse. From doing a little research, it appears most readers find that Josh is floating through time, and reliving experiences of his past relatives. It's a little confusing because that's not really ever explained in the text, you just read that Josh is floating on a magic carpet over the town. Also, you'll be reading about Josh's thoughts in the present, then it jumps to some daydream he's having so you have to go over it again and find out where his train of thought turned into this dream. His love interest, Jimmy, is also an interesting character. He's the jock type and everyone looks up to him. He could openly declare that he is gay, and no one would believe (except a select few who actually know, like Josh and C.A.). Jimmy is a good contrast to Josh though. Where Josh is imaginative and floating, Jimmy is rough and hard working.
Overall I thought the book was a good read. There are a few "eyebrow raisers" throughout the text in regards to language and sexual scenes, but nothing I don't think some high school kids couldn't handle. I believe maturity plays a large role in being able to read this text and get more out of it than just the physical relationships that happen among the characters. If you were going to teach this to a class you would have to explain ahead of time what your motives are for teaching it, what you expect students to learn from it, and so on. I could see parents having some issues with the book, mainly because of those eyebrow raisers, but like we always talk about in class you should have your rationale handy, or some alternatives.
Elissa - Thanks for that article. Fascinating stuff, and I loved the end-note: that although there's all this compelling evidence that there are real biological instigators for gender 'variance,' we can't expect science to solve the problems of human rights.
ReplyDeleteThat job belongs to everybody, and I strongly feel that we -- educators -- have an incredibly important role to play in furthering human rights and human tolerance. As far as role models for youth go, teachers are just one step down from parents. We're on the front lines.
For my gender variance book i read "Boy Meets Boy." This was not the sort of book i expected. I was expecting a book that dealt with gay specific issues, but instead I got a different, but interesting perspective. The community the story took place in was kind of a gay utopia and was, for the most part, very accepting and open. The issues that were brought up in the story were not gay specific and instead related to the problems that any teen has growing up: relationship issues, confidence, school commitments, friends etc. However, the greatest difference between this book and another with the same issues is that this book has a gay protagonist. I think that gay readers may find a bit of comfort to know that there is a representative in literature for them. And for hetero students I believe the book could open some people's eyes and show them that there is no great difference in the experiences of gay or straight students unless those differences are created by the students themselves. I think this idyllic community provides a great example to readers of how to live with differing people.
ReplyDeleteThe gender variance novel I chose to read was titled “Deliver Us from Evie” by ME Kerr. I grew up in a fairly conservative town in Montana, and novels were, by all means, associated with the infamous cannon. I honestly do not know what any of my high school English teachers would have thought if I came to school with a book like the one I read for class on gender variance.
ReplyDeleteAs a future teacher I plan to incorporate as many lens of literature as I possibly can, leaving the possibilities for students an endless experience to explore. While it may be impossible to require students to read a book about a lesbian farm girl in rural Missouri, I am capable of giving them the option of reading it for another required portion of my class.
Evie, the book’s protagonist, has been raised in a rural community where sexual identity is boy/girl. She possessed male traits and performs masculine work on her family farm, which is completely fine and not stereotyped at all. But the second she starts going to strange movies with the major’s daughter, the town begins to question her motives. This novel by Kerr is not only a coming of age for Evie, but for her family as well. Throughout the book each member deals with her sexuality in a different way, providing many different lens for the reader.
This novel could be used for more than simply a sexual orientation-type of lecture. It could be used to represent family dynamics, finding yourself, exploring new territories (sexual and nonsexual), and standing up for what is right. The story is told from the perspective of Evie's little brother, opening up this novel to more than just those interested in a gender variance book.
It is our job as teachers to provide every student with the literary needs that is best fit for them. After reading “Deliver Us from Evie” I would feel confident in recommending it as an alternate for different units, or simply providing it as an option for my students to choose to read.
One of the things I was most nervous about in selecting a 'Gender Variance' novel was ending up reading a book that was so overt in addressing "gender variance" that it fell down on all of the other aspects necessary for a book that i would truly want to recommend to somebody. Perhaps because my own adolescence was characterized by a group of very close male gay friends and their homo/heterosexuality was simply not an issue, I am sometimes overly sensitive of books/television/movies which have made gay issues into a battlefront. In my own life, it was always just so much simpler and more accepting than that.
ReplyDeleteAll of that being said, I thought The Perks of Being a Wallflower was a spectacular book. It dealt with a lot of sensitive issues (drugs, alcohol, teen sex, abortion, and sexual abuse just to name a few), which managed to handle the honest struggles of the gay character with a refreshing sincerity. Homosexuality was not reduced to a cliche, and thus could be examined without trivializing it. While as a teacher, I would have reservations in terms of content outside of sexuality about assigning this book as a class read, it was however beautifully written and something I would have no qualms about making readily available to any students despite its status as a 'banned book'.
I consider myself to be moderately stingy when it comes to spending money on books, but when I spent $14 on “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Sephen Chbosky, it was by far the best $14 I have ever spent! While I was fairly psyched out whilst reading this novel (because the story sounded so familiar), I enjoyed it immensely! This novel would be been a great help during my adolescent years, and I will definitely use it in my future classroom no matter what grade I am teaching.
ReplyDeleteAs far as teaching techniques go, I would use this novel in addition to a lesson on journaling. I think that most people could in one way or another relate to this novel and have something to communicate about their own lives. I completed a Web Quest for this novel as my literary response (http://theperksofbeingawallflowerwebquest.wetpaint.com/), which might be helpful. I included a few assignments or activities that would also be supportive for the classroom, including active links to the ample amount of songs that Charlie, the narrator in the story, mentioned in the novel.
I would also mention that this novel, which does not have as many memorable quotes as other popular novels, has incredibly memorable moments. One of my favorite moments included the point where Charlie visiting his teacher Bill at his townhouse. Throughout the scene, you could visualize the love that Bill held for Charlie. Bill could plainly see potential and beauty in Charlie’s character. It is heartbreaking that Bill subliminally notices the fact that so many people will miss out on the opportunity to know Charlie to the fact that he is different.
I strongly/emphatically recommend “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” to any reader.
I read "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson, this book is about a teenager named Melinda who is raped by a popular student at a party before beginning her first year in high school. This book addresses a lot of issues that young people deal with, like identity, exclusion and abuse, mental or sexual. After Melinda calls the police and busts the party, her friends and other students are upset with her and exclude her. Even the people she tells about the rape don't believe her.
ReplyDeleteIf I was to teach this book, I would focus on teaching the kids to stand up for themselves and talk about all kinds of abuse. And not encourage them to simply avoid telling anyone at risk of what their friends will say or how they'll react. I would also talk about safety at parties like the ones in the book, because we know that teens are drinking and partying, so we need to do our best to make sure that they are aware of the dangers that come with partying and how to be as safe as possible
I like that gender variance is becoming more frequent in literature, and in the classroom. I think 'exposure' is the key to understanding. I read a superhero book titled, "Hero." I'm not into superheroes much, but this book's main character was gay. So it fit the requirements. In fact, the author, Perry Moore, wrote the book in defense of Marvel killing off their (only) gay superhero (for a third or fourth time).
ReplyDeleteThere is a kiss in the book, and it deals with homosexual issues (though not largely, and not exclusively). As someone once pointed out in one of my classes, it's all about the pronouns. Would people have a problem if it was a 'she' instead of a 'he'? That answer is obvious.
I thought "Hero" was a great book, accessible to teens who are into some action and the superhero and comic book culture.
Where I find it fantastic that gender variance books are becoming more respected in popular literature; there is still an intense lacking in the frequency of these works being taught in schools. More often than naught, a text based on some sort of deviation from the gendered or sexual norm finds its way onto the banned book list. For this week I read Alex Sanchez's Rainbow Boys, a text based upon a high school student's questioning of his sexuality. This book is a fantastic read that addresses all aspects of adolescent life as well as growing up with deviant sexual desires.
ReplyDeleteThough this text can provide a great deal of discussion about variant sexual orientations; it would be rather difficult to place this in a curriculum without a large amount of controversy from parents and administrators. The question is then raised: whether or not it is our duty to bring about such controversy surrounding such a hot topic as sexual orientation, or are we to gloss over it to maintain face and normalcy? We are educators yes, but are we also required to preach our own politics from the podium, full aware that we will come into direct conflict with students, parents, and administrators? Can we be political while still respecting other peoples opinions no matter how different they may be? Though this ability is fantastic in theory, too many of us have too strong of opinions for this to be successful.
I read Luna, by Julie Anne Peters. The novel is about the life of teens Liam, Luna and Reagan. Liam is trans-gendered, pretending to live as Reagan's brother by day but transforming into his true self, Luna, at night. Reagan feels that Liam has always been her sister, and unquestionably abandons her own life to help sustain Luna's secret, restricted, identity. Knowing she is Luna's only understanding ally, Reagan feels trapped between assisting Luna and living her own life. Their relationship becomes even more strained as Luna begins to feel exceedingly trapped inside Liam's body and attempts to come out to friends and family as her true self. Writing about the often unfamiliar sexual identity of trans-gender, Peters leaves no room for unimpassioned ignorance as the reader learns the tragic reality of what its like to be trapped inside a body unidentified with your own. Luna's struggles are not only those of sexual identity, but of being marginalized. Not knowing how to act to Liam's obvious identity as a female, reactions from his mother, father, and best friend range from anger to "feigned ignorance". Luna shows that immutable perceptions can be hazardous to the self and others. I think its critical to include LGBT literature in classrooms to offer related experiences for LGBT students and also material to answer questions or dispel stereotypes or myths for students with traditional sexual identities. I think Luna would be a great book to study because it focuses on personal change and growth not only with gender variance but with individual differences. Luna's sister Reagan, must learn to take control of her own-life and find a balance between personal sacrifice and healthy selfishness, and her boyfriend attempts to maintain normalcy despite an abusive home life. Its a novel that appeals to anyone who has ever felt in some way suppressed by others, and I think most students could identify with Luna's story.
ReplyDeleteMy book choice for gender variance was "The Drowning of Stephan Jones" by Bette Greene. The book is narrated by Carla, a 16 year old who longs to be noticed. She begins to date the most popular boy in school, Andy. Andy is the guy of her dreams, but he begins bullying a gay couple that has just moved to town. The book chronicles how the conservative, Christian town reacts to the couples presence.
ReplyDeleteThe book addresses with several issues prevalent to high school students: popularity, bullying, cliques, doing what is morally right, etc. I believe that students would be able to relate to the novel on all these levels, and more.
One of the most interesting characters to watch is Carla. She starts out very weak, and then gradually begins to see the error of Andy's ways. She begins to stand up for what is right and tells Mr. Popularity how it is and how it should be.
I also read "Annie on My Mind" by Nancy Garden. liss.a.smith did an awsome job sumarizing the book so I think I'll just jump right in to talking about some other aspects of the story.
ReplyDeleteSomething that I really appreciated about this book is that even though Eliza's parents are initally uncomfortable when Eliza tells them she's a lesbian, they love her and accept her anyway. I think that it's such a good message to leave our students with, that no matter who they are someone will always love them and accept them. On that note, I am willing to acknowledge that not every young GLBT person will be as fortunate as Eliza when it comes to their own families acceptance, and that's important to be aware of as one is reading this story, however I was extremely releived when her family didn't disown her or something equally truamatizing!
I was also extremely grateful that there was a happy ending. I didn't know until Laramie's presentation tonight just how many unhappy endings this genre has produced over time, I'd been hoping for a happy ending back when I read the book (I'm a hopeless romantic so if things and gone downhill and never recovered I probably would've felt a little bitter about the book), and when choosing a book in this genre, that was what held me back the most. I didn't want my first experience with a gender variance novel to be negative or to seem hopeless. Considering that suicide rates among the GLBT population is a hot topic right now, I think it's good to use literature like "Annie on My Mind" to show that everyone can have a happy ending. In fact, the edition of the book that I read, (the 25th Anniversary edition), had an interveiw with the author in the back. Nancy Garden's experience was similar in some ways Annie and Eliza's; In fact, according to the interveiw, Nancy and her partner Sandy are legally married in the state of Massachusetts.
Side note: I was enjoying this book as I reading it in peace, but I took it home one weekend and was reading downstairs where my mother decided to play (rather loudly and repeatedly) this new song she'd become infatuated with. At first, I found this to be rather irritating since I was in the middle of my book, but then I realized that the song was actually very fitting backround music for the story-the song is a new version of Bob Dylan's "Make You Feel My Love" by Adele. So if you read "Annie on My Mind" and you find yourself thinking, "hmmm, if this were a movie, what song would playing in the background? Ah! Madi decided it would be "Make You Feel My Love" by Adele! Perhaps she was on to something!" -I don't think it would work in the begining of the story; my theory is that if this story were ever made into a movie, probably from the time Annie and Eliza start cat-sitting for Eliza's teachers and then any time up until the last scene, this song would be approriate.
For my gender variance novel, I read Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I absolutely loved the novel because of its freshness, its honesty, and its humor. It looks like a lot of other people felt similarly. However, because the novel does include a number of “hot topics” / controversial subjects, I could easily imagine some parents taking issue with having their children read it in school. For this reason, I chose to write a rationale as my literary response to the novel. In my objectives section, I highlighted these goals:
ReplyDeleteStudents will:
• Gain the perspective of an “outsider” at a typical high school
• Think critically about choices characters make throughout the novel, including Charlie’s own drug use and his sister’s decision to get an abortion
• Learn about teenage sexuality and how to make safe, age-appropriate decisions
• Gain understanding about mental illness, depression, and suicide
• Encounter a variety of lifestyles, including both healthy and unhealthy heterosexual relationships as well as both healthy and unhealthy homosexual relationships
• Learn about healthy and unhealthy ways to cope with stress and pain
• Understand the importance of accepting others and oneself
As Laramie discussed in his presentation last night (11/29), the new wave gender variance novels focus on conflicts beyond simply being gay. I think that the beauty of this concept shines through The Perks of Being a Wallflower and I certainly hope to have the privilege of teaching it in a classroom someday.