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07:42 am
12/13/07

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writergrl
Okay, so it's 7:27 in the morning and the baby is fussing but I feel like I have to respond to this. I know I mentioned this issue yesterday, but in this article they refer to part of my book as "repulsive," and that's bothersome to me. I can understand how a passage that details an attempted rape is disturbing: it had to be, in order to convey the seriousness of what happened to Annabel and why she is still so affected by it months later. But I want to add something else to this debate, and that is that I have gotten SEVERAL emails from girls who had also been sexually assaulted, read this book and were compelled, partly because of it, to tell the people in their lives about what had happened to them. I'm not saying my book was the only reason, only that it played a part, even if it was a small one. And to think that maybe someone who needed this book couldn't get their hands on it, because of one passage that someone plucks out of the book and reads aloud for shock value, not seeing how it fits with the rest of the story, and why it is important...it worries me.

I'm pleased that at the end of the article, the mom who brought this issue to the school board says that she'll still let her daughter read the book and discuss it with her. That's the perfect scenario. But the fact of the matter is, now the book has been labeled "repulsive," and some people who just heard that one passage will just assume it is just that and pull it, or not let their kids read it. Which is a real shame.

I've written here about book challenges and book banning before, and I'll say again that I am no expert on this issue. Usually I just let it go, because the fact of the matter is you can't please everybody. But in this case, it saddens me, because I do feel that this book has, in some small way, done some good for some people. And the thing is, it's not about just one paragraph, on one page. It's the story--the whole story, start to finish---that counts.

My daughter is crying, and I have to go attend to her. As Owen would say---and if you've read the whole book, you know why it's important--- thanks for listening.

Have a good day, everyone.
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On December 13th, 2007 01:01 pm (UTC), [info]elvensapphire commented:
People are entitled to their opinions - I believe that falls under "free speech," but frankly, I think it...how shall I phrase this?...it is rather stinking of them to title the article 'Repulsive' Text Spurs School Review . I mean, really. That's not only overboard, it's insulting - not only to you, but to readers, because it doesn't give them a chance to decide for themselves. That's a strong word, and it seems overreactive. Besides, these things unfortunately happen, and I don't think reading about it will damage anyone, especially assuming the way you handled it. (I admit I haven't had a chance to get a copy of the book yet.) All this said, it comes down to a parenting decision, if the reader is deemed too young to decide for themselves. If you don't want your own child reading a specific novel, then don't let them, but make it personal, not public. I have the exact same problem with people who flip their wigs over Harry Potter or the His Dark Materials trilogy. Honestly, making a huge fuss about it doesn't do anyone any good. Sigh.

Go kiss that baby and cuddle up in a warm blanket. <3

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On December 13th, 2007 01:14 pm (UTC), [info]munchkin_delite commented:
I find it preposturous that a book would be labled repulsive, let alone a book that uses intelligent language and relateable context to depict real life situations. I wonder why some novels, such as Anna Karenina, are labled literature when dealing with sex, adultery, and deceit, while other brilliant novels, such as yours, are banned. Furthermore, I think it's wonderful that you've instilled a level of courage in the minds of young women who have been through the same struggles. It shows just how open and honest you are as a writer.

Don't worry too much about the banned book list. They tried to ban Where's Waldo, The Goosebumps Series, etc. While I'm sure it's no picnic to be put on a list like that, I don't think it dimishes your merit as an author. In fact, it makes me respect you even more. You went out of bounds to tell the truth, but through a real level of grace you kept it appropriate to those who don't agonize over every controversial thing.

Keep doing what you're doing, Sarah. We love you.

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On December 13th, 2007 01:35 pm (UTC), [info]alexotica commented:
Wow. I don't recall that scene being especially explicit. Honest, yes. I was writing some PSAs for an adolescent pregancy prevention coalition recently and everything I read indicated the need to be specific and honest and not shy away from using the real words/descriptions when talking to young people.

Gives me no joy to offer this consolation, but a quick search on that Florida school system says their argument with Just Listen is only part of a larger issue they're going out of their way not to deal with. The county receives $300,000 a year in federal abstinence-only education funds, and a teacher is currently accused of having sex with a student. But the part that gives me hope: "the Armwood High committee will read the book over winter break." Hope they make some changes, start tackling the real issues, when they reconvene.

Alex.

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On December 13th, 2007 02:20 pm (UTC), [info]opeiastea replied:
I just made a whole speech about how a librarian wouldn't pull a book off the shelves if a book was challenged. I forgot to mention that school libraries and librarians are entirely different, and I don't see how a teacher being accused of sleeping with a student or a school receiving $300,000 in abstinence funds really effects a book that has anything to do with either. Be warned that I haven't had the chance to read Just Listen just yet because I've been trying to graduate with my Library Science Masters so I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure I'm not. School libraries get challenges all the time and most times it's up to the school board to make the decision and not the librarian.
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— On December 13th, 2007 02:28 pm (UTC), [info]alexotica posted a reply. Expand
— On December 13th, 2007 02:39 pm (UTC), [info]opeiastea posted a reply. Expand
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On December 13th, 2007 02:15 pm (UTC), [info]opeiastea commented:
Any Children's and YA librarian worth her salt would never get rid of a book because it was called "repulsive" without checking it out first. If the book is challenged the ALA has a standing policy that all information is free and that they DO NOT police what patrons read from the library. Now this doesn't mean that someone viewing, say, child pornography wouldn't be reported and kicked out because that is illegal. But a book that describes an attempted rape, not even an out-right rape, would not be pulled from a shelf. Of course there are others who may feel that a book being called "repulsive" should be taken out of the collection, but what about Night? What about a more recent book called Sold that talked about a young Indian girl who is sold into the sex slave trade at the age of 13 (14?) to pay off her step father's gambling debts? Should those be pulled off the shelves because one talks about the Holocaust and what it was like to live in a Nazi detention camp and the other describes a young girl that, refusing to give up her virginity, is drugged and repeatedly sold to men while being drugged and unable to fight?

Yeah, books can be controversial, and any librarian will be willing to do her research before allowing the book to be pulled.

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On December 13th, 2007 02:17 pm (UTC), [info]kris0l0gy commented:
you can never please everyone, there will always be people that are 'repulsed' or put off by things you write or do. but just think of those girls who did read the book and we were able to speak about their experiences.

i love your books. i discovered them many years ago in high school and now being out of college i still love re-reading them and purchasing your new books. they span ages. these people can't shelter their children for their entire lives, so hopefully these girls who want to read your books will get the chance to and they will be able to discuss it with their friends and parents.

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On December 13th, 2007 02:33 pm (UTC), [info]dreamskribbler commented:
i cannot belive that they would say it was repulisve, it was real, it makes me so mad when people do this

i am sorry it is happening to one of your books

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On December 13th, 2007 02:59 pm (UTC), [info]in_my__dreams commented:
It is horrible and incorrect that Just Listen was labeled repulsive. But people are not always as in touch with what the power of books can be, and how it can help people so much, you know? Just Listen and all your other books are amazing, independent of what people may say :)

--Gail

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On December 13th, 2007 03:07 pm (UTC), [info]fashionista_35 commented:
You know, it is their opinion and it is disturbing that now that's out there and it might keep some people from reading your beautiful book, beause it is, as you said, a shame. I wrote a rape in Accent, not to be sensationalistic or exploitative, but because the story as a whole demanded it. At the same time though, I honestly had no idea how it was going to affect readers—I've received letters that left me in tears—people telling me how reading through that scene and realizing it actually happens and watching the aftermath, that it provided them with a catharsis they didn't even realize they'd needed. That basically, I'd gotten it right.

Those are the people who'll make sure that our books keep getting read.

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On December 13th, 2007 03:16 pm (UTC), [info]grrlpup commented:
I thought the school board woman was saying it was repulsive for the parent to pull that quote and read it aloud for shock value, not that the book was repulsive. But I guess the headline writer disagrees with me.

I wish you didn't have to grow a thick skin for all the igorant stuff people say and the way they'll jump on anything for their own agendas. Reading the comments in general media stories gets really depressing sometimes.

Your writing, here and in your books, is a light for the people who read it and love it. Rock on.

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On December 13th, 2007 03:41 pm (UTC), [info]boombox_tragedy commented:
This is what is wrong in America. We often try to hide what is actually the most extreme, and "repulsive" parts of our lives here. But the thing is its' all true, the language, the vulgarity of the situation reflects just how repulsive something that intense and wrong is. To make it less extreme, or censor its trueness would be a deception to the reader. It would be a lie. By hiding it and not becoming familiar to this sort of unfortunate event, just allows it to keep happening over and over again. I just don't understand why someone would want to ban that book from a school, because it shows real teens today, what is actually going on at those high school parties. So I don't understand why somebody would not want there kids to be aware of that. Regardless of the age, it's reality, these things happen.

Blah, sorry for the rant. But keep your head held high. That book is wonderful and it deals with things many of us teenagers go through EVERY day, self image issues,fitting in, peer pressure, rape and how to deal with all of these issues. For one thing they've provided me with hope, each and every time I read them. So don't give up, and don't ever censor the true aspects of your pieces, because if you were to water it down, it wouldn't be as powerful, and meaningful and it wouldn't be the truth.

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On December 13th, 2007 05:14 pm (UTC), [info]vividexpression replied:
I just don't understand why someone would want to ban that book from a school, because it shows real teens today, what is actually going on at those high school parties.

Yeah, exactly. Sometimes I wonder how many parents are in denial or are simply ignorant to the fact that their teens ARE dealing with the things YA authors write about. I'm sure it'd be awful to hear that your child went through a rape or near-rape, like in Just Listen, but I'd rather know my kid could talk to me about anything so I could help them than to stay in the dark. Teens need to know they can talk to someone instead of feeling completely alone.

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On December 13th, 2007 03:44 pm (UTC), [info]boombox_tragedy commented:
PS. Obviously the title just listen, was lost on them, because all they could hear was that one aspect of the book, not the recovery, and not the depression that came a long with it.
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On December 13th, 2007 03:47 pm (UTC), [info]loototherah commented:
Think of it this way, Sarah. Just Listen made the New York Times Best Seller List when it came out. If kids can't find it in libraries and want to read it, they can go to a bookstore and sit and read; many already have, I'm sure of it. When there's a will, there's a way. Your books are amazing and not at ALL repulsive. You get down to the nitty gritty, you take on issues that other authors are afraid to even try covering, and you do it flawlessly. I love (and have loved) every single one of your books because I find myself pulled into the character's life, experiencing their experiences. There's a reason I've been a dedicated fan since seventh grade and still am now as a sophomore in college. That's magical, not repulsive.
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On December 13th, 2007 03:56 pm (UTC), [info]private_megs commented:
God, that article made me so mad! Just Listen is one of the best books I have ever read, and my mom has read it to, and absolutely loved it as well. Actually everyone I have given it to to read has loved it, so I think that's a pretty positive sign there. I hate when parents get up on their pedestal about these things, but then don't care about other books that their child are assigned to read in class because they're "classics", like Brave New World or Crime and Punishment, which details a brutal murder scene, or The Things They Carried, which not only details the horrors of the Vietnam war, but also has lots of explicit language, but with all those things aside, they are wonderful, real books, that teach kids so much. I wish that some people would just pull the stick they have up their ass out and learn to relax a little. Don't worry Sarah, I think your books are wonderful, and honestly they did help me through my teen years, and I will continue to read your books as I get older, and one day when I have children I will give them to my daughters and share them with them.
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On December 13th, 2007 03:59 pm (UTC), [info]frenchmoodle commented:
I'm going into teaching, and I'm afraid that all that will happen is me getting yelled at by parents about what their kids read. Yet there was one teacher who was actually let go by my high school because she wasn't "white bread" enough, not fitting into the perfect suburb faculty, and tons of parents called the school to complain about her leaving. She challenged students and had us read The Fountainhead, which no other teacher taught. I think it's really important for students to recognize literature that can help them even if it deals with controversial topics.

And even then, shouldn't parents realize that rape and consensual sex are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT?? It's so aggravating. Of course girls get the idea then that it's somehow their fault that they were raped if people read these books and go "this is repulsive! blahblahblah!" and that's just so sad. People don't balk when biology teachers talk about the human anatomy (well, maybe they do, I don't know any though) because obviously it's not meant to be sexualized. These kind of books help educate readers or help them connect to a story or a character.

Sorry, long rant, ahhh I'm frustrated with the world.

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On December 13th, 2007 04:02 pm (UTC), [info]frenchmoodle commented:
I'm reading some of the comments people left on this article and it's annoying to see how people make judgments solely on what they read in a headline. It's craziness.
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On December 13th, 2007 04:14 pm (UTC), (Anonymous) commented:
Book Challenge
I've just read the article you linked to, and I can see why you're upset. I wasn't upset so much by the article itself as by some of the comments. Those early ones are downright vitriolic! I do wonder at the mom's statement that she found the book in her daughter's backpack. Does this mean that she is otherwise unaware of what her daughter reads? I remember my mom used to get us to talk about what books we read and what we thought of them. Half the time, she was bringing books home from the library that she thought we would be interested in. It also brings to mind Jim Trelease's belief that reading out loud to your children, even through high school, keeps the lines of communication open. The mom could have used this as an opportunity to talk to her daughter about date rape instead of flying off the handle.
BTW, I am a children's librarian (which in my library includes YA) and I do have your book on my shelves where it is enjoying a healthy circulation.
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On December 13th, 2007 04:22 pm (UTC), [info]_starkiss commented:
I think it's really irresponsible of them to label your book "repulsive", even part of it. It just shows that they don't have an understanding of the text or, dare I say, of sexual assault. Yes, it is repulsive. That is the point. Your writing, however, is definitely not. What a bunch of idiots.
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On December 13th, 2007 04:25 pm (UTC), [info]carolita05 commented:
what makes it sad for me is their use of 'repulsive' in relation to that segment of the book dealing with the rape. It is now in a sense telling young girls rape is repulsive, its not okay to talk about it. And a group of people getting all up in a fuss about it is exactly what girls who have actually gone through that DO NOT need.

I'm reading Just Listen right now and I love it, I love all your books. I work at Target and when I see girls picking up one of your books to look or buy one through my register I always recommend them to read more of them by you. :)

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On December 13th, 2007 05:29 pm (UTC), [info]theatercab replied:
I agree with your comment so much.
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On December 13th, 2007 04:46 pm (UTC), (Anonymous) commented:
i no how u feel a fussing babyu omg
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On December 13th, 2007 05:22 pm (UTC), (Anonymous) commented:
Anyone who calls your books 'repulsive' is sorely misguided. You're probably the best young adult author of our time, not only because your books are amazingly well written, but because you don't settle for writing mindless crap. Your books have depth and meaning and value and I read them over and over again until the covers fall off, because they're not fluff books-there's something more there. They're worth reading countless times. And while parents may find some scenes and elements to be 'repulsive' they're essential .
Basically, Sarah, you rock.
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On December 13th, 2007 06:16 pm (UTC), (Anonymous) commented:
Hi Sarah--

I just wanted to say that the newspaper article really pissed me off.

Any Sarah Dessen fans who’d like to voice their opinions to the school board can visit my blog on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/leighbrescia

Contact information included; my letter has already been sent.

Love,
~Leigh~

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On December 13th, 2007 07:04 pm (UTC), (Anonymous) replied:
I have not yet had the pleasure of reading your books - darn college getting in the way! - but am sure that several of the commenters on that article haven't either. My favorite was, from CConrad: "It's bad enough we have smut all over the TV and movies.. now it has made its way into our children's library?". SEXUAL ASSAULT IS NOT "SMUT"! A detailed sex scene, sure, but attempted rape? What is wrong with our culture that we so easily confuse rape and sex so easily? I am also amused by (I assume) his belief that high schoolers aren't "mature." True, they're not adults, but some high school kids have endured so much more than the average adult - abuse (emotional, verbal, sexual, physical), hunger, having parents who are incapapable of being a positive force in their lives, gangs...
I'm a senior at Michigan State, on my way to be an English teacher. Just this morning, for my Final Project Presentation in my teaching class, I discussed how books are 'cultural artifacts', using fiction to tell the stories of history, or even modern times. Seeing this comment from TBCat: "Also, "realistic fiction"?? If this kind of thing "really happens", why don't they relate a REAL story instead of making one up??"
Why didn't Harper Lee just write a book about the Scottsboro Boys trials instead of writing 'To Kill a Mockingbird?', why did Harriet Beecher Stowe write "Uncle Tom's Cabin" when there were plenty of slaves whose narratives she could have written? Why bother with "Johnny Got a Gun" when there are plenty of other books out there about World War I?
Hopefully, I will do my job as an English teacher, and never hear a student ask why literature like this exists after taking my class.

-Steffany

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On December 13th, 2007 06:47 pm (UTC), [info]2getherfan4life commented:
Ugh, these situations always make me see red. I hate book censorship to begin with, and the books that people choose to challenge never fail to surprise me. I have read far "worse" (as in, far more graphic) in terms of rape scenes.

My roommate is majoring in English/secondary education and is currently taking a multicultural lit class... every single book she has read for the class deals will rape in some way and usually in far more graphic detail. Are these students just supposed to arrive at college in 1-4 years with no knowledge, no opinions about these realistic topics? Parents should talk to their children about what they are reading, but they should never censor something that has educational purposes.

Sarah, I think you should send a letter to the school board, The Tampa Tribune or both and tell them what you told us here in your blog. You have heard from students who have been positively affected by your book; that is what people should be hearing about - the big picture - not just one page in one chapter of your amazing novel.

Don't let it get you down!

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On December 13th, 2007 06:56 pm (UTC), [info]aramina48 commented:
Is a passage about rape, attempted or otherwise, supposed to be bright and cheery and make you want to jump for joy? What is wrong with these people?
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On December 13th, 2007 07:13 pm (UTC), [info]sour_worms commented:
I read the article and its comments. And the comments from a lot of parents who supported banning the book made me sick. I felt the need to stick up for you, Sarah. So I left my own comment. It turned into a rather long-winded one, but this situation really got to me. I hope I helped a little. :)
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On December 13th, 2007 07:50 pm (UTC), [info]piratemaddi commented:
honestly, i feel like your book was the most important book i've read thus far this year. i had been sexually assaulted and keep quiet about it. it was really important for me to read about it, to know that it didn't just happen to me.
thank you for writing it. i know it's helped others, too.
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