The Problem with Artists

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Jennifer Laughran has a great post up about what happens when an artist you admire turns out to be a jerk (or worse). Can you separate the art from the artist? I’ve posted about this question before, but I think Jennifer handles the topic really well. In reference to Orson Scott Card and Ender’s Game, she says:

“Do I want to line OSC’s pockets with gold? Heck no. I don’t pay for his books anymore, personally (though I certainly did as a kid). If somebody asks me what I think of him, I’ll say this: He is a very good storyteller. Ender’s Game is probably one of my most re-read books of all time. He’s excellent at starting series (less successful at finishing them). He’s extremely problematic personally/politically.”

I think the “extremely problematic” is key here. Usually, if you liked an artist’s work enough to be deeply upset at their personal failings, it’s hard to cast aside that art. There are some artists I try to make excuses for, or at least ignore their personal issues and focus on the art itself. For others, I refuse to read/watch/listen to any of their work after finding out something awful about them. But as Jennifer says, people are extremely problematic, and so it’s hard to have one clear response to this issue.

Make sure to click through and read Jennifer’s full post. The comments are also very interesting.

Where’s the Love?

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It’s hard to talk about love without delving into the cheesy, the clinical, or the painfully awkward. (There’s a reason why the Literary Review has a “Bad Sex in Fiction” award.) So how do you write about romance without sounding like a total idiot?

Malinda Lo has a fantastic post about how to write a good kissing scene. She looks at a few examples of kissing in YA done well and examines how the writer managed to convey the right emotion. Lo is careful to look at the emotions going on behind the kisses and what they reveal about the people involved. One part I liked:

“This description brings up something that appears over and over in effective fictional kissing scenes: power. Not necessarily in a Fifty Shades of Gray way, but every time two people come together in a kiss, there is a physical and often emotional negotiation going on. Who is in control? Who is totally swooning? Are they both completely bonkers for each other? Or is one less bonkers than the other? This relationship negotiation occurs in every kiss and without it, the kiss can often feel flat.”

I love the reminder that there’s an emotional dynamic involved in kissing. It’s easy to focus on one character (especially if you’re writing in the first person or a close third) and forget that the kiss is happening to the other person as well.

Lots of other excellent advice here as well; make sure to click through and read the rest.

Much Ado About Joss Whedon

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer aired its first episode when I was in 7th grade. I was shy and insecure and didn’t quite know how to grow up. Buffy, with its quips and demonic high school drama, helped me maneuver into young adulthood. As a result, Joss Whedon has a very special place in my heart. Then I find out he did a version of Much Ado About Nothing and I want to scream “Stop making me love you, Joss!” From the press release:

“Filmed in just 12 days entirely on location in exotic Santa Monica, the film features a stellar cast of beloved (or soon to be beloved) actors — some of them veterans of Shakespearean theater, some completely new to the form. But all dedicated to the idea that this story bears retelling, that this dialogue is as fresh and intoxicating as any being written, and that the joy of working on a passion project surrounded by dear friends, admired colleagues and an atmosphere of unabashed rapture far outweighs their hilariously miniature paychecks.”

Whedon meets the Bard? So awesome! And he cast includes Whedon-verse veterans like Alexis Denisof and Nathan Fillion. It looks like the film is set to release this year, but not a lot of details about where/when exactly. But with Whedon’s recent Avengers success, I’m hoping this might get a wider release and appeal to teen viewers. Shakespeare is way cool, guys.

If you want even more on Whedon, check out this interview.

(The picture: me getting to meet Joss Whedon a few years ago. I think I said “Thanks so much for making awesome stuff and doing this presentation,” and managed to stay fairly calm. But inside it was like “YOU GOT ME THROUGH MIDDLE SCHOOL, I LOVE YOU.”)

 

The Fragility of Life, the Irrationality of Life, the Comedy of Life

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From this NPR interview with Maurice Sendak in 2011:

“Yes. I’m not unhappy about becoming old. I’m not unhappy about what must be. It makes me cry only when I see my friends go before me and life is emptied. I don’t believe in an afterlife, but I still fully expect to see my brother again. And it’s like a dream life. But, you know, there’s something I’m finding out as I’m aging that I am in love with the world.

And I look right now, as we speak together, out my window in my studio and I see my trees and my beautiful, beautiful maples that are hundreds of years old, they’re beautiful. And you see I can see how beautiful they are. I can take time to see how beautiful they are. It is a blessing to get old. It is a blessing to find the time to do the things, to read the books, to listen to the music.”

The rest of the interview is extremely engaging and moving as well, especially today. Make sure to listen or read the full transcript.

Maurice Sendak, 1928-2012

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In case you haven’t heard yet:

“Maurice Sendak, the children’s author and illustrator best known for the 1963 classic “Where the Wild Things Are,” died Tuesday in Danbury, Conn., reportedly of complications from a stroke. He was 83.”

Sad to lose such a powerful voice and talented artist in children’s literature. I hope many others will carry on his legacy of taking children seriously and providing them with engaging stories and compelling art.

Book Pricing and What’s Behind It

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In all this debate over what e-books should cost, here’s an interesting look at what consumers think. Many people (understandably) can’t see why an e-book should cost almost as much as a hard copy of the same book.

But it’s not as simple as “there’s no paper so it should cost way less.” A publisher still needs to pay the author (hurray for writers getting money!) and pay the salaries of everyone working on the book (editors, marketers, graphic designers, etc.). Even though you’re not paying for physical assembly and shipping, there’s still a lot that goes into making a book. As someone who’s worked in publishing, I have to agree that making a book involves much more than putting pages together, and the people doing that work (which is necessary for both e-books and hard copies) deserve to be paid fairly.

Does that mean the debate about e-book pricing is over? Not even close. But I think it’s good to keep in mind that just because it’s digital doesn’t mean there was no effort in the creation process.

Think of the Parents

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A good reminder that parents should occasionally make an appearance in YA novels:

“I’m always a little bugged when I read YA books where the parents are absent, either by killing them off for no reason, or by sending the teen away to boarding school. Now I have to admit, some of my favorite books are set in boarding school and many of them require the setting, but in a lot of cases, it’s just a way to get rid of the parents so that the kids can run wild and have their own adventures.  There aren’t many kids who have either had their parents die or are sent to live at boarding school (okay, my husband has had both of those things happen – and he says that Hogwarts aside, life in a co-ed boarding school in England was as awesome as it sounds) but there are lots and lots of kids out there who have to deal with their parents every day.”

I know that it’s easy to think that less parental interaction means more adventure/freedom for your main character, and in part that’s true. You don’t necessarily want your main character to have to sit at home every night because their parents are watching them constantly. (Although that might be a good excuse for a character to rebel.) But as CJ mentions, most readers can relate to dealing with parents on a day-to-day basis. That’s not to say they need to be present on every page, but they should at least be a part of your character’s life.

A recent example of parents handled well in a novel would be John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars. Although they’re not uber-present they’re still a big part of Hazel’s life and feel like real people. (I won’t give away details, but one quote from Hazel’s mom was heartbreaking.)

How do you handle parents in your YA/children’s novels?

(image: Center for Jewish History, NYC)

Friday Fifteen

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Welcome back to the Friday Fifteen, in which I review five books in fifteen words or less. Onward to the reviews!

The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Pinkwater
Paint splotch on one roof inspires neighborhood creativity. I’d read, then draw my own wild homes.

The Believer Book of Writers Talking to Writers by Vendela Vida
Bought because I liked several authors included. Don’t remember much; should flip through again.

Anastasia Krupnik by Lois Lowry
An MG favorite. Anastasia is hilarious and it’s easy to relate to her faults.

I Promised I Would Tell by Sonia Weitz
Poetry fills this Holocaust memoir. Read in middle school, probably missed a lot; should reread.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
Intriguing concept, but pace didn’t quite work. Left with more questions than I’d like