Transcripts For CSPAN2 Banned Books Week Event With David Le

It did put people very temporarily in a position with e they should not have been one. I think over time, i think the attitudes have changed so much for me. When the book came out 12 and half years ago, my publisher was emboldened to do but i think there was a fear about putting a gay book out there. And i think there was very shocked reaction to the book even though there was Nothing Shocking within the book, just because it was a happy a book and people were not prepared for the. A book with a gay kids existed but were miserable was okay but if they were happy, thats too radical. I think now that is not as controversial because society has changed in leaps and bounds and sort of the challenges that we saw most recently for two boys kissing elect the last vestiges of a desperate grasp against turning society back when that is not. So the challenges have tapered off would you say . I think so. And i think, also ive written plenty of books with gay characters or gay themes that are not titled boy meets boy and because those are not the targets they dont get challenged very often. There is a silent majority. Nobody ever challenges saunter clutters novels for their gay content but they have visually strong gay characters. They are everywhere, all across our literature. So my books from those two books in particular are the targets just because its convenient. You can judge them without having to read them. But i think the war has already been one, there are so many other books kids are reading, that even if for some reason access was blocked boy meets boy or two boys kissing, they would be able to find things in those books spent a lot of the challenges of dont read the books. They get caught up the websites. There certain websites devoted to siliceous excerpts and that sort of thing. There is one issue that you dont see challenged, at least that i come across, and that is that the trail of violence. Very interesting parents were so concerned about the sex, sex orientation, fantasy, generally do not challenge books because of their violent. I met a childrens author at a book fair last spring who told me that he had a book would have detroit of a character who is extremely who were extremely short shorts and the bulger said you Better Change that but said nothing about a character shown with a severed head. Thats an interesting problem it seems to me we talk about kids exposed to violence on the internet, on bigger games and so forth, but parents amount dont get their hands on that. One of the issues that i came across was some parents feeling deeply alienated from Public Schools and wanting perhaps undermined and or control them, but feeling completely out of control, especially very conservative parents dealing government some of taking over the job of parents. They should be the ones who decide what the kids are exposed to. In this world you can disagree with that but you also almost have to sympathize with their flailing around us really to try to protect their kids as long as they can from things that they find offensive, even though i wouldnt find him offensive. I have three kids. I of six grandchildren. My oldest grandchild is a senior in high school red the book on her own. It wasnt assigned. I told her about this out and she was completely puzzled by it. I said, shes a very mature kid of intellectually and emotionally. I think different parents have different assessments of their childrens majority. So im wondering whether any of you have ever had the opportunity to talk to any parents who did object to your books, and get from them some understand of what was going on . Have you ever had that . I have had the conversation with librarians about it. Some who early on came to me and said but why, why did you name this . It was such a problem, et cetera. So, you know, i think they just see coarse language, explicit sexuality as light a marker of the collapse of the moral code for their children. Thats really what theyre concerned about. As best i can tell. I think, as david said, social change is in social change. The kids occupied the world that they occupy. They have heard the word ass. They no gay guys. Thats just the way that is. But there is a fine acting for a time that i dont think actually existed of some sort of mayberry time. So, for example, you could find objection to anything i write, even my picture books because there are latino characters. Sending remittances home to family in another country. The folks dont speak english and theres a whole group of people who feel really strongly. You were in this country, you must speak english. What are you doing sending money to other countries, et cetera, et cetera. I think its just this reaction, this rage the world that they did not want to see. Whenever ive been confronted with parents, part of it is calling them on not reading the book. Like boy meets boy there was any guy did with me and another student and the interviewer. We were all supposed to passionate and. Just marched out saying i do not like the idea of just the sexualized nature of your writing. Theres no sex in the book. The language, what word do you think they use . And very clear that it was the concept. What they heard about the book that made him think that it was some explicit will when, in fact, there was a romantic comedy. I also have a interesting the one successful conversation ive had with the teacher, heard me talking about the language in my book, and i said heres the deal. I know that people get all upset about that word but as writers we are chosen to write because we choose the exact right word for whatever we are writing. And that you cannot make the argument to me saying something is so wrong and saying something is so wrong. Those are two very Different Things but those are two very different piece of dialogue. They mean to greater things than to say you cant have certain words in your arsenal to deploy in order to get at the truth is just wrong. The teacher came up to me and said ive never heard that argument before. I for plenty of times like they are going to hear it anyway, the book might as well have it. That didnt pass muster with her but the idea the word was tied to the meaning of what was being said was a successful argument for. I read a book on poverty year or so ago by a woman who had been in poverty and who discussed her experience, and a lot of in the book. To the point actually where the word it can lose its power. Want him iraq should have just written at this section in the book about the challenges in schools was what a shame that she did this because teachers are going to not assign this book to their high school kids, and the ig because its really a good book. It has a lot of great insights. So im wondering whether any of you, when youre writing now, having gone through challenges, think about that. As your writing you think about what youre writing about or the language youre using with any sense of how its going to be received by teachers or librarians speak was well, i guess in my first book there are lots of language, lots of cursing. And to me i thought my only job was to basically reflect the line which as i hear it in my neighborhood and to make the character sound authentically grew up and how he grew up in his parents. He would get away with using the kind of like which. For the most part i dont know how much that contributed to the fact that my book, places where protest up and taught in school, the bigger issue i guess regarding language from teachers is the use of the nword. And that has been more offputting to them than the fword or any other work. I think its because of the teachers own, not fear, but just being uncomfortable with the word themselves. So they say i would love to teacher book but you have the nword in it, and i cant. I am a white teacher. Questions are mostly black and latino and i cant teach a book with the nword in a. And its because they feel uncomfortable. To me every time i get a letter like that i just, its a missed opportunity to discuss the work. I think a lot of kids may not even know the history of the word i use to teach africanamerican literature at a college and my students had no idea that that was a negative word. They just knew it like in the hiphop kind of way, or, so i think, you know, the teacher could talk about it. You dont have to use the word but you can get a discussion going to i feel like they are so afraid or so insecure or uncomfortable that they jump, they throw away the whole book instead of addressing it. I guess the nword has been the bigger issue for me. I do think about it. It doesnt stop me but it does give me options. I have a novel coming out in march called burn baby burn. Its set in europe in 1977. I was talking to the panel earlier. A lot of stuff was happening new york city in 1977, son of sam was murdering girls, the city was broke, neighborhoods were burning. The Womens Movement was just bubbling. So it boils down to the words planned parenthood and Birth Control in my novel, and its in there and im just, look at whats happening in congress right now. So im bracing myself for people who will not have read the novel, well just pull out those words, who was overly strong feelings about whether the Womens Movement was positive or negative. I was writing historical fiction so i wrote it the way i taught, the way researched it, and wouldve felt true to the characters in the story. But ive got to tell you, i know whats coming. I can see the light in the tunnel is getting bigger. And you dont enjoy this . I dont because as david said, its very hard to be told that something youve done is vulgar and hurtful to children. I have raised three children. I was a teacher for years, and so ive given my life to children in one way or another. They matter to me. So to be cast in a way that you done something that damage children or her children or makes them course, its hard to carry around with you. Even if you get more sales it really doesnt matter. I didnt enjoy it even when i got all these messages of congratulations from friends and family when it was suspended. It did make me feel real good actually. A kind of left a bad taste in my mouth especially because the book was so badly distorted by the challenges. Then the News Coverage, im an Old Newspaper man, but i have to tell you the News Coverage out there was just a visible. There was one accusation that this parent gave, the book was socialist marxist. They got it in the dallas morning news. The reporter, ive been talking to for weeks about it. Shes been covering this story and she never called me to get my comment. This was a violation of the most fundamental ethics of reporting. And i got in touch with her and i said why didnt you ask me . I said this is ridiculous. Im an old antimarxist from my years as the moscow correspond of the new times. Ive learned what socialism was. I didnt like it very much. In fact, i said on page 88, i even said some things i didnt about socialism that were not very flattering. I did choose churchills which devastated the challenge of because remember he said, democracy is the worst system except for all of the others that have been tried from time to time. The same thing you said could be used about capitalism. I used some arguments against socialism and later but in the book i said marxism was a failed interpreters and. I said, did you read the book even covering the story for weeks, months actually quit she said no, i havent. A reporter for the local public Radio Station did the same thing. And i said, you know, i think youre obligated to give my rebuttal to this. I consider it a smear. Some people would be complemented but im not a socialist or a marxist so i dont really like that smear being in your pages without my opportunity, giving an opportunity to rebut it. So thats the kind of thing you dont really enjoy. Its not a pleasant experience. Except you do get a chance to explain things more, for example, the Highland Park High School Students who were reading my book gathered together after school one day, organized by one of the teachers, to have a skype conversation with me for a long time in which they asked some very good questions about poverty. We had an interesting discussion. So they had much more exposure to the subject than they wouldve had without the. On thursday im going out there and im going to meet with some of the teachers from high school, and parents who have supported the book reading for their kids. Im giving a talk in the evening, not during school hours come in the auditorium of the high school. I offered to meet with an english class that was reading my book currently end they decided, well, its the end of the marking period and they would disrupt our instructional process to have you do that. You do touch on something which is interesting, and the one joy that is to be found is that the book does find its way to the kids who most want to have it and need it and read it. Theres nothing quite so satisfying as seeing kids fight for the right to read. Thats really an encouraging thing. So if there is a silver mining, a Silver Lining come in my mind, i think its about. I think the gatekeepers are corrected to be afraid. There are sort of wrongheaded notions, so many ways around them now. I personally do not believe in the general is a notion that theres no about they refused to allow them to be who they were. Those parents are not the best guardians of the reading. Its great that there is this amazing availability of books far beyond what youre allowed to read in class to which you are allowed to bring hope and if you think that, talking about, planned parenthood and Birth Control. That fear you have that sort of the train, thats the reason to keep it in the book. Thats the only part we have writers have is to give context, to give the accuracy and to give truth. And again even if were going to be found for it we do know it gets across an effective people are attacking us for it does mean that to your earlier question about holding back, its interesting, the only time ive ever held back was actually whawith china because i did it consciously, being very savvy to the way things work, its ever that the company so there is that. It made sense. But i deliberately did not uncharacteristically use the fbomb or any language there because i knew that historically gay books are usually challenged by people and they would use the smokescreen of challenging it for the language. Because they did want to be seen as homophobe so they would be no, no, no, i dont mind is about a gay person. Look on page 33. So i wanted to deny that person any legitimate grounds for banning the book are protesting the book, except for the fact that the characters were gay. And that worked. Id like to get everybody to explore further what david said about Opening Doors into other parts of experience. Is that why young adults, how do you define young adult, by the way . What age range is at . In which the importance of books take yours for them, would you say . Whats good about them . They teach this stuff so im just figures to be a young adult was synonymous with a teenager. Now why it is change and has become an adult genre as well because it is fiction that includes teenagers but its not fiction that is exclusively for teenagers but it is age 13 to eight however old the oldest reader is, probably pretty old. Almost as old as me. Even older, if you can imagine. I think that is the exciting thing about literature is we catch people want their identities are forming, and then they stick with it now. And continue to export because the teenagers were exploring, spoiler alert, dont stop when you turn 20. That questions of who you are, who you love, what your role in this world is, thats not just about adolescence. That is about life and thats what were writing about. We are telling the origin stories. We are telling where are these fears and conquering fears come from and that has such power to get. Does anybody else want to chime in on this . Its a big question. They always say young adults is, provides, what was it windows and mirrors . Are mirrors and windows. For me i always as a kid i always wanted the mayor because i never found any book related to my life or that i could see myself in. They just did not exist. All the books where the character looked like me, they were either books about chalets osha covers. Never any think its going up into city point double dutch having fun. I never saw myself. For me i always wanted to write something that was going to be a mayor for me but also a mirror for lots of kids like me who grew up kind of like me. Thats what i think young adult is committed to providing that mayomayor or providing that went into someone elses life. Thats what i strive to do. Accurately reflect the world that i see. Its funny because i was just interviewed this afternoon on this very topic, and boy, it gets slippery trying to decide if the topic, isnt age of antagonist . Because all those lines have blurred and you can really write about difficult things even to the youngest reader. Its something and then he wants, but for me its an expression to the questions i had growing up that were not answered. And the questions that shaped me and followed all the way to now. You know, when im writing, im writing about place. What were the things that were not answered . What with the aches that i carried with me . And i said that in more modern times but it is essentially those questions that felt like wholes spewed so its autobiographical to some degree . Yeah, although the characters are completely made up and the situations. Its like creating frankenstein. Im taking pieces from everybody. Ill take your gossiping with your egomania with your good looks, and ill put you up and i have a new person. Thats kind of outfit works. I knew that all our because i am seeking revenge. But no, i know who they are but i am we orchestrated the whole thing. I think it might be a good time to start hearing from the audience, dont you . And have some questions for the panel. The rule is, theres a rule, wait for the mic because its been recorded and you will be selected not by me. Im keeping this one, okay. Is it on . Sorry. Its so weird we are here at and books week and i feel like i need to start rather than a question but with an apology. One of the things speaking with coe earlier is i said id a middle School Teacher and i have been sending them, all banned books. We celebrate banned books to read every book that i can get my hands on that i love. I have your book, i have your book, i have your book all in specific bands called tough issues, challenging issues, please conference with me before you take the book out. I realize what you talk about is a soft censorship as im listening im thinking im softly censoring books, where am i . Like my concern becomes how do i do with parents that they n