reading the world
I just got home from Reading the World VIII, the multicultural children’s literature conference held each spring at the University of San Francisco. It was an excellent conference, well organized, with an impressive range of first rate speakers including Katherine Patterson, Ed Young, Linda Sue Park, Alma Flor Ada, Nikki Grimes and Kate DiCamillo.
It’s a small enough conference that you have the opportunity to have good discussions with the speakers, but big and enduring enough to draw attendees from all over the country. Presenters came from as far away as England (Tony Watkins) and Austria (Michael Schmid) and examined literature and cultural from a wide range of perspectives.
“EVERYDAY HEROES: Sexual Abuse in Young Adult Literature–What are we telling the kids?” was the lengthy title of my workshop. The folks who came were grad students, educators, and authors–including poet Nikki Grimes and Dr. Ada, both of whose work I have taught in my children’s literature classes for years.
We had a good discussion of the realities of abuse and healing and the persistent stereotypes in popular culture today. Then I showed books published for young adults in the last 18 months and looked at the ways abuse survivors are being portrayed.
It’s a mixed bag.
One of the forthcoming books we discussed was The Place Where Losers Go by Canadian poet and author Beth Goobie. It’s a fantasy novel about two survivors of gang rape. I know that sounds weird, but the fantasy works very well as a metaphor for dissociation. Beth Goobie has an insider’s knowledge of trauma and healing (she has written about being a survivor herself) and it really shows in her main character, Skey, who is struggling in high school after a traumatic event that she can’t quite piece together. Beth also has a keen sense of the power of emerging sexuality in the lives of teens.
Another session was given by Chun Yu, author of Little Green: Growing Up During the Chinese Cultural Revolution, a verse memoir. She talked about how her family had to find the will to go on, that internal strength, in the face of the many traumas that they and their country went through during those years.
From my son Ben who lives in China I’ve heard many other stories of real people’s struggle to endure and build good lives after the relocations, humiliations, imprisonments, and killings. But listening to Chun Yu speak I was struck by the similarity between how she framed her experiences and how the people in Strong at the Heart talk about the ways they’ve found purpose and inner strength in healing from sexual abuse.
Chun Yu commented on the lack of purpose and drive she sees in many people who have not faced such difficulties. That gave me pause.
Thriver said,
March 17, 2006 @ 11:55 am
Purpose and drive. Hmmm. That is very interesting from the perspective of a CSA survivor. Many times I’ve felt despair. Even when not depressed, I still feel overwhelmed at times. But, I’ve felt compelled to search for meaning in my abuse. The irony is that my abuse has handed me a clear purpose–helping others find a way to survive and thrive! My drive right now is to raise more awareness and erase stigma. I’ve got a “Big Idea” on my blog right now. I’d be honored if you’d look at it and tell me what you think.
Carolyn Lehman said,
March 17, 2006 @ 12:01 pm
I know what you mean. The cost we as survivors pay is so high. It’s hard to think about silver linings.
Then I see people doing such incredible work in the world. And where do they get their strength and inspiration? It often comes back to being a survivor themselves and wanting to make something good to come from all of it. Just like you.
Frankly, I don’t think that there would be much change in the business as usual around child sexual abuse if it weren’t for survivors healing and getting active poitically and artistically. Not to say there aren’t some wonderful allies. But there’s nothing like having been through the fire.