Two Very Interesting YA Panels in a Row
I just came from a panel on boundaries in YA literature, which had some really interesting views on where to draw the line on topics like sex and violence in YA lit, as well as censorship and self-censorship. The panelists were Mary Anne Mohanraj, Sharyn November, Tamora Pierce, Sarah Beth Durst, and Alma Alexander. Now I'm attending a panel on villians, antagonists, and opposition figures in YA lit. The panel features Tamora Pierce, Gwenda Bond, Cecil Castellucci, Sharyn November, and P. C. Hodgell.
The interplay between Sharyn November and Tamora Pierce is very droll.
There is some question of how much perspective plays a part in how we judge the actions of the characters. How much do we let the actions of the protagonists off the hook, that we would judge harshly from the villians, and how much do the protagonists deal with the consequences of their actions?
Another question was in regard to complex, conflicted villians and/or anti-heroes and how we view them.
Tamora Pierce started growling when someone asked what they thought about the vilification of Susan in the Narnia books.
Woo! Lots of Diana Wynne Jones commentary. (Suddenly wondering if there might be a possibility of getting her as a GoH some year. I'd love to hear her.)
It's really cool to be having these discussions of YA lit, especially since that is the bulk of my reading, really. It is also giving me some ideas...
The interplay between Sharyn November and Tamora Pierce is very droll.
There is some question of how much perspective plays a part in how we judge the actions of the characters. How much do we let the actions of the protagonists off the hook, that we would judge harshly from the villians, and how much do the protagonists deal with the consequences of their actions?
Another question was in regard to complex, conflicted villians and/or anti-heroes and how we view them.
Tamora Pierce started growling when someone asked what they thought about the vilification of Susan in the Narnia books.
Woo! Lots of Diana Wynne Jones commentary. (Suddenly wondering if there might be a possibility of getting her as a GoH some year. I'd love to hear her.)
It's really cool to be having these discussions of YA lit, especially since that is the bulk of my reading, really. It is also giving me some ideas...