Boskone Program

[sartorias]

is here

Of those, the panel that interests me most is: YA Matters More

Comments

[stephan_laurent]

Very good point indeed.
Kim Stanley Robinson (in his Mars trilogy even coined a word for that lifeforce that you're justly talking about in young adults: Viriditas (though he ascribed it to the planet itself, and by extension to those humans who wanted to keep and/or develop the vibrancy of that energy). But the principle is right... the urge to keep growing, to keep doing what's right, in other words to help survival.

[sartorias]

Viriditas. . . . what a Ciceronian concept!

[jamesenge]

I think the dream of having one's actions matter might be even more intense and moving for someone who's seen a lot of actions not matter. Saving the world might mean even more, or at least something different, to someone who's seen more of it, too. So I don't think that stuff is generally valid at all--it might apply on a case by case basis, of course.

I think what does fundamentally differ is the approach. Someone who's never seen a card trick is more likely to be impressed by one than someone who's seen ten thousand, and done a few himself/herself. More and less experienced readers are likely to be drawn to different types of literary games.

[sartorias]

While I think you are right, there are also a significant number of quite sophisticated (or at least experienced) readers who still choose to read Ya, and though the reading experience might not match the intensity of childhood reading, it is still a significantly pleasurable experience.

[jamesenge]

Absolutely. In fact, the directness of YA is something I think non-YA fiction could use more of. Not everything should be a sneaky curve ball--sometimes you need a smoking fastball straight over the plate. (I can't believe I just used a sports metaphor, but there it is.)

[sartorias]

...or that I understood it!

But you are right.

[mildmannered]

hey, are you going to be in town? want to have coffee?

[sartorias]

Me? Town where?

If you mean up in LA, I will be there Thursday afternoon. (I have to be in the valley until one, then will be joining rachelmanija for a work session, but would love to meet if you are going to be there.

Alas, no other day do I have access to the car, so I'm stuck home.

[mildmannered]

Ah - I meant Boston. Oh well.

[sartorias]

Oh, how I wish!

[asakiyume]

That panel looked interesting to me, too. I laughed at the lead-in, though, since I did none of those things in my teen years and am happy to say that I still haven't told a significant lie or betrayed a friend. (Some people must have quite dramatic teen years)

I think in your teen years, you have a tremendous energy and a desire to DO! So maybe some sorts of YA fantasy lit express that. Parents keep trying to shepherd kids to one or another safe and reasonable future, but kids have all this energy! Who wants to be stuck training to be a dental assistant when you could be carrying messages for the resistance, or diving for sunken treasure, or--well, fill in with the adventure of your choice.

It's wonderful when people get to experience some of the adventure of life for real. I don't think that necessarily dims enthusiasm for fictional adventures--though maybe it makes you smile at some bits.

[sartorias]

I don't think it dims the enthusiasm necessarily, though experience may shift one's bar for being convinced of verisimilitude. (Heh!)

[asakiyume]

That's it exactly! :D

[lady_moriel]

That's one of the best explanations I've ever read for why YA, and YA SF/F in particular, is so important and compelling--I'm 22 and I haven't stopped reading it (although my taste has always been kind of selective). It might also help explain why I hate Kafka so much. :p

[sartorias]

Yeah . . . teachers (and professors) kept telling us "But Kafka is funny!." I've read him in both German and English and the humor still eludes me.

[mojave_wolf]

wtf?

I *like* (even love) Kafka, and funny is not a word I would ever use . . .