Talk to Me
I should have blogged about this forever ago, but in case you have not noticed, I am the world's laziest blogger.
HOWEVER. I will be chatting for a while this evening at the Readergirlz myspace forum beginning at 8 PM eastern time. If you're a myspace member, and I know that you are, just join the group and then join the conversation with me this evening. I will answer questions about pretty much anything.
In other news: Noted American nerdfighter Sara Zarr is a finalist for the National Book Award. Huzzah.
posted by John Green @ Monday, October 15, 2007
15 Comments
15 Comments:
that's 5pm my time...i'll try. =)
yay sara!
unfortunately i'll be kid-sitting at 8...but hopefully he'll be asleep by then. have fun :)
-Lindsey
Hi John, unfortunately i cant go to your chat because i'm from czech republic and we have about 8 hours more i think. and today it's over :) i wanted your books in my country, but i can't find them :( i know you and your brother from youtube and Brotherhood 2.0, it's very interesting project and i hope, you will do this videoblog next year too ;)
PS: i'm sorry about my not-perfect english, i'm 18 and i'm learning...
Thanks, John, for chatting with us at readergirlz! We, Nerdfighters, love your books! Stop by anytime!
Best in books,
Lorie Ann Grover~
readergirlz diva/author
Loose Threads
You are officially one of the readergirlz now - er, readerboyz. Thanks for sharing your time with us and for being a part of 31 Flavorites!
Hey John,
My name is Gulia, I'm actually only thirteen years old but I'm a big fan of your books. I'm in the middle of An Abundance of Katherines and so far I like it just as much as I liked Looking for Alaska. Truthfully, Looking for Alaska made a big impact on my life and changed me as a person. I try to let people know about you and your writing. I would love to talk with you about your writing, I'll be checking for the next time your chatting on myspace.
Yay, Sara!! I'm so glad to see her win something for that wonderful novel.
I think you need to call Justine and ask for some tips on how to blog consistently. I miss READING! I know you're super busy with B2.0 and Paper Towns, but hey, I still had to file my complaint somewhere.
Hi my name is Allison! (with an exclamation point!) and I read your book An Abundance of Katherines for my English project, and I loved it so much! I love your style of writing, and I love how you make the book funny and exciting but also deep and emotional. Thanks so much!
P.S. You're weird. In a good way! :)
Hi John...
i just finished reading your book, looking for alaska, and once i picked it up i couldn't put it down. it was so greatb and inspirational! i can't wait to go out and buy it for my own collection. Thank you for writing such a great book!
-Casey Joy
hi john! i just wanted to stop by and tell you how much i loved Looking for Alaska!
keep em' coming!
I tried to send my thoughts on Looking for Alaska via email, but my message didn't go through. Here goes:
Mr. Green,
I have taught high school English for twenty-three years. I am not an expert on much, but I do feel like I have a handle on these two things:
1. What teenagers sound like.
2. How teenagers view the world.
I must say that your novel, Looking for Alaska, is authentic both in terms of the dialogue used and in the decision making processes of the characters involved. Alaska is a solid piece of fiction that offers a realistic look into the lives of one segment of our teenage population.
I would never recommend it to my students.
It astounded me when someone posted on Amazon and said your book was too preachy or moralistic (I looked at the reader review after seeing your comment on your web site). I did not perceive any attempt on your part to indicate that the subjects about which students are warned, such as drugs, sex, smoking, and drunk driving, where things to be avoided. Instead I found these lessons:
1. The protagonist, Miles, leaves his public school because all the kids there are beneath him and arrives at his private school ready to write off half of the student population, the Weekday Warriors, as similarly unworthy of consideration. Unlike Holden Caufield from The Catcher in the Rye, there is no sense of irony in the judgments of Miles and his friends. There are no decent Weekday Warriors. Miles and his friends are propped up as the cool kids but they are intellectual elitists and snobs themselves.
Lessons: Public schools are for losers. Stereotypes often fit.
2. The main characters drink, smoke, and engage in sex without any real consequences. Instead of being a cautionary tale about the dangers of these behaviors, particularly for young people, it becomes a glorification of them. I think that some who read the story saw Alaska’s death as an indictment of drunk driving. I didn’t read it that way. She was heading for a bad end from the start and hinted frequently that she was not opposed to seeing her life through to a cataclysmic end. Given her experiences, I understand her philosophy. Her death was less related to drinking and driving, which is mostly just a result of poor decision making by otherwise happy teens, and more a result of years of dealing with tremendous guilt. The other characters return to drinking after her death.
Think about the actions of your characters throughout the novel. They smoke. By the end of the novel Miles is hooked. He responds to stressful situations with the need for a cigarette. No increased illness. No hacking cough. Maybe a little shortness of breath, but that is a small price to pay to be cool.
They drink. It leads to sexual encounters. It is tied into Miles’ greatest day ever. No one fails out. The potential alcoholism is never explored.
They have relatively promiscuous sex. No S. T. D.’s. No unwanted pregnancies. Sounds great.
Even Miles’ father is said to have engaged in these behaviors. Things turned out well for him.
Lesson: All the stuff that idiot adults warned you not to try is cool and can be explored with few consequences (all of which are outweighed by the benefits).
I know that this is where I officially start to sound like a nut, but I think your book is dangerous. It is well-written enough to draw kids into the world you’ve created. They will no doubt look up to Miles and his friends. Your main characters are smart, funny, attractive, and rebellious. If they emulate your characters’ behavior, how will that work out for them? I fear not well.
Your novel had so much potential. The opportunities afforded for lofty discussions and thought provided by the World Religions class were tremendous. The questions posed by that class and Miles’ struggles to answer them were my favorite parts of the book. In the end, however, I feel like kids who read your book will stand less of a chance of benefiting from the introspection that could result and more of a chance of buying into the dangerous lifestyle you sold them.
Larry Hinders
Park View High School
John,
I was completely bummed that you weren't at the NCTE conference!!! All I got to see was your flyer :(
Wish you had been there.
NOLADawn
Hey,
Your book, looking for alaska, was very well written, and kept my attention throughout. Keep up the good work. I hope to see something new coming out soon.
Oh, by the way, i liked the way you mentioned radiohead also. good taste
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