Comments on: Inappropriate Fiction or Ice Cream Sundae? You Be the Judge http://writeabetternovel.net/inappropriate-fiction-or-ice-cream-sundae-you-be-the-judge/ Practical wisdom for novelists and other storytellers Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:03:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Bill http://writeabetternovel.net/inappropriate-fiction-or-ice-cream-sundae-you-be-the-judge/comment-page-1/#comment-66 Bill Sat, 09 Feb 2008 20:16:24 +0000 http://truevoice-blog.com/?p=65#comment-66 <p>I think the heart of the matter lies in your observation that the other teachers "didn't even understand the meaning of the poem" yet were still eager to act decisively on it anyway. There's a term for this: rush to judgement. You were right to stand your ground. </p> I think the heart of the matter lies in your observation that the other teachers “didn’t even understand the meaning of the poem” yet were still eager to act decisively on it anyway. There’s a term for this: rush to judgement. You were right to stand your ground.

]]> By: Anne Willkomm http://writeabetternovel.net/inappropriate-fiction-or-ice-cream-sundae-you-be-the-judge/comment-page-1/#comment-67 Anne Willkomm Fri, 08 Feb 2008 08:57:31 +0000 http://truevoice-blog.com/?p=65#comment-67 <p>This really disturbs me on so many levels. Years ago I was substitute teaching in a 10th grade English class. I was one of those subs that actually taught, so we were working on poetry. I wrote the first line from an Emily Dickinson poem on the board and asked the students to go on from there with their own poem (fyi -- the poem was Snake). They all wrote, some were funny, some were just plain bad, but there was one clearly about drug use. Other teachers got all worked up and wanted me to report the student to the principal. I refused. First of all, the teachers urging me to report the student didn't even understand the meaning of the poem. Yes, it was about drugs, but it was an exploratory poem -- he wasn't advocating drug use, he clearly wasn't a pusher, it was more of a confused mind trying to sort out a major adolescent problem. Isn't that what writing is all about....sorting out problems in life, in love, at work, on the farm, during the Civil War? How many books have been written about assassinating the President or the Pope? Many have gone on to become best sellers -- no one tossed those authors in jail.</p> <p>I think what I am trying to say is I agree with Bill. In my case, the teachers and principals would gladly have hung this boy out to dry and not that I am a poetry expert -- far from it, but they were quick to jump, quick to react, and that was pre Columbine. They made judgments based on the kid's general actions (he was an anti-establishment, buck the system kind of kid). Who knows perhaps today he's developing a cure for cancer or giving millions to worthy charities. Or maybe, just maybe he is a writer.</p> This really disturbs me on so many levels. Years ago I was substitute teaching in a 10th grade English class. I was one of those subs that actually taught, so we were working on poetry. I wrote the first line from an Emily Dickinson poem on the board and asked the students to go on from there with their own poem (fyi — the poem was Snake). They all wrote, some were funny, some were just plain bad, but there was one clearly about drug use. Other teachers got all worked up and wanted me to report the student to the principal. I refused. First of all, the teachers urging me to report the student didn’t even understand the meaning of the poem. Yes, it was about drugs, but it was an exploratory poem — he wasn’t advocating drug use, he clearly wasn’t a pusher, it was more of a confused mind trying to sort out a major adolescent problem. Isn’t that what writing is all about….sorting out problems in life, in love, at work, on the farm, during the Civil War? How many books have been written about assassinating the President or the Pope? Many have gone on to become best sellers — no one tossed those authors in jail.

I think what I am trying to say is I agree with Bill. In my case, the teachers and principals would gladly have hung this boy out to dry and not that I am a poetry expert — far from it, but they were quick to jump, quick to react, and that was pre Columbine. They made judgments based on the kid’s general actions (he was an anti-establishment, buck the system kind of kid). Who knows perhaps today he’s developing a cure for cancer or giving millions to worthy charities. Or maybe, just maybe he is a writer.

]]>