Madison Brewer

Professor Warner

English 112B

03 December 2008

The Might of Her Pen

It is rare to find an author so driven in his or her writing that to separate writer from pen would be like depriving that author of air. An even greater rarity, is to find a young adult literature author who not only cannot be separated from pen and paper, but who approaches young adult literature with the hope that what is written will change a young persons life forever. Renowned fiction and picture book author Laurie Halse Anderson is one such rarity. Born on October 23, 1961, Anderson devoted a great deal of her childhood to absorbing literature with a specific interest in language and historical fiction (Stephanie Anderson). After she graduated from Georgetown University in 1984 with her Bachelor of Science in Languages and Linguistics, Anderson entered the literary world as a freelance journalist before publishing her first children's book Ndito Runs in 1996 (Stephanie Anderson). Over twenty-eight novels including a book about introverted children she worked on as a ghost-writer for a psychiatrist soon followed, and with them Anderson launched the might of her pen as a devote voice for children and young adults (Kaywell). The power generated from Anderson's young adult fiction has undoubtedly established this author as a vital source in understanding the world through the brutally honest perspective of the young adult.

The stylistic approach that Anderson takes in writing her young adult fiction is the problem novel incorporated into both realistic fiction and historical fiction. The philosophy of the problem novel highlights the idea that "young people will have a better chance to be happy if they have realistic expectations and if they know both the bad and the good about the society in which they live" (Donelson & Nilsen). Out of the twenty-eight books Anderson has written, seven of them utilize the problem novel as a tool to reach young adult readers. According to Anderson, "I think kids are a more important audience than adults, that's why I write for them" (Kaywell), and in writing for young adults Anderson has provided the literary community with a new powerfully stimulating voice for all teenagers suffering from the dangers of high school, coping with peer pressure, battling with parents, and overcoming depression. In her historical fiction novels, Anderson takes the colloquial language used in constructing problem novels and explores a past life through the wandering eyes of a struggling young adult. In her novel Fever 1793 published in 2000 and her most recent novel Chains, Anderson offers this unique approach to the problem novel through historical fiction by focusing on characters who face a different kind of danger unlike the ones seen by Anderson's characters in her realistic fiction pieces. Her strong interest in teenagers and her fascination with American history is one of many reasons why Anderson is a prize-winning author and asset to the literary community.

If her work in young adult fiction is not enough, Anderson's passion for life and in reaching out to her readers sets her apart from many young adult writers. In an interview with the Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy Anderson says, "Every time I lose myself in a story, I come out knowing that this is what I was put on this planet to do" (Kaywell). Her writing allows young readers to lose themselves in her words and in the minds of her characters, something that she does herself on frequently. She offers not only novels but two Internet journals that allow fans and curious eyes to get to know Anderson beyond the biographical sketch provided on her book jackets. Anderson goes to great lengths to reach her audience; she invites them into her world and essentially bares her mind with the same evasive approach she reserves for her novels. It is because of her close and personal relationship with young adults that she is able to use the might of her pen to write their stories. Whether she is dealing with a social outcast or a child struggling to save her family from a vicious plague, Anderson puts her heart and soul into her writing. Anderson's novels provide a prime example of how problem novels can function outside of realistic fiction, and the might of her pen has seen very little rest after Ndito Runs. In this annotated bibliography, a sketch of Anderson's more recent contributions to young adult literature is provided alongside interviews and articles that highlight and give praise to the new voice for all teenagers no matter age or time period.

Annotations

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Catalyst. New York: Penguin Group, 2002.

Kate Malone is a model student, girlfriend, and daughter who manage her life by organizing every aspect of her existence into one logical equation. However, after a fire claims the home of her neighbor and nemesis Teri Litch, Kate's logical world begins to unravel and she is forced to face a new and powerful reality that is unlike the one she has organized for herself. Set in the same community as prize-winning piece Speak, this novel delves into the struggle of social hierarchy in schools and the catalyst affect that can shatter one world and open the door to a new perspective. Kate's understanding of her surroundings begins to evolve as she spends more and more time with Teri and her younger brother, and her perspective begins to shift from neat and orderly to random and inconsistent. Anderson offers an engaging approach to understanding teenage sexuality, dealing with unexpected responsibilities, and responding to the distress of others. This novel is about taking a perfect world and bringing it back into reality, something that all teenagers must face on a daily.

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Chains. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2008.

The year is 1776 and the Revolutionary War has begun to engulf the freed and enslaved. Thirteen-year-old Isabel and her younger sister Ruth tasted freedom for one quick moment after their previous owner passed away; however, their owner's nephew Mr. Robert takes the orphaned slave girls and sells them to a horribly cruel couple in New York named the Locktons. Determined to stay out of trouble but still gain freedom for her and Ruth, Isabel reluctantly accepts the task of spying on her new owners suspected of having ties to the British enemy. It soon occurs to Isabel that the price of her loyalty can equate to freedom for her family, so she makes an offer to the highest bidder with the hope of finally permanently tasting the free air. In this novel, Anderson combines her obsession with historical fiction and her talent with constructing problem novels to create a piece on what it takes to cast off the mental, spiritual, and in Isabel's case physical shackles that bind an individual to a fate worse than death. Isabel is a strong willed character despite her age that provides her audience with an understanding of the lengths a person can go to experience his or her right to freedom.

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Fever 1793. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks, 2000.

Mattie Cook, daughter of Lucille Cook and granddaughter of Captain William Farnsworth Cook of the Pennsylvania Fifth Regiment, is a young girl struggling to find her place in the world. She has big plans for her future that do not involve a dowry or marriage to a rich drone of her mother's choosing, but all her plans are put on hold when the great yellow fever epidemic hits her beloved Philadelphia and dissolves her world into one long and dreadful summer. After her mother contracts the illness, Mattie and her grandfather are sent away to the country; however, they are immediately cast off the wagon when a band of soldiers keep them from walking through the town to their destination. A series of strange, saddening, and thrilling events soon follow Mattie, slowly guiding her weak footsteps from adolescence to young adulthood. Once again, Anderson combines her love for historical fiction and her talent in constructing the problem novel to create a character forced to grow up and face the dangerous task of surviving against all odds. Mattie's story offers a hard look at the transitioning from adolescence to young adult during a major historical crisis, and what it means to have hope when it feels like a fever has drained all the hope left in the world.

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Prom. New York: Puffin, 2006.

Ashley Hannigan is no stranger to the deep loathing of prom night, but in her urban outfitted high school in Philadelphia she is forced to make the most of what she is sure to be a very bad night. After a faculty adviser steals the money set aside for the prom committee, Ashley is roped in by her best friend and prom coordinator Natalia to help create a night to remember from scratch. With the help of her rather eccentric family and fellow classmates, Ashley not only learns how to throw a good party with little resources, but she also learns that life has more to offer her once high school has come to an end. Using the similar language and themes from her novel Speak, Anderson utilizes a simple dance as a gateway to the social trials and tribulations teenagers must face when forced to deal with the future. Ashley is one of many caught up in the sheltered world of high school, but through something as trivial as creating a prom Ashley is able to see the bigger picture and learn how to face life's real dilemmas that have little to do with dresses and limousines.

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak. New York: Penguin Group, 1999.

Sometimes one night can change everything, and for Melinda Sordino that one night happened at an end-of-summer party she busted after being raped by a senior. Convinced that Melinda called the police to bust the party, her fellow classmates treat her like a social outcast and classic narc, and waste little time making her life a living hell. To escape her world, Melinda retreats into her mind shielding anyone, including herself, from the truth of what really happened that night; however, when her ex-best friend Rachel starts dating the very predator who haunts Melinda's dreams, the young heroine is forced to make the choice between hiding in her mind or finally taking back her voice and defending her friend. Anderson captures the essence of high school conformity and teenage struggles in this witty problem novel. The great irony of this piece is Melinda's unwillingness to use her voice, however, the voice in her head and the commentary she provides is both strong and incredibly honest. In this Michael L. Printz Award winning novel, Anderson uses Melinda's experience to share with the world what can happen when a person's voice is stolen and what it takes to finally get it back.

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Twisted. New York: Viking Juvenile, 2007.

What happens when the nerd around the corner transforms into the mysterious slightly dangerous man in school? Tyler Miller is about to find out as he enters his junior year of high school with a "foul deed" to his name and probation under his belt. When he gains the attention of the ever popular Bethany Millbury, daughter of his father's boss, Tyler is granted access to the world he has always dreamed of. All good things must come to an end at some point, and for Tyler that end comes after a homecoming party that takes a turn for the worse, setting the stage for a social and mental breakdown of Tyler's existence. From nerd, to mystery, to social outcast Tyler starts to imagine what his community would be like if he was no longer in it. Anderson explores the levels of social conformity, the bullying system, and teen suicide through the pessimistic eyes of the strong willed Tyler. His desire to fit in and his struggle to cope once his popularity is ripped from him provides young adult readers with a long hard look of what can happen to a person when given the role of scapegoat rather than granted the opportunity to stand up and fight back.

Anderson, Stephanie Holcomb. "Laurie Halse Anderson Biography." Laurie Halse Anderson Official Website. 2004. Black Arts Illustrations. 10 Nov 2008 <www.writerlady.com>.

Eldest daughter of this fascinating young adult fiction author, Stephanie Holcomb offers a witty analysis of her mother's journey to becoming a writer. She digresses on her mother's secret hope that one day the world will pronounce her name correctly, and how her mother struggled to find her own place in the world before becoming a permanent resident in the writing community. She explores her mother's past describing the steps taken by Anderson before she finally discovered her place as a young adult fiction author. Stephanie Holcomb Anderson offers more than a biographical sketch of her mother; she offers the opportunity to get to know this renowned author on a much more personal level, highlighting some of the problems that her mother faced as a teenager that later plays a significant role in fiction writing.

Alsup, Janet. "Politicizing young adult literature: Reading Anderson's Speak as a critical text." Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy. Oct 2003: 158-166. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO Host. San Jose State University. 08 Nov 2008 <http://web.ebscohost.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org>.

The transition from adolescence to young adult can be a trying and difficult phase in a young person's life. Without proper guidance from family, friends, and educators many teenagers can fail to make this transition leading to teen violence ranging from school shootings to suicide. Critical analyst Janet Alsup presents the argument that authors such as Laurie Halse Anderson are essential to the positive growth and development of young adults struggling to transcend from their adolescence status. Focusing on Anderson's novel Speak, Alsup presents a critical argument on incorporating Anderson and like authors into the English and Reading curriculum as a necessary step towards finding an honest voice for young adults. Novels such as Speak present a safe forum for young adults to talk freely about issues that occur in both Melinda Sordino's fictional world and the reality each young adult must face on a daily basis.

Kaywell, Joan. "A Conversation With Laurie Halse Anderson." Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy. Sep 2008: 78-83. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO Host. San Jose State University. 24 Oct 2008 <http://web.ebscohost.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org>.

This interview between Laurie Halse Anderson and English professor Joan Kaywell offers a glance into the process of writing a problem novel. After the release of her book Twisted, a story dealing with the social hierarchies at large in high schools and teen suicide, Kaywell along with her son Stephen explore Anderson's writing style and what she hoped to accomplish with her main character Tyler Miller. This interview also digresses about writing in general; how Anderson found her way into the literary world and why she chose to write solely for a young adult audience. Anderson reveals her admiration for authors such as Neil Gaiman and Francesca Lia Block, and concludes the interview by thanking all her readers for taking an active approach to her novels. Readers are given the opportunity to explore Anderson's mind, and she does not withhold from Kaywell or Stephen during the question and answer portion. What starts out as a simple interview about her recent release turns into a powerful plea for teachers to continue to handing out books to their students because in essence each teacher is doing more than offering a book, they are also offering hope.

Latham, Don. "Melinda's Closet: Trauma and the Queer Subtext of Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak." Children's Literature Association Quarterly 04 Nov 2006: 369-382. Project Muse. Johns Hopkins University Press. San Jose State University. 10 Nov 2008 <http://muse.jhu.edu.libaccess.sjlibrary.org>

Assistant professor at Florida State University, Dr. Don Latham undergoes the literary criticism Queerism approach to dissecting Laurie Halse Anderson's novel Speak. Latham argues that Melinda Sordino's experience with rape, her struggle to recover, and eventual confession to her friend Rachel and her art teacher Mr. Freeman can be read as a coming out of the closet piece. Melinda's symptoms are akin to symptoms of post traumatic stress syndrome. According to Latham's argument, Melinda anticipates danger when none is warranted a product of hyperarousal, her conscience and sub-conscience experiences an intrusion of images from the night of her rape, and her desire to withdraw from her family and friends acts as a constriction completing the circle for post traumatic stress victims. Latham uses queer terminology such as "coming out" and "the closet" as metaphors for Melinda's final step towards recovery and coming out as a rape victim to her friends, family, and community. Anderson's novel is taken in as a guide to answering questions on the dominant heterosexist assumptions regarding an individual's gender, identity, and the ability to cope with trauma. This critical approach allows students to gain an even broader perspective of what exactly Anderson is attempting to achieve with her character Melinda. Latham offers an approach that opens the door to a new series of questions and discussions for students and readers, looking for a way to understand the process of Melinda's recovery and final coming out.

Other Works Cited

Donelson, Kenneth L, and Alleen Pace Nilsen. Literature for Today's Young Adults. 8th ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2008.