Comments on: >Gratuitous or essential? http://www.hbook.com/2011/02/blogs/read-roger/gratuitous-or-essential/ Publications about books for children and young adults Tue, 14 May 2013 13:27:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Anonymous http://www.hbook.com/2011/02/blogs/read-roger/gratuitous-or-essential/#comment-10881 Anonymous Tue, 29 Mar 2011 17:11:06 +0000 http://nyad1/wp-thb/?p=3646#comment-10881 >Further reading: <br /><br />http://www.ursulakleguin.com/Blog2011.html#PleaseFuckingStop >Further reading:

http://www.ursulakleguin.com/Blog2011.html#PleaseFuckingStop

]]> By: Another fucking anonymous poster http://www.hbook.com/2011/02/blogs/read-roger/gratuitous-or-essential/#comment-10791 Another fucking anonymous poster Mon, 21 Feb 2011 21:10:22 +0000 http://nyad1/wp-thb/?p=3646#comment-10791 >I tend not to miss them if they're not there, and plenty of writers have dealt convincingly with dark and serious material without the use of the them. Plus if we all start saying fuck just to convince the readers that we're not schoolmarms, what are we going to have to do to convince them of same in, say, five years? >I tend not to miss them if they're not there, and plenty of writers have dealt convincingly with dark and serious material without the use of the them. Plus if we all start saying fuck just to convince the readers that we're not schoolmarms, what are we going to have to do to convince them of same in, say, five years?

]]> By: Roger Sutton http://www.hbook.com/2011/02/blogs/read-roger/gratuitous-or-essential/#comment-10786 Roger Sutton Sun, 20 Feb 2011 19:45:04 +0000 http://nyad1/wp-thb/?p=3646#comment-10786 >I'm thinking of books like Fallen Angels, where there are no curse words even while in the real world of that place and time (Vietnam War) you might expect a few. But, yes, Anon 11:05, they can also seem pasted on in a pandering way, too. >I'm thinking of books like Fallen Angels, where there are no curse words even while in the real world of that place and time (Vietnam War) you might expect a few. But, yes, Anon 11:05, they can also seem pasted on in a pandering way, too.

]]> By: michael http://www.hbook.com/2011/02/blogs/read-roger/gratuitous-or-essential/#comment-10782 michael Fri, 18 Feb 2011 17:43:57 +0000 http://nyad1/wp-thb/?p=3646#comment-10782 >Anon 6:37. <br />It's not about what they welcome. It's about what I feel is necessary to tell a story. >Anon 6:37.
It's not about what they welcome. It's about what I feel is necessary to tell a story.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.hbook.com/2011/02/blogs/read-roger/gratuitous-or-essential/#comment-10781 Anonymous Fri, 18 Feb 2011 17:05:35 +0000 http://nyad1/wp-thb/?p=3646#comment-10781 ><i> does the use of the offending word gives readers permission to trust the book?</i><br /><br />God, I fucking hope not. If this is true, they aren't kids they are sheep. > does the use of the offending word gives readers permission to trust the book?

God, I fucking hope not. If this is true, they aren't kids they are sheep.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.hbook.com/2011/02/blogs/read-roger/gratuitous-or-essential/#comment-10779 Anonymous Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:37:05 +0000 http://nyad1/wp-thb/?p=3646#comment-10779 >Don't make the mistake of assuming that all children swear and therefore, all children welcome profanity in literature written for them. >Don't make the mistake of assuming that all children swear and therefore, all children welcome profanity in literature written for them.

]]> By: Michael http://www.hbook.com/2011/02/blogs/read-roger/gratuitous-or-essential/#comment-10778 Michael Thu, 17 Feb 2011 22:18:33 +0000 http://nyad1/wp-thb/?p=3646#comment-10778 >As a matter of fact:<br /><br />http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150138976518109&comments >As a matter of fact:

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150138976518109&comments

]]> By: Michael http://www.hbook.com/2011/02/blogs/read-roger/gratuitous-or-essential/#comment-10777 Michael Thu, 17 Feb 2011 21:59:58 +0000 http://nyad1/wp-thb/?p=3646#comment-10777 >I've admitted that I regret keeping my language G-rated in the GONE series. I won't do that in future books. (As a matter of fact I settled that up-front on my next few YA projects.) <br /><br />I don't think I need to say fuck to be taken seriously, and if I did have to then I shouldn't be taken seriously. But when a kid gets stabbed in the neck it's just idiotic to have him yell, "Darn it!" <br /><br />It requires a lot of wasted effort to work my way around the language that way, and it's work I have to do that then yields a less believable book. I have to work harder to write a lousier book. How is that a good thing?<br /><br />All it takes to get fools on school boards or those cretins at Common Sense Media to attack your book is to have a kid say, "fuck." It's childish, it's profoundly ignorant, it's often damaging to the books, and I'm ashamed that I went along with it. >I've admitted that I regret keeping my language G-rated in the GONE series. I won't do that in future books. (As a matter of fact I settled that up-front on my next few YA projects.)

I don't think I need to say fuck to be taken seriously, and if I did have to then I shouldn't be taken seriously. But when a kid gets stabbed in the neck it's just idiotic to have him yell, "Darn it!"

It requires a lot of wasted effort to work my way around the language that way, and it's work I have to do that then yields a less believable book. I have to work harder to write a lousier book. How is that a good thing?

All it takes to get fools on school boards or those cretins at Common Sense Media to attack your book is to have a kid say, "fuck." It's childish, it's profoundly ignorant, it's often damaging to the books, and I'm ashamed that I went along with it.

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