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As I change strategies to read straight through one book at a time instead of juggling 5 or 6, I'm also recommitting to reading through the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Disrupting Whiteness core reading list for an introduction to the problem of whiteness in librarianship and returning to the question of the state of young adult literary criticism in recent years.
For the latter, to create my own bibliography, I ran four searches in two different academic databases for articles on literary theory and young adult literature from 2010 through this year. I selected 68 titles that include articles from 40 academic journals, chapters from six books, and two doctoral dissertations. Am I actually going to read all this? I plan to, but I may run out of steam or get attracted by something shiny. All this is driven (A) by an improbably dream that I can make a significant contribution to the fields of librarianship and young adult literature and (B) by the pleasure I take in studying and, perhaps to an even greater degree, the pleasure I take in planning to study these subjects. Why drop these here? To be blunt, I have nothing better to report at this point, and I want to announce something, even if it is only an intention to report future findings. If you enjoy bibliographies as much as I do, read on.
One aspect of the final film in the trilogy, Ong Bak 3, to which I keep returning is the relationship between classical Thai dancing, prayer, healing, and martial arts. Pim's dance in front of the temple while Tien is healing from the brutal torture he received from Lord Rajasena's men moves me tremendously. Every position, every motion is so precise. Pim invests herself so wholly in the dance. I can feel the dance-as-prayer and measure its effectiveness, its genuineness, its heartfelt urgency by the technical perfection of the performance.
What does this have to do with anything? I feel a need to unravel the problem of the function of art as a prerequisite to justifying my personal approach to YA literature. My heart belongs to Oscar Wilde and his aestheticism, his belief in art for its own sake, his dismissal of utilitarian concerns. But I recognize that this, and other similarly Decadent approaches, comes from a place of privilege and comfort not experienced by vast numbers of people. It is a white male thing. Or is it? Hey folks.
I'm interested in getting by financially until I have a chance to enter into my new profession officially. Of course I am, who isn't? Anyway, I thought I'd share some services here in case anyone needs or wants or knows anyone who needs or wants anything I can offer at the moment. Unfortunately, all of our resources currently are tied up in our search for a new car (something reliable under $2K, nothing fancy), and we are seeking additional resources for my wife's health, the babies' needs, and the occasional new acquisition for my library so that I may continue to better understand my role as a white male ally to marginalized people in librarianship. First, my research and proofreading gigs are up on Fiverr. I've recently reworked the research gig a little to reflect how it worked during my first two jobs. Examples of final results are posted, if you want to get an idea of what I can do for you. It's $45 for a final product of up to 3,000 words of source summary and evaluation, which encompasses as few as three sources (if all complex academic journal articles) and as many as twelve (if social media profiles or simple Web pages). Any topic. Just no students wanting someone else to do their schoolwork. Also, if you like music, you can check out my performances on YouTube and leave a tip through PayPal, if you feel so moved. Also, I can help any student at any level with the process of researching and writing for school. I am very ethical and will not do for the student what the student needs to do for themselves, but I understand that brainstorming, organizing, searching and evaluating sources of information, extracting that information, analyzing and synthesizing that information, and communicating the information in a coherent way are baffling mysteries to many students that require a little one-on-one time to unravel. It's all strategy and encouragement, with a little example thrown in, taking great care not to cross any ethical boundaries or violate any rules about academic honesty. I do this work over Google Meet and am happy to talk with you to see if I'm a good fit for you, your child, or whomever. Just contact me here. Wayne State University, School of Information Sciences, awarded me its Master of Library and Information Science degree the other day. So, I'm officially a librarian. Without a library (other than my own private library).
I'm all for moving on, except for the circumstances of my life requiring my presence at home, and except for the comfort I feel in being a student, and the sadness and trepidation at leaving school behind to pursue whatever happens next. All too eager to involve myself in new intellectual pursuits, I have set myself lofty goals in terms of pages read and written ... and I'm way behind. Sick babies and lots of appointments for them and other sick family members have a lot to do with that. Parenting is not one of my stronger suits, and neither is being supportive when problems resist solution. I don't like powerlessness. I don't like unpredictability. But I'm learning to deal with it. Graduation is, as always, a time of transition and an opportunity to grow into new aspects, new responsibilities. Even outside of the job-search-to-come, that is an apt description for what is happening now. I have much work to do if I want to make the most of it. ... it cannot be denied that literary criticism in YA lit lags behind grownup lit crit, and that what YA lit crit there is tends to focus on what to do with the literature, or what the literature is doing to the kids. Pure criticism has the added benefit of legitimizing an artwork for itself, instead of as a means to an end, a tool. Think of it this way: Which question is more appreciated by a teenager, What do you want to be when you grow up? or What are you really into right now? I want to go over this idea again. There is a difference between asking a kid Who are you right now? and asking them What do you want to be when you grow up? The former says I value you as you are. The latter reaffirms the truth they have received throughout their lives that developing humans* are worthwhile primarily for what kind of productive cog they will be in the great machine called "society," which is comprised of full-grown adults. If we rear them right, they will help the system run smoothly. If they don't get "what they need," or if they get "the wrong stuff," they will mess the system up. According to this plan, they are supposed to come out of the educational assembly line believing I am worth something if I accomplish X (i.e., if I am a "really useful engine").
If we value them as they are, godz forbid, they might instead come to believe I am worth something regardless of what I do, or even The concept of "worth" does not belong in reference to human beings, for we are not assessable in material terms. This would be the death of the system. One more little paper to go, and I've completed all my work toward my Master's in Library and Information Science. In the meantime, a new month brings a new, post-academic reading plan. I've decided to pursue long-term reading projects on racism and gender/sexuality to try to figure out my place as a natural member of the dominant group who wishes to help break up his group's dominance. Does that make sense? Also, continuing with my explorations into surrealism, adolescent development, and the novels of A. S. King. Also, continuing to read books on addiction and recovery, because my life depends upon it. I have multiple spreadsheets detailing how this should all play out, along with a flexibility that will keep me from cracking when I don't stay 100% on track.
Anyway, not much specifically library stuff going on here, but I will be recording my thoughts about what I'm reading. When something library-related does happen, I'll let you know about that, too. Thanks for joining me. My one-year-old loves "Thomas and Friends," a toy model-based television series about living trains who strive to be useful for a rich capitalist on a British island. Something never sat quite right with me about the series, despite its narration by favorite comedian George Carlin. Imagine my surprise, or don't, when a Google search for "Thomas and Friends Marxist critique" came back with several hits: Slate's "Thomas the Imperialist Tank Engine" from 2011, The Guardian's "Thomas the Tank Engine had to shut the hell up to save children everywhere" from 2014, and the New Yorker's "The Repressive, Authoritarian Soul of 'Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends'" for instance. Sir Topham Hat as robber baron teaches trains and children that they must be "really useful engines" to have any worth at all. Since the barrage of criticism, the show has apparently been "shunted down the left track," angering conservatives with its "Marxist undertones." This revelation dovetails with the rabbit hole into which I've recently dived concerning pure vs. applied literary criticism and young adult literature.
There is a delicious irony in using Marxist criticism (an applied criticism) to point out the death of play in literary exploration. Play is the distinguishing element between the two approaches to literature, I think. Applied criticism seeks to establish that a work is "good for something," that it serves a purpose. Articles on how to use YA literature for this or that fall into this category: awakening empathy or fighting patriarchy as well as more traditional pedagogical concerns. Marxists don't decry the concept of being "really useful," after all. They only demand that one be useful (or at the very least, not harmful) to the right people: in this case, the workers. The other two critical theories Randy Ribay suggests we teach high school kids--feminism and postcolonialism--similarly demand that one be useful to women and indigenous peoples. There is nothing wrong with this: public education has multiple purposes--among them, to create good citizens, and good citizens care about equity and justice. I am really looking forward to bringing my talents, training, and passion to some organization and community where I can make a difference. Unfortunately, the time for that to happen turns out to be ... not now. Although I will finish my MLIS next month, I will not be seeking a professional position, or indeed any work outside the home, for the foreseeable future. My partner has developed a serious health condition and I need to focus on taking care of her and the children. When life gets a little more stable and predictable, I will pursue my career. In the meantime, I will continue to offer professional research and tutoring services from home and develop some creative and academic projects, hopefully for publication.
Due to an oversight, the email address associated with my Contact Form has been an old work address for the past 2 years! If you have tried to get a hold of me without success, I apologize. The problem has now been corrected. Thank you.
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AuthorJeffrey Babbitt, MLIS, is a graduate of the School of Library and Information Science at Wayne State University who is pursuing a career as a librarian in Michigan. Subject Headings
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June 2021
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