A rant from beyond the tower walls…
I’m angry today, at the literary academic establishment. Specifically, I’m mad at AWP and Yaddo.
Last week I called Yaddo (nicely) to ask about residencies for authors of kidlit. I was told that I should apply with a submission of my adult work, and that then I could work on whatever I like if I got in. But they cannot fund children’s books, no matter the artistic merit of the work.
Grrrrr. How incredibly stupid is that?
Then, yesterday, I found out that the panel I was on for AWP was declined, a panel about literary fictioneers and poets who also write books for kids. Not shocking I guess. How else will they make room for another panel about (insert boring topic here)?
I’m really disappointed about this. It was an amazing group of writers, and we had a lot of good things to say. Not to mentin being something NEW.
But it’s no surprise, in a climate where many MFA programs refuse to apply kidlit publications to tenure. Because those morons will never realize that some of the most innovative writing– the most genre bending, creative, crazy work– is being done for kids.
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
Tags: AWP, children are the future and the academy is the past, children's books, literary, literature, silly snooty academics need to wake up, Yaddo
August 4th, 2008 at 10:01 am
I’ve never applied to Yaddo. I can check into the Days Inn on Tybee Island with less grief and hassle and not have to actually deal with people while I write. My AWP panel was also declined, which makes me second-guess whether I want to blow all that money to go to frigid Chicago in February. Life is too short.
August 4th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
You should have written a bunch of cutie-pie, meaningless bullshit and called it “Flarf.” Then you would have gotten 3 or 4 panels!
August 4th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Cutie-pie meaningless bullshit is something I aspire to.
August 5th, 2008 at 6:54 am
The people at AWP and Yaddo think narrowly, without vision. Kidlit is incredibly difficult to write and is one of the most important literary forms because it creates future readers/writers of literature. I can say with confidence that I became the writer I am because of a handful of great children’s books and stories — The Secret Garden, “The Scarlet Ibis,” Chinese folk tales, Gulliver’s Travels… Your rant is well-founded.