Keris Stainton's Blog, page 16

Feminism Friday: Feminist YA books

Ages ago I asked on Twitter for feminist YA fiction recommendations and then, um, forgot to blog about it. The lovely response to last week’s Feminist YA authors list reminded me.

If you have any recommendations feel free to tell me in the comments or on Twitter (or, you know, if you see me in the street) and I’ll add them.

@ALRutter

Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce (and the rest of the Tortall series)

@liveotherwise

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

The Warriors of Taan by Louise Lawrence

@ZMarriott

Tamora Pierce, Ursula Le Guin & Robin McKinley write fiercely Feminist fantasy. Sarah Rees Brennan does Urban fantasy.

Veronica Roth’s Dystopian novels have a very strong lead girl with agency.

Josephine Angelini’s Paranormal romances are good.

And for slightly younger YA, R.J. Anderson’s fairy books are BRILLIANT.

@sisterspooky

Demon Trappers series by Jana Oliver

@catnipbooks

Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies series has even-handed message about the importance of appearance and central character’s attitude is interesting…

@girloutoflondon

Wildthorn by Jane Eagland

Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdoch

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Shadows on the Moon by Zoe Marriott

@stephanieburgis

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Sarah Dessen’s Just Listen

@postteen (Simmone Howell)

Siobhan Vivian’s Not That Kind of Girl

Julia Lawrinson’s The Push

AS King

@JulieBertagna

Robin McKinley’s dark YA fairy tales

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Saci Lloyd’s Carbon Diaries

In my book The Opposite of Chocolate, I got flack for teen character’s ‘feminist’ pregnancy choice. Contemporary feminist characters are rare!

@tanyabyrne

Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers

Sara Zarr’s Story of a Girl

Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta

I love the character of Sephy in Noughts & Crosses

There’s also Norah from Nick and Norah, Viola from the Chaos Walking series, and Katniss

See also this Feminism in YA Fiction post from For Books Sake and Bitch Magazine’s 100 Young Adult Books for the Feminist Reader via @dianeshipley

A time before internet

Trying to make more bookshelf space yesterday, I found an old diary. I hadn’t actually written in it very much, so it was ripe to be blogged about and chucked out. Once I started reading it, I found I probably wouldn’t even blog most of it (So! Boring!), but a couple of entries made me laugh.

From 31 May 1998: Tried to get on the Internet, but failed! For one you needed a credit card and the other took too long so we gave up.

(In case you’re interested, I go on to say that “it was officially announced that Geri has quite the Spice Girls” and that “Gazza has been dropped from the squad for the World Cup.”)

From 17 June 1998: Had another go on the Internet this evening. Not impressed so far. Can never think of anything to look for and the things we’ve found haven’t been v impressive.

Wonder what my 1998 self would say if she could see me now. It would blow her tiny mind.

Feminism Friday: Feminist YA authors

So one of (many) things I love about Twitter is how many feminists I’ve got to know. And another of the (many) things I love about Twitter is how many YA authors I’ve got to know. And possibly the best thing is how many of the YA authors are also feminists.

I’ve had some really fantastic, inspiring discussions with feminist YA authors on Twitter. And one day, when I was smiling fondly at my computer and muttering to myself about what a relief it is when other people just get it, I decided to ask the YA writing feminists to identify themselves for a blog post. And they did.

(Obviously this isn’t a comprehensive list – it’s literally authors who saw my tweet and replied.) (And if you’re a feminist YA author and would like to be on the list, let me know and I’ll add you.)

Kit Berry @Kit_Berry

Holly Bourne @Holly_BourneYA

Stephanie Burgis @StephanieBurgis

Tanya Byrne @TanyaByrne

Anna Carey @urchinette

Anne Cassidy @annecassidy6

Joyce Chng @jolantru

Cat Clarke @cat_clarke

Alison Croggon @alisoncroggon

Susie Day @mssusieday

CJ Daugherty @CJ_Daugherty

James Dawson @_jamesdawson

Katherine Farmar @sorrowlessfield

C J Harper / Candy Harper @cjharperauthor

Claire Hennessy @ClaireHennessy

Imogen Howson @imogenhowson

Victoria Lamb @victorialamb1

RF Long @RFLong

Rose Mannering @Rose_Mannering

Sarra Manning @sarramanning

Zoe Marriott @ZMarriott

Gary Meehan @garypmeehan

Dawn Metcalf @dawnmetcalf

Katy Moran @KatyjaMoran

Sally Nicholls @Sally_Nicholls

Luisa Plaja @LuisaPlaja

Sue Ransom @SCRansom

Mel Rogerson @mcrogerson

Rainbow Rowell @RainbowRowell

Ruth Warburton @RuthWarburton

Lotte Worth @LotteWorth

As yet unpublished:

Anne Booth @Bridgeanne

Joanna Delooze @josiejo127

Louise Jones @LouiseJones_x

KM Lockwood @lockwoodwrites

Lucy Marcovitch @Lucym808

Feminism Friday: Ms

A couple of weeks ago, I was signing up to a website and when I went to put in my name, I was offered just Mr and Ms as title options. It was only the second time I’d ever seen that on a website (or anywhere) and the first time it startled me. Because it made it so clear that there’s usually one option for men (Mr), but three for women (Miss/Mrs/Ms). Why is that necessary? So I tweeted about it, saying that the Mr/Ms option was refreshing.

A friend immediately responded saying she doesn’t want to be a Ms, she’s happy to be a Miss, thank you very much. Another friend replied saying she’d also been thinking about how having different titles for people based on their marital status is archaic. I pointed out that what’s even more archaic is that it’s not different titles for “people” just for women. A man is Mr whether he’s married or not.

But then my Feminist Gurus got involved and they disagreed with me. (Or, as I prefer to think of it, they agreed differently…)

Diane tweeted: “Tbh, not sure I agree with forcing peeps to be Ms. And always nice to have non-gender-specific options.”

Carrie said “Surely it’s about choice, not having that choice imposed on you. We want to have the option to change our name or not change our name, so why is title any different? I respect that you don’t want to call yourself Mrs, but some people do.”

And Diane said, “Saw a woman on here who’d got flowers from a hotel. They said ‘Ms’ and she was like ‘I’m a MRS!’”

Yes, of course, it is about choice. But why was that women so eager to point out that she’s married? Because we still put so much value on marriage for women. Much more than we do for men. As I discussed this on Twitter, I started to feel uneasy because I do it too. All the bloody time. I always feel good about checking the ‘Ms’ box, like I’m all ‘Take that, patriarchy!’ but I have to admit I do feel good when someone asks me if I’m married and I can say yes. I hate to even admit that, because I don’t feel better than anyone else because I’m married. But it makes me feel secure. So I get it, I do. But what I don’t get is how people are still so unquestioning of it. The man stays the same, remains a Mr, keeps his name, but the woman changes? Of course everyone is free to make that choice, I just want people to acknowledge that it is a choice.

It also bugs me that the title ‘Ms’ seems to come under the stereotypical feminists list, along with dungarees, armpit hair and bra-burning. People get really angry about it and when people get angry about women wanting something men take for granted that gets right on my proverbials.

A song for space (inspired by Cmdr Chris Hadfield)

On Saturday morning I showed this video to David, Harry and Joe

and then we went out for the day. David remembered the title of the video as Tears Don’t Fall (in Space) and said it sounded like a song. And then he started making up lyrics and singing. It was awful.

We went to a kids’ playground and while the kids played, David scribbled furiously on a post-it note and, every now and then, sang us a bit of the song, which made me cry with laughter. By the time we were ready to go home, he’d written the whole thing and “performed” it for us on the train platform. And now – because I’m, er, kind – I’m sharing it with you…

TEARS DON’T FALL (IN SPACE)

For Commander Chris Hadfield

WORDS & MUSIC BY D STAINTON

© Fancy Bantam Music

I’m facing my final countdown

Feeling lonely as the dials spin round and round

But I’m the commander, can’t show no emotion

Getting love-sick as we surge into motion

Left my baby back home in Alberta

Two year mission, I know it’s gonna hurt her

(Tears don’t fall) tears don’t fall in space

Saltwater spreading all over my face

(Tears don’t fall) tears don’t fall in space

Space rocks, but it’s such an empty place

No optician up here on ISS

No-one to see what’s causing my distress

No dentist now I’ve got a cavity

Can’t fill this hole in zero gravity

Satellite’s down out on the space station

Gotta fix it or there’s no communication

(Tears don’t fall) tears don’t fall in space

Saltwater spreading all over my face

(Tears don’t fall) tears don’t fall in space

Space rocks, but it’s such an empty place

They say the hardest part of the night (is the night)

But tell me how can you know when it’s never light?

(Guitar solo)

Can’t help thinking back to yesterday

Of all she did and all she’d say

Stars shine bright along the Milky Way

But just like her they’re all miles away

(Tears don’t fall) tears don’t fall in space

Saltwater spreading all over my face

(Tears don’t fall) tears don’t fall in space

Space rocks, but it’s such an empty place

(Tears don’t fall) they don’t fall in space

Space rocks but it’s such an empty place (fade)

Feminism Friday: Men and feminism

I mentioned this in my first Feminism Friday post, but I’m always so surprised when women think feminism is about man-hating and I just wanted to say a bit more about that.

Actually, I’m just going to share some links to people expressing it much better than I could, but first I do just want to say that having sons has made me more feminist because I see how society limits boys as well as girls. Yes, more of my focus is on women because – and I’m talking about society, not individual experience – things are so much worse for women and girls, but patriarchy is bad for boys too.

I love the Gloria Steinem quote ”We’ve begun to raise daughters more like sons… but few have the courage to raise our sons more like our daughters.” I want my boys to be whoever they want to be and not be limited by society’s expectations of masculinity and those expectations are formed by patriarchy.

So. I love this post by Feminist Aspie. Favourite bit (in case you’re too busy/lazy to read it all):

As for the idea that feminists want special treatment for women – as I’ve already said, that’s not how it works. Contrary to what the media would have you believe, women and men are not two alien tribes who constantly play tug-of-war to see who’s better. However, many aspects of society gives special treatment to men; how many all-male speaking panels do you see or hear about compared to all-female panels? All-male bands and all-female bands? How many films and TV shows pass the Bechedel Test, and how many would do so if the sexes were reversed? It’s gone on for so long that most people, regardless of gender, just don’t notice anymore. This is the norm. So, when any attempt at equality is made, or at least campaigned for, suddenly it’s SPECIAL TREATMENT and WHAT ABOUT THE MEN and MISANDRY and all sorts of myths about feminism.

This post by Lindy West pretty much explains everything you need to know, so I really hope you read it, but in case you don’t:

Feminism isn’t about striving for individual fairness, on a life-by-life basis—it’s about fighting against a systematic removal of opportunity that infringes on women’s basic freedoms. If a woman and a man have equal potential in a field, they should have an equal opportunity to achieve success in that field. It’s not that we want the least qualified women to be handed everything just because they’re women. It’s that we want all women to have the same opportunities as all men to fulfill (or fail to fulfill, on their own inherent merits) their potential. If a particular woman is underqualified for a particular job, fine. That isn’t sexism. But she shouldn’t have to be systematically set up, from birth, to be underqualified for all jobs (except for jobs that reinforce traditional femininity, obv).

also please at least scroll down to Part Four: A List of “Men’s Rights” Issues That Feminism Is Already Working On for an excellent list of how patriarchy directly impacts men.

Image via Men and Feminism (thanks to Susan for sending it to me)

Happy Home Ed: “I’m bored.”

There are few things the boys say that wind me up more than “I’m bored.” (And there are few things that make me feel more like a parent than how wound up I get about them saying it.) I’ve never really known how to respond before. Sometimes I go with listing the many and varied things they could be doing. Sometimes I choose the old “You don’t know how lucky you are” chestnut. Occasionally I even growl “Only boring people are bored…”

But I’ve just been reading a novel – Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple – that features the perfect response:

Bernadette and I were driving Bee and a friend, both preschoolers, to a birthday party. There was traffic. Grace said, “I’m bored.”

“Yeah,” Bee mimicked, “I’m bored.”

Bernadette pulled the car over, took off her seat belt, and turned around. “That’s right,” she told the girls. “You’re bored. And I’m going to let you in on a little secret about life. You think it’s boring now? Well, it only gets more boring. The sooner you learn it’s on you to make life interesting, the better off you’ll be.”

I love that so much. It applies to life in general, of course, and it’s great for home ed. Because we don’t do any formal education, because the boys are learning through living, sometimes they will be bored. But because they’re at home, if they choose to, they can do something about it in a way I don’t think they could if they were at school (god knows, I remember watching the classroom clock and wondering how 45 minutes could ever last sooooooo looooooong). I like that instead of learning how to tolerate being bored, they’ll be learning that it’s on them to do something about it. To make life interesting. For themselves.

“There she is in her red coat…”

That’s my nan – my dad’s mum – in the red coat and hat. Crouching down in front is my Aunty Phyl (nan’s daughter, dad’s sister). Aunty Phyl worked for Littlewoods Pools and I think this was a work outing that somehow Nan went along on.

That’s my mum, looking very glam in her red coat and hat at my cousin’s wedding. (That’s me at the front.)

I saw these photos this morning while I was looking for something else and though “Obviously, I need a red coat…” but then I remembered Nora Ephron’s mother’s advice. (I still want one though.)

Surprise Spring

We went to a home ed meet-up at a museum today. As we were setting off, Joe said, “It’s a beautiful day – we should be going to the park!” He wasn’t wrong. On the way home from the museum, we passed a park that we don’t often go to – but one that I absolutely love – and I decided we’d go there for a change.

Harry was not impressed. He was expecting delivery of a Pokemon DVD and just wanted to get home. As we walked into the park, he was all “How long do we have to staaaaaaay?” I was wearing shoes that rub me a bit and so when the boys started running down a hill, I took them off and wandered around barefoot on the grass. Harry and Joe immediately asked if they could take their shoes off too and straight away I said no, before changing my mind and telling them yes.

I notice I do this quite often and I don’t really know where it comes from. One day in the other park, Joe wanted to splash in a little river of rainwater running down the side of the road. I shouted at him and made various threats (of the “No iPad when we get home” nature) before thinking, jeez, lighten up, his clothes can go in the wash. We all ended up having a brilliant time. And taking one of my favourite photos…

And it was the same today. The boys rolled down the hill

and, eventually, so did I. But it turns out that when you’re a bit, um, heavier, you roll a lot, er, quicker and so while I enjoyed it, I’m in no hurry to repeat it. (The dizziness!)

Once they’d finished rolling (and I’d finished running down the hill), we walked around the lake, which looked lovely in the sunshine.

I think we all enjoyed it more because it was unplanned. Even Harry said, “That was fun! We should do that again!”

Cherry Season

Last Friday, I finished the first draft of what I hope will be my next book. I don’t know for sure because I’m out of contract at the moment, but fingers are crossed.

It’s the book that I wrote about here, that would have been Rebecca Hearts Paris, but now has a working title of Cherry Season after I read this in a novel called The Ingredients of Love: ‘My father loved the chanson about the “Cherry Season”, so lovely and over so soon – a life-affirming and at the same time somewhat melancholy song about lovers who find and then lose each other.’

That may be – sort of – what the book’s about, but I’ve only done the first draft so nothing’s fixed just yet. I’m taking a couple of weeks to let it ‘stew’ before getting back to it and I actually can’t wait. I don’t know why, but I absolutely loved writing this book. I’ve always enjoyed writing as I was writing, if you know what I mean, but have pretty much always had to force myself to do it. (And then I’d tweet things like “I LOVE writing! Why do I always forget?”) But this time, I didn’t have to force myself to write. Sometimes I actually had to force myself to stop. For a while there, I was writing about 2000 words a day and at the halfway point I gave myself a week off to read over what I’d written and then ignored myself and carried on writing anyway.

I don’t know what was different this time, but I suspect – and it pains me to say this since I’ve always been a pantser – I suspect it was because I did a bit of plotting. Thanks to First Draft in 30 Days – which I did half-heartedly last November instead of NaNoWriMo – I had more of an outline than I’ve ever had with any other book. So when I sat down to write, I knew what I was going to write rather than sitting down and thinking “Now what?”

The thing is, though, I didn’t have an enormous amount of plot, I just had a one page synopsis and a few notes. As I wrote and other things occurred to me, I noted them down too, so that I knew where I was going. Plotters will be reading this going, “Well, DUH!” but it was so helpful. My friend Diane loaned me a book called Billion-Dollar Kiss by Jeffrey Stepakoff that includes this quote from a TV writer, Joe Dougherty: ‘A story outline is like a map. It should be detailed enough so that you know where you’re going, but vague enough so that you can make discoveries along the way.’

That’s how it was for me with this book and it worked really really well. (I’m saying that now. When I go back and read it in a couple of weeks, I may decide it really didn’t work at all, but for now I’m happy.)

I love the new title, Cherry Season (of course, if it is published, that may not end up being the title). I’m a bit obsessed with cherry blossom (all kinds of blossom, in fact) and look forward to seeing it every year. It always signifies new beginnings to me and that’s what I hope I’ll have with this book. Plus it gives me an excuse to post one of my favourite ever photos of Joe…