Of Ballads and Blogs

Why I'm no longer afraid of Young Adult fiction

I used to be afraid of Young Adult fiction.

It's a strange confession, I realize, but it's true.

YA fiction has quickly exploded across the literary scene like some kind of supernova made of easy words and entertainment. To me, this was horrifying. I saw YA as some kind of "low" form of literature - which is to say, not literature at all. It focused on entertainment more than message; meat more than nutrition; mind candy - all sugar no substance. Then the self-pub revolution inflated my fear swelled into phobia. I had a vision of a dystopian future where people only read "trashy" paperbacks and forever left behind the enlightening and challenging texts of the past. I saw "Idiocracy" for literature.

However, upon further meditation, I'm no longer afraid. As usual, this irrational fear based on category - catergoryism, if you will - faded with education. I've learned a lot here at University. I've learned that Young Adult can be done well. Ender's Game by Francis Scott Card, Feed by M. T. Anderson, The Giver by Lois Lowry and almost anything by Asimov are great examples of books written for wide, and often younger audiences, that still carried very deep and important messages. Young Adult doesn't have to be fluffy.

As for my fear of Young Adult taking over every other type of fiction, that was quickly laid to rest just three classes into my Survey of English Literature and American Women Writers classes. I learned about a multitude of this "low" literature through the ages. In the late 18th to early 19th centuries, there were ballads - sensational, passionate, entertaining, action focused everyday entertainment. Sound familiar? Then there were the light "drawing room" dramas of the 19th century - think Austen. She sounds difficult, but I can think of no better origin to name for your basic rom-com formula. Then there was the "low" modernism of the early 20th century. After that was pulp fiction - cheap fiction printed on cheap paper for the young masses. Finally we come to the YA self-pubbers to round up our little history lesson. This sort of fiction has been around for centuries - YA is just the latest incarnation. It's nothing new and has yet to have any major effect on literature as a whole.

So what do I want with this knowledge? I'm not afraid of Young Adult fiction anymore, but it's more than that. I now feel optimistic about YA. I want to read more YA to understand the genre more. It is the popular and dominant genre of my age so it's important to know what I'm even looking at. Additionally, I want to contribute to the genre. I want to be able to improve what seems to be a driving force in society.

Finally: I'm just not afraid anymore. Each genre has its place and purpose. So it has been, so it will be.

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