professional

Young Adult Literature: From Romance to Realism | Michael Cart

Something I felt very strongly about when reading this chapter was the balance of work and literature. Cart mentions how no one is reading for fun anymore and how we regard reading as a “task“ that no one is doing as deeply as we should, often blaming the Internet. I blame modern work culture for this, bringing the economy directly into our literary lives. Everything is so focused around WORK now, and a shift away would help bring reading back.

jkmac9717 CONT.: If modern American work culture wasn‘t so focused on efficiency and making money, we would have more time to read for our interests rather than school, bringing meaning and relevancy and authenticity back to YAL. If we emphasize consuming art for art's sake, for the joy of it, rather than as secondary to being “productive“ and constantly “doing more“ than simply enjoying a book, then maybe literacy and YAL would be enhanced further. 3d

katiegregory The word count limit is so real, I appreciate the extra effort to get your point across 🫡 3d

2 comments

Makyah

Young Adult Literature: From Romance to Realism | Michael Cart

In chapter one I really liked how Cart highlights the parallels in early YAL book with its society. He mentions the hegemonic traits that get reinforced through fictional books and even in seventeen magazines which were targeted for young girls. I found this intriguing because these early forms of YAL were influential. Youth (whether they realized it or not) were learning how to operate in their society through the usage of YAL.

jessicaking

Young Adult Literature: From Romance to Realism | Michael Cart

I've never given much thought to what YA literature was in the past, but Cart's chapter on the supposed 'invention' of YAL is as insightful as it is (slightly) unnerving. The basis of YAL seems to be manipulation: teenagers were gifted media that excited them while also exploiting their interests. From Cart's explanation, it seems that the first YAL books were created not in the interest of writing or art, but in the interest of profit.

natalie_e I did, as well, realize that the origins of YAL seemed less-wholesome than I had previously thought! I think it's interesting to think about how this past has informed what YAL media/books look like today 5d

Makyah That is a good way to put it! Since learning about the origins of YAL and comparing it to what it is now we‘ve come so far! 5d

katiegregory It did startle me how influential marketing was to developing the YA genre. I studied marketing for awhile, so I remember learning about how marketing often drives the undercurrent of trends and values in society. And yet, I didn't expect for it to impact literature so much. I guess I associate literature with academia and naively hope literature would retain credibility against greedy business ventures. In this case, the two semi-work together. 3d

3 comments

Makaylaholton

Young Adult Literature: From Romance to Realism | Michael Cart

I found it interesting how Cart describes each “phase“ of life in young men and women, and how each group aims to find reflection in what they read. Many approaches were taken to escalate these groups' reading experiences, from educational reforms and psychological theories to publishing strategies and cultural shifts. Young adulthood was shaped by more than just research (also society, history, etc.), which was really interesting.

jessicaking Absolutely. While certainly a result of societal expectations of the time, YAL was born from the desire to see our own lives reflected in media. The universal experiences that we share with characters only make the literature more real. YAL was definitely needed in order to keep young people engaged in literature, and its evolution to what we know today as YAL is fascinating. 6d

JoshuaKincaid I've talked about it before, but we all want to be seen! We all want to be heard! In literature, this is still true, and when we read a book about a similar situation or character, we lock in so much more. I think the trouble in defining exactly what YAL is the line between reality versus perceived reality from adolescents. 6d

2 comments

jkmac9717

Young Adult Literature: From Romance to Realism | Michael Cart

“'For years I have been yearning for a magazine entirely dedicated to me' (Palladino 1996, 91–92)“ (Cart 9).

Cart presents an enlightening history of YA lit, but something that stood out to me was the focus on audience, especially when defining a new genre with changing styles and ideas about life. It's important to know what THEY want or need to read so they can feel seen and understood, and this knowledge can help shape our classrooms too.