Transcript Supporting Teen Street Lit Readers

SUPPORTING
TEEN
STREET LIT
READERS
Megan Honig - LibraryLinkNJ - November 10, 2011
Megan Honig
Member Editor,
Young Adult Library Services
Author, Urban Grit: A Guide to
Street Lit
Formerly at
New York Public Library
Blog: meganhonig.com/libraries
Twitter: vonmeggz
Email: [email protected]
Supporting Teen Street Lit Readers – Megan Honig
Today's Agenda
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What is street lit?
Why do teens read street
lit?
Books & reading
suggestions
Advocating for teen street
lit readers
Q&A
Revok MSk"Agenda" LosAngeles Graffiti Art
by flickr user anarchosyn
Supporting Teen Street Lit Readers – Megan Honig
Grounding Assumptions, Part 1
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-- spring in philly -- by flickr user bancroft&ivy
As librarians, we serve all members of
our communities.
Meaningful teen services are centered
on the needs of teens.
The mission of a library is to connect
library users with resources that have
meaning for them.
Libraries can and must adapt to the
changing needs of our communities.
Supporting Teen Street Lit Readers – Megan Honig
Grounding Assumptions, Part 2
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-- spring in philly -- by flickr user bancroft&ivy
Thinking through dynamics of race and
class is key to understanding the
needs of our communities.
Librarians don't have to like or agree
with all of the materials we make
available in libraries.
Members of the public don't have to
like or agree with all of the materials
we make available in libraries.
To provide effective library services,
we must work from our mission, not
our fears.
Supporting Teen Street Lit Readers – Megan Honig
What Is Street Lit?
"Gritty stories about daily life, relationships, and survival
in poor, urban neighborhoods."
Supporting Teen Street Lit Readers – Megan Honig
Contemporary Street Lit's Origins
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Literary context
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A literature of class
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Historical precursors
Rise of contemporary street lit
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Street-themed novels sell big
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Major publishers
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Coldest Winter Ever
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Flyy Girl
Independent authors
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Teri Woods
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Vickie Stringer
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Zane
Supporting Teen Street Lit Readers – Megan Honig
Author Tracy Brown signs copies of Criminal Minded. From
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Tracy-Brown.
Street Lit's Following Grows
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Authors create publishing houses
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Teri Woods Publishing
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Triple Crown Publications
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Urban Books
Mainstream publishers embrace street lit
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Random House
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St. Martin's
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Simon & Schuster
The landscape today
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Street lit = big business
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Proliferation of authors and publishers
Supporting Teen Street Lit Readers – Megan Honig
READ! by flickr user Barry Yanowitz
Defining Street Lit's Appeal
Street setting
 External action
 Fast pace
 Conversational language
 Authenticity
 Pragmatism
 Matter-of-fact treatment
of sex, drugs, and
violence
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VP and Son @ Cartel Cafe & Books
http://www.cartelcafeandbooks.com/
Supporting Teen Street Lit Readers
And TEENS Are Reading This!!??
Shock-ed by flickr user CarbonNYC
"When some cultural critics fret about the 'ever-more-appalling' YA books,
they aren’t trying to protect African-American teens forced to walk through
metal detectors on their way into school. Or Mexican-American teens
enduring the culturally schizophrenic life of being American citizens and the
children of illegal immigrants. Or Native American teens growing up on Third
World reservations. Or poor white kids trying to survive the meth-hazed
trailer parks. They aren’t trying to protect the poor from poverty. Or victims
from rapists.
No, they are simply trying to protect their privileged notions of what
literature is and should be. They are trying to protect privileged children. Or
the seemingly privileged."
--Sherman Alexie, YA and adult author, "Why the Best Kids Books Are Written
in Blood"
red hook projects by flickr user bondidwhat
"Street fictions [like] the novel True to the Game, satisfy a void that exists
for marginalized people. Such communities of people are never validated or
heard; their conversations fall through the cracks.[....]Like folklore and oral
traditions, street fictions bring the urban poor together via conversation,
gossip, and cultural talk about being in the same boat. Because street
fiction is written in the African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and hip
hop lingo (for the most part), both the everyday reader and the reluctant
reader can find entry into the narratives—thus, upon reading them, they can
apply what relates to them from the books to their worldviews and daily
lives."
--Vanessa Morris, Ed.D., Drexel iSchool Professor, "Inner City Teens DO Read"
red hook projects by flickr user bondidwhat
Why Teens Read Street Lit
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Affirms identities
Reflects lived experiences
Can engage at a safe
distance
Entertainment
Satisfaction/achievement
Connection with other
readers
Wish fulfillment
Voyeurism
Risk-Free Thrill
Supporting Teen Street Lit Readers
Valentina and Makumba by Kelly Overton, Bronx Academy of Letters
Books & Reading Suggestions
Sister Souljah
The Coldest
Winter Ever
Tracy Brown
White Lines
Teri Woods
Dutch
Antoine “Inch”
Thomas
Flower's Bed
Supporting Teen Street Lit Readers – Megan Honig
Authors to Know
Tracy
Brown
Ashley and JaQuavis
K'wan
Nikki Turner
Wahida
Clark
Supporting Teen Street Lit Readers – Megan Honig
Keeping Up with What's New
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Professional Journals
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LJ: “Word on Street Lit”
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Publishers Weekly
Street Lit Publishers
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Triple Crown Publications
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Urban Books
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Melodrama Publishing
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W. Clark Publishing
Top authors and series
Genre news sites
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Streetliterature.com
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Streetfiction.org
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The Urban Book Source
Supporting Teen Street Lit Readers – Megan Honig
Library Shelves by flickr user Jamiesrabbits
Acquisitions and Reviews
Libraries can and must adapt to the
changing needs of our communities!
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Professional prepub reviews rarely available
for street lit titles
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walk a crooked attic by flickr user jendubin
Alternative criteria
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Patron recommendations
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Author or publisher's previous titles
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Fan review sites
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RAWSISTAZ reviewers
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APOOO Book Club
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Goodreads
Supporting Teen Street Lit Readers – Megan Honig
Street Lit in My Library?
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Shelving in public libraries
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Adult or teen?
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Interfiled or separate?
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What about theft?
Suburban and rural libraries
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Audiences
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School libraries
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High school vs. middle
school
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Strenuous by flickr user Seabamirum
Creating pilot collections
Strategies for supporting
teen street lit readers
Supporting Teen Street Lit Readers – Megan Honig
Readers Advisory: First Steps
What should
teen street lit fans
read next?
More
street lit!
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Respecting street lit
readers
The readers advisory
conversation
Beyond street lit
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Realistic teen
fiction
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“Street lit lite”
A world of
possibilities...
Supporting Teen Street Lit Readers – Megan Honig
Readers Advisory:
Making Connections
Realistic Teen Fiction
e.g. Tyrell
Biography
& Memoir
“Street Lit Lite”
e.g. Drama
High
Overcoming
adversity
African
American
characters
Authenticity
Poor & working
class communities
Horror
Concrete,
external`
action
Wish
fulfillment
“Rich girl” books
e.g. Gossip Girl
Drama
Popular
Fast pace culture
Sex &
sexuality
Brand names
& fashion
Romance
Adult
romance
Action, e.g.
Hunger Games
Superhero
comics
Paranormal
romance
Advocating for Teen Street Lit Readers
Changing hearts and
minds (including our
own)
 Work from your
mission, not your
fears
 Next steps
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Fear - Graffiti by flickr user Jimee, Jackie, Tom, & Asha
Supporting Teen Street Lit Readers – Megan Honig
Final Thoughts
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Trust street lit readers
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Be proactive
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Remember the mission
Supporting Teen Street Lit Readers – Megan Honig
cobblestone crisp by flickr user calm a llama down