Story Never Dies

Every once in awhile, I see people arguing about ebooks versus print books.

Before I started reading ebooks, I was definitely on the print side of this argument. But now, well...frankly...

I don't think there is an argument.

See, the thing is, it's not really the format that's important. It's the story.

People will never not love story. They've loved it since cave man days--what do you think all those cave paintings are? Part of a story.

If you think about it, every single form of entertainment that we enjoy is part of a story. Movies, obviously, but music as well. Sometimes--such as with most country songs--it's easy to see the story. But even music without a singer tells a story.


This is Für Elise" by Beethoven, one of my favorite songs.And it tells a story. It actually has great story structure. Listen to the way it opens--it comes back to those sounds at the beginning in the final notes. This is known as a "fugue," but in the book world, it's a "theme."

All the good art is a story. There is art that is highly symbolic, such as Pre-Raphaelite art or the work of Alphonse Mucha.

But even work that's not purposefully telling a story--does. For example, probably my least favorite work of art is the Dada "Fountain" toilet by Duchamps:

It's a toilet.

But it still has a story.

Seriously. If you can look at this and think, "WTF?", then you've already fallen into the story.

All art has story. All art has story. To me, this is the definition of what art is: an object with story. And we are surrounded, all the time, by art. By story. Even something as simple as the clothes we wear has a story. I'm a huge fan of Project Runway; in the current season, my favorite designer is NCSU alum Justin Leblanc. Justin is deaf, and his most recent project tells a story--of how he got a cochlear implant and heard sound for the first time. [You can see the complete collection shown here.]

In the runway show, the first dress was solid white--his life without sound.

The next dress was dark, with splatters on the bottom, and sound waves graphically printed on the top. His life when he first heard sound, and was overwhelmed by the chaotic nature of it.

Art surrounds us--story surrounds us. And story inspires story. There is story in every tattoo...

...and there is story in this poem by Ted Kooser, "Tattoo," inspired by a time he saw an old man with a tattoo.

What once was meant to be a statement—
a dripping dagger held in the fist
of a shuddering heart—is now just a bruise
on a bony old shoulder, the spot
where vanity once punched him hard
and the ache lingered on. He looks like
someone you had to reckon with,
strong as a stallion, fast and ornery,
but on this chilly morning, as he walks
between the tables at a yard sale
with the sleeves of his tight black T-shirt
rolled up to show us who he was,
he is only another old man, picking up
broken tools and putting them back,
his heart gone soft and blue with stories.

from Delights & Shadows, Copper Canyon Press, Port Townsend, WA 2004

(PS: Check out these hyper-realistic tattoos! I like the cyborg ones.)

All of it is story; all of it is art. When we think of something as being "good art" or "bad art," what we're really arguing about is whether or not the story the art told strikes a cord with us. I don't like "Fountain" not because it's not art, but because the story it tells doesn't resonate with me.

This is why it doesn't matter to me if a book is print or ebook. It's the story that matters, not the medium.

This Saturday--4 Author Event in Columbia, SC

Join me this Saturday for a fun-filled event with four awesome YA authors!

DETAILS:

Who: Me, Jessica Khoury, Rachel Hawkins, and Megan Miranda
Where: Books-A-Million, 164 Forum Dr., Columbia SC. Directions here.
When: This Saturday from 1:00-3:00pm
What: A fun panel where we will talk, goof-off, and probably say inappropriate things before we sign your books.

Come! It'll be fun!!

GRAVITY Movie Review (Spoiler Free)

I don't usually post movie reviews, but I also don't usually see a movie as wonderful as Gravity.

This film had been on my radar for awhile, but I'll admit that I had my doubts. When the movie trailer first came out, I wondered two key things:

1. Can Sandra Bullock and George Clooney carry a movie alone? I know they're both talented, but an hour and a half with just two people? 
2. What's the plot? Is there a plot? Is it JUST Sandra lost in space?

The answers are simple.

Can Sandra Bullock and George Clooney carry a movie on their own? YES. And brilliantly so. And, to be fair, most of the movie is Sandra alone, and it is amazing.

Can a movie about Sandra lost in space have a plot? YES. I think the trailer does one big disservice--it makes it look as if the entire movie is Sandra drifting. And, while the space photography would be lovely in such a case, that would actually lead for a boring story.

Instead, the plot is more about how Sandra has to figure out a way to survive. After a field of debris strikes the shuttle Sandra, George, and a crew of astronauts were on, the survivor(s) must find a way back to Earth. Using space stations currently in orbit and whatever supplies they can scavenge, they must attempt to survive in a place that is not capable of supporting human life.

In short, it's a survival story in space.

And it is mind-blowingly gorgous.

First, you have all the shots of Earth and space from space--and while the movie could have just been done with a backdrop of space, I have to say that director Alfonso Cuarón actually turned the setting into a character, one of the best things a movie (or book) can do. 

The title of the movie is apt--it takes place almost entirely in space, and you see all the glorious weightless shots you'd expect--things floating away, drifting, astronauts soaring. But there are a few moments when it's just breathtakingly well done. My friend Megan Shepherd recommended we see the movie in 3D, although I was doubtful--I rarely think 3D is worth it. It is for this movie. It so is. There's a scene where a single tear floats out of the screen, and it looks real. And rather than 3D being an afterthought, the 3D features of this movie, with only a few rare exceptions, enhance it in such a way that I cannot think of a better 3D movie in existence.

You don't just have space in the background. In one of the opening shots, you have a view of Earth and space, and then, slowly, the camera pans to a tiny speck. The speck grows larger and larger and eventually you see that the speck was actually the shuttle the astronauts are working from. Sure, you know space is big. But you also know the shuttle is big, so seeing it in perspective suddenly puts you in perspective.

Perspective is also the strength of Sandra Bullock's acting in this movie. She plays the character of Ryan, a woman on her first mission in space. She's not there for the love of it--she's there to work on the Hubble telescope and go home. Her fear is real and visceral even before the debris field strikes, and after--her fear becomes our fear. 

She is a the perfect "every man." And even moreso, she shows us her character rather than tells us. There is a tiny amount of backstory to her life--just a hint of what she's like back on Earth--but the vast majority of the movie isn't so much about who she is in normal conditions--it's about who she is right here, right now. 

I don't to spoil anything for you. So rather than give away the plot, I thought I'd just say this: this movie literally had my heart racing, tears burning my eyes, my breath caught in my throat--and I could not look away. 

Too long; didn't read version:

PS: I'm calling it now. ALL THE OSCARS. ALL OF THEM.

YA Scavenger Hunt

Welcome to YA Scavenger Hunt! This tri-annual event was first organized by author Colleen Houck as a way to give readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material from their favorite authors...and a chance to win some awesome prizes! At this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize--one lucky winner will receive one signed book from each author on the hunt in my team! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 72 hours!

Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are THREE contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the BLUE TEAM--but there is also a red team and a gold team for a chance to win a whole different set of signed books!


If you'd like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt homepage.

SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE

Directions: Below, you'll notice that I've listed my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the blue team, and then add them up (don't worry, you can use a calculator!). 

Entry Form: Once you've added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.

Rules: Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian's permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by October 6, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

SCAVENGER HUNT POST

Today, I am hosting Kimberly Derting on my website for the YA Scavenger Hunt! Kimberly Derting is the author of the BODY FINDER series, THE PLEDGE trilogy, and THE TAKING (coming Summer 2014). She lives in the Seattle area, with her husband and three children, who often find the outrageous things they say either in the pages of her books or posted on Twitter or Facebook for the entire world to see.

Find out more information by checking out Kim's author website or find more about the author's book here! 

EXCLUSIVE CONTENT

ABOUT THE OFFERING:
To save her country, Charlie must sacrifice...but how much? Love and war are at stake in the riveting conclusion to the Pledge trilogy.

The Hunt is over, so Kim's exclusive content is now hidden. However, go to her website--you'll be able to see a sneak peek of The Offering there!

CONTINUE THE HUNT

To keep going on your quest for the hunt, you need to check out the next author! 

Tweet #YASH

Chicago YA Literature Conference

I'm so pleased that I'll be attending the 10th Annual YA Lit Conference sponsored through Anderson's Bookshop! This fabulous event will have tons of amazing authors and fun activities. You can find out more about the programming here, and I hope to see you there!

Well, That's Okay: Banned Books Week, Sex, and Violence

This is not a story I ever intended to tell. 

It's Banned Books Week, and I have yet to really receive the honor of having a book banned--at least to my knowledge. And there are some amazing articles on book banning that I really think everyone should read--among them are:

Gayle Forman, "What You Can't Ban"

A Chat with Rainbow Rowell on Love & Censorship

Background on Recent Bannings of Rainbow Rowell & Meg Medina

As you can see, people far more qualified and smart and with much more valid experience have written better articles on the topic of Banned Books. And, frankly, I didn't really think that I had anything to add to the conversation.

But then Malinda Lo tweeted this article from the School Library Journal on "self-censorship." This is when someone (a library, a teacher--a gatekeeper to literature) doesn't necessarily ban a book, they just make the choice to not carry a book and make it available to students. And on the one hand, this is fine--gatekeepers are not the enemy, and it is their job to find material that is good for their charges.

But a scene from the article jumped out at me:

Soon Lyga started hearing stories about librarians who loved the book but refused to recommend or buy it, just in case someone complained. There was even an email from a high school media specialist in Maryland who was so nuts about Boy Toy that she read it three times—but ultimately decided not to include it in her collection.

“It’s sort of a soft, quiet, very insidious censorship, where nobody is raising a stink, nobody is complaining, nobody is burning books,” says Lyga about the plight of Boy Toy. “They’re just quietly making sure it doesn’t get out there.”

The book wasn't judged on its merit. It wasn't judged on whether or not the students needed it, or would even like it. It was judged on fear.

And when I read about that, I realized I do actually have a story that I can contribute during Banned Books Week.

I want to preface this by a few important things. First: I heard this second-hand, from an author-friend, so, as with all stories heard second-hand, please take this with a grain of salt. I trust my friend, and the validity of what she says, but I wasn't a direct witness.

Second: I love teachers and librarians. This story is not to speak negatively of either profession, nor of any specific individual. I'm speaking more about an attitude of our society.

And so, for the story:

An author-friend of mine was at a national teacher-librarian conference. This was not very long before my first novel, Across the Universe, came out, and Advanced Copies were at a table for the conference attendees to take and review for their libraries and classrooms.

My friend happened to be near the table when an attendee picked up a copy of my book. She jumped in and recommended the book to the attendee.

Friend: I think your students will like that book!
Attendee: I have to be careful which books I select for my school. Is it appropriate for high school?
Friend: I think so--it's recommended for ages fourteen up. But the story is about a murder mystery on a spaceship, so there is some violence, if that concerns you.
Attendee: Oh no, violence is fine. Is there sex?
Friend (starting to feel awkward): There's a scene in the book that does get a bit graphic, sexually. But it's relevant to the plot, and it's not gratuitous, and--
Attendee: *puts the book down on the table* No. We can't have any sex in the books for the school.
Friend: But it's a relevant issue. The girl in the scene is nearly raped and--
Attendee: Oh? It's not consensual sex? Well, that's okay. 

And she picked the book back up.

If we break down what this attendee was saying, she meant that in a school library:

• violence--including graphic murder--is fine for her students to read about
• rape and attempted rape/sexual violence is fine for her students to read about
• consensual sexual relationships are not

And, sadly, this is often typical. Most books are banned not for violence (either physical, mental, sexual, or other), but because of consensual sex, healthy or not. The Hunger Games is literally about children being forced to kill other children, yet a picture book about two male penguins raising a baby penguin is banned more often. 

And then you have the books that aren't banned--such as Barry Lyga's book Boy Toy mentioned in the SLJ article--but are quietly taken out of the reach of readers. 

In Gayle Forman's post about censorship, she says:

I think parents think if they can ban ugliness in books, they can ban it in life, specifically in the life of their children. In a twisted way, it’s a noble impulse. But it’s completely misguided. And it also doesn’t work.

And this is true of other things as well. We want to keep our children innocent--it's the natural instinct of parents, of people. Keep them safe, keep them innocent.

But if we demonize sex--it's only something bad people do, it's only violent, it's only cruel--we don't teach our children about healthy, consensual, adult relationships. Education is vitally important, but sex is such a taboo topic in our society today that many teenagers do not have a healthy understanding of what sex is. I'm fairly sure any teacher in high school today can back me up on this. For me, I am haunted by the student who told me how she tried to use hot sauce as a contraceptive. I will never forget the look on the face of the student who tearfully told me she wouldn't report her rapist because her parents would then know she wasn't pure any more.

We live in a world where many states teach abstinence sexual education that leads teenagers to find information on sex from the media--the Internet, movies, television--and books. And yet, "In the first survey of its kind, School Library Journal (SLJ) recently asked 655 media specialists about their collections and found that 70 percent of librarians say they won’t buy certain controversial titles simply because they’re terrified of how parents will respond" (source).

We live in a world where Robin Thicke sings a gross song that says rape is nothing more than "Blurred Lines."

We live in a world where 16% of women have experienced an attempted or completed rape. Where there are 89,000 annually reported rapes in America. (source)

We live in a world where a professional educator wouldn't stock a book that has non-graphic, non-gratuitous consensual sex, but would accept one with rape.

Books about rape need to exist. But so do books about healthy, consensual sexual relationships.

Not stocking a book isn't as clearcut as open censorship. Making a judgment of a book's content is the job of educators and parents. And we all have morals we believe in, ones we make judgement calls based on.

I ask only this: when you think about what books you want to make available to teenagers--to anyone--remember that there is a difference between the books you want them to read and the books they need to read, just as there is a difference between the person you want them to be and the person they want to be.

Rocket Girl: My View of the Launch of the Antares Rocket

So last week, I saw a rocket launch into space.

This is not something that I expected ever to be able to say. But the good people at NASA have started an amazing program called NASA Social. They basically take people from social media and invite them to be impromptu reporters of the cool stuff NASA does--like launches. If you want in on this, they're doing several more launch with NASA Social, and you can still apply!

So just what did I do with NASA? Well, this:

I became an astronaut!

...

...

Okay, just kidding. But I did get to go to Wallops for the express purpose of seeing a rocket launch, which is almost as cool. And as an official NASA guest, no less!

And lest you doubt that I got to see the goods...

Um, here's a less embarrassing picture:

Another highlight? I got to finally meet long-time author-friend Jodi Meadows! You can read all about her experience of the trip here. It is more factual and includes less pictures of me geeking out.

Me and Jodi and my rocket. I called dibs.

The Antares rocket is carrying something called a Cygnus module--which is basically a giant storage container full of things for the astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS). What's on board? Chocolate.

Seriously. Chocolate. Astronauts needs chocolate. (And also other food, clothes, science experiments, and more. But chocolate!)

Here's a life-size model of the container that was being sent into space, so you can see how big it is. Although, actually, it was rather small compared to the actual rocket!

The back-end of the module--to the right and left you
can see the solar panels that provide it with power.

The front of the module--this is the side that connects securely to the ISS.

Me in front of it, to show you the size.

Close-up of the solar panels.

The day before the launch, we had an awesome time touring the Wallops Flight Facility. Wallops is doing a lot of interesting and new things with space--I found the balloons, which can reach low orbit, to be particularly fascinating (that's how Across the Universe entered space after all!).

This sample from the moon may or may not be (but definitely is)
research for my soon-to-be-announced new trilogy.

One of the coolest things for me to see, though, was how the rockets are actually made.

On site at Wallops is the Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF), which is a fancy way of saying "The Place Where They Make the Rockets."

They're working on Orbit 1 here. 

You can see why it's called Horizontal--basically, they lay the rocket out, make it, and then when it's ready, stand it up properly outside the building.

When it comes to rocket engines, size matters.

Here I am in front of one of two engines used for Orbit 1--the same type of engine that was in Antares. All the tubes--including the tiny tubes in the bottom cone that look like ridges--are for moving around the kerosene that fuels the ship. Rocket kerosene, because that is a thing that exists. This trip was awesome, yo.

Here's a closeup of two of the three stages of the rocket. The Orbit 1, like Antares, has three stages. The long tube on the bottom holds the giant engines and lots and lots and lots of rocket kerosene. Then it breaks off when it the rocket breaks atmosphere, and solar panels open up and steers the Cygnus into orbit before it, too, drops away after the module connects with the ISS.

In the picture above, you can see stage 1--the long tube with rocket fuel--in the upper right corner. You're looking at it from the top--that red button is used to help with fluctuations as the rocket moves. The big round thing on the bottom of the picture shoes a white line around the inside, and red lines holding it up--this is the explosive that will detach stage 1 from the rocket.

Of course you know that I took detailed pictures of what makes stuff blow up.

After we saw the way the rockets work, we got to attend a pre-launch press conference and briefing about the rocket. This was really cool--we were there with the "real" media, and got to see the way NASA TV works.

Official NASA press conference.

One of the cool things about this whole trip was learning more about the space program. Funding came up quite a bit during the press-conference, and with good reason: this was the culmination of years of work (and millions invested) with a commercial partner. The Antares launched with NASA and Orbital Sciences, a private company, working together.

My knee-jerk reaction to this was negative, I'll be honest. I'm the girl who wrote about the FRX, remember? One of the big points of the Across the Universe trilogy was how when government turns to business, things get corrupt.

But.

That's fiction, and the reality is, this was a partnership that makes a lot of sense. NASA works with two private commercial partners right now--Orbital and Space X--and they're using these private enterprises to do the low-orbit work, such as sending cargo to the space station--that enables them to focus their attention on other, bigger issues--deep space exploration.

Jodi taking notes at the briefing. I was the Ron Weasley to her Hermione.

And the running theme throughout it all was simply this: inspiration. During the briefing and the press conference, both NASA and Orbital made a point to mention the number of student projects going up with the cargo. They mentioned the Social program that enabled me to see the launch, and how they hoped that by spreading the word about the cool things like rocket launches, we'll inspire others to explore science and learn more.

After all, the NASA Vision is "to improve life here, to extend life to there, to find life beyond." It all added up to a very inspiring message of seeking beyond the boundaries of our own planet.

And guys? I want you to know, I was asking the important questions at the press conference and briefing. Now, I was too excited to actually get this exchange on tape, but here's how I remember it happening:

Me: You're planning on doing several of these low-orbit launches in the near future, you're working with commercial partners, you're planning on continuing this plan, and I wanted to know what you see the future of NASA and commercial ventures may be?

Official Science Person: We're planning on doing two more launches like Antares before the end of the year...

Me: No, what I mean is, do you think civilians are going to make it into space? Maybe like a lunar colony? Or day trips in orbit? *whispers* What I'm really asking is can I get to space?

Official Science Person: Oh, definitely. That is the future of the space program.

I take this to be an official and absolute promise that I get to go to space. I'll send postcards, don't worry.

But I know what you guys actually came here to see. The same thing I came to see. ROCKET LAUNCH!!!

Wait, let me back up. We were about two miles away from the launch site. Here's what it looks like from the NASA seats:

Most of the social media people camped out on the bleachers.

The "real" media lined up in the field with the highest of high-tech cameras.

It was amazing.

I don't know how to put it into words, but if I had to pick just one, I'd pick awe-inspiring. And I mean that very literally. I was inspired to feel awe. Much of what NASA was speaking about throughout the two days was all about how they hoped that this would inspire others, and, well, it did.

I can't tell you what it felt like to stand in those bleachers and hear "T-minus five...four...three..." To see the fires start up and, moments later, hear the low rumble of the blast. To see the rocket lift higher, higher, higher. To lose sight of it in the sun.



Above is my take--please excuse my screaming and chanting of "ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh"--it was exciting!

Here's the official NASA video of the event--far better than my version, but lacking in ecstatic whoops:



Awe-inspiring, yeah? It took just a little over five minutes for the rocket to reach orbit, and it'll spin around the globe for a bit before connecting to a station in space occupied with real people who are currently living there. We are in the future, guys, and it is awesome. 

And me? I'm just going to go ahead and start packing for my cruise to the moon.

With my new bestie, of course.

Ask NASA!

As you know, next week I'll be a guest of the NASA Wallops Space Facility in time to see the launch of an Antares Rocket bringing supplies up to the International Space Station.

As part of the program, I get to attend two question and answer sessions with NASA experts--one specifically on the mission, one that's more general.

If you could ask any question of NASA, what would it be? I'll be recording everything, so if you have a question you want answered, I'd be happy to ask for you and bring back what I learn here!

I'm Going to See a NASA LAUNCH!!! Also: ponies.

I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am about this one: I'm going to see a NASA launch!

Next week I'll be a guest at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, in time to see an Antares rocket blast off to the International Space Station!

Date: September 17, 11:16 a.m. EDT
Mission: Orbital Sciences Demonstration Flight
Launch Vehicle: Antares
Launch Site: Wallops Flight Facility, Va.
Launch Pad: Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad 0A
Description: Orbital Sciences will launch a demonstration mission to the International Space Station, testing out the Cygnus cargo vehicle as part of NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program.

I AM SO EXCITE I CANNOT EVEN ALL THE FEELS I AM VIBRATING WITH HAPPY

The NASA Wallops Flight Facility was recently in the news for the successful launch of the LADEE rocket to the moon. LADEE is testing the atmosphere and dust on the moon, for no other reason (in my head) than to start work on a lunar colony which zomg cool (note: it's not about a lunar colony, this is just my own wishful thinking...or IS IT? ...it is. BUT STILL).

Here's how the LADEE launch went last week:



And next week I get to see a launch again! AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don't worry---I'll be taking LOTS of pictures and videos and all sorts of things. That's actually the reason I get to go--NASA took application for people to come and record the launch, sharing it with their social media contacts (with a special shout-out to Megan Shepherd, who told me about the program)!

And I'll be with author friend Jodi Meadows, which is gonna be extra fun! AND we're going to be on an island WITH PONIES. Wallops Island is super close to Chincoteague Island, where the beaches are home to a native breed of wild ponies.

That's right people. ROCKETS AND PONIES.

ROCKETS.

AND.

PONIES.

I See You: Representation Matters

I've had a few emails and tumblr messages from redheads lately that have surprised me a little.

It surprised me because I tend to see redheads a lot in books--although I might be biased because of my Weasley boy love. And it surprised me because it never occurred to me that making Amy a redhead was significant. I didn't intend to write a redhead so much as I was trying to write someone who was the opposite of Elder.

The very first fan letter I got was an extraordinarily personal letter from a young girl from Greece. While I don't want to be too specific and violate her privacy, a large part of the letter was devoted to the girl telling me about her sister, who had red hair in a culture where that was very rare, who was always told by her peers that her hair was ugly. And then she read about Amy, and Elder who loved her, and Elder who loved, specifically, her hair. And for one of the first times in her life, she didn't see ugly in the mirror.

Just thinking about the letter brings tears to my eyes--I never in a million years thought that something as minor (to me) as making a character's hair red or not would be so important to someone else.

But I've been thinking a lot lately about representation. I confess this isn't something that I thought of when writing the Across the Universe series, although there were other issues in terms of race and prejudice that I attempted to show through the work instead.

By M. Steffens, Brazilian Designer & Illustrator

But it's something I'm thinking about now. Perhaps inspired by a quote I saw on tumblr about a month ago, one that has really stuck with me:

“Well, when I was nine years old, Star Trek came on, I looked at it and I went screaming through the house, ‘Come here, mum, everybody, come quick, come quick, there’s a black lady on television and she ain’t no maid!’ I knew right then and there I could be anything I wanted to be.”  — Whoopi Goldberg

Growing up--a white, middle-class girl--this never really occurred to me, that there were people who didn't see themselves on television. I was blissful in my ignorance.

But I'm also very grateful that I'm not as ignorant as I once was. Maybe it's been the years of seeing movies that don't pass the Bechdel Test, or maybe it's just because I've grown up some. Maybe it's because on every single Breathless Reads book tour I've been on, at least one man has asked us why we write books for girls and not boys, why won't anyone think of the underrepresented boys, and asking the person who asks this to just look outside isn't considered answer enough. I know part of the reason why I'm more aware of the world around me, its diversity and its prejudice, is because of my friends, the ones I've made in the past few years, the ones who are more different from me, who helped me see the world through their eyes, or at least see the world with them in it. 

I don't claim to have eradicated all my ignorance, but I'm glad I'm more aware of the world around me, more aware of what I can do to help make it a better place--because you can't really do good without seeing the bad that exists. 

Calvin and Hobbes

Words are powerful things. They can start--or end--wars. People believe in words. They are the fundamental expression of ourselves, the division between human and not, the means by which we learn. And while people use words to teach, to express art, to proclaim truths, at the most basic level, people use words to simply say:

I am here. 

Take, for example, graffiti. The history of graffiti is fascinating, and some of the oldest examples of graffiti is the simple, common phrase: I was here. Don't believe me? There are six known, recorded examples of "_______ was here" in graffiti in Pompeii. Satura, Floronius, Daphnus, Staphylus, Aufidius, and Gaius Pumidius Dipilus all carved into stone that they were there, in Pompeii, and their statement is still visible, more than two-thousand years later. There's a sort of immortality in their proclamation. 

Graffiti from Pompeii

And this basic, fundamental need to exist--and be recognized for existing--is a simple, simple thing. It's the reason why someone smiling at you on the street can make your day, the first step to falling in love, our desperate desire for tombstones and graveyards. We all want to make our mark on the world. We all want to be recognized for existing. 

That is why representation matters. 

Zen Pencils recently had a comic based on a Marc Maron quote that illustrates this idea of our desperate need for simple acknowledgement of our existence. In it, he likens the idea of having people acknowledge our existence to the relief a druggie gets after a hit. It's a powerful, disturbing image. 

And, in a very real way, it's also true. 

Zen Pencils

But keep in mind: actions speak louder than words. And that is why representation matters so very much in books--in all forms of media, actually. This is about more than diversity--it's about humanity. It's about honesty. The world is not the narrow, limited view the media commonly expresses. There is so much more beyond what you can see from your doorstep. To paraphrase Inception: You mustn't be afraid to see a little further, darling. 

See a community that's not all white. See a love that's not all normative. See a book setting that's not all American. See a family that's not all middle class or rich. See a world that's not all yours.

I believe in the goodness of humanity, and I believe we're on the cusp of change. But I also know that, sadly, articles like this one by author Cindy Pon are still necessary. Websites like Diversity in YA are still necessary. Publishers like Tu Books are still necessary. Books like those of Cindy Pon, Malinda Lo, David Levithan, Kwame Alexander, Phoebe North, the Diverse Energies anthology, the upcoming works of Christy Farley and Alexandra Duncan--these are necessary and important.

Representation is important. At its most basic level it says: I see you. And in this world of bright lights and hollow dreams, of statistics and caricatures that turn people invisible, that is important.

I see you.