How (and Why) to Write About Tough Topics in YA Fiction
As I opened my laptop to begin writing this article on tough topics in YA literature, I heard a broadcast of Vice President Kamala Harris addressing a group of healthcare professionals at a women’s clinic where, among other services, abortions are performed:
“…when we talk about a clinic such as this, it is absolutely about healthcare and reproductive healthcare. So…everyone get ready for the language…uterus. That part of the body needs a lot of medical care from time to time. Issues like fibroids—we can handle this—breast cancer screenings, contraceptive care—that is the kind of work that happens here, in addition, of course, to abortion care.”
Harris employed tricks of the comedy trade. The set-up. So, everyone get ready for the language. A pause followed by a perfectly-timed punchline: Uterus! Followed by audience laughter that felt a whole lot like relief. The Vice President of the United States of America said the world uterus and she said the word abortion…from inside a women’s health clinic. And… the world…didn’t…end. And the speech went on.
We can handle this, she said, her tone encouraging us to move past the idea that words and concepts that we all know need expressing, should be shied away from because some might be made to feel uncomfortable. Harris’ speech felt important, but it didn’t feel heavy. To the contrary, you got the sense from the audience response that her choice to use the actual words had the effect of lifting weight off the shoulders of people who’ve been too long carrying the burden of silence.
We don’t often think about leadership in this way. A powerful woman uses words in a manner that gives a bit of strength to less powerful women, so they might continue to openly use those words, and unashamedly do their jobs, and rise above those who would prefer to shove them and the tough topic they represent back into a dark alley where they will not be seen or heard.
Middle grade and young adult authors have been leading in this same way for some time. They write about the effects of racism, sexism, phobias related to sex and gender diversity. They write about addiction, rape, suicide, grief, housing and food insecurity, the impact of mental illness… Their books have often been lumped into an unofficial category, tough topics.
I’m not a huge fan of the term. It sounds like a warning for people who haven’t experienced the tough topic. Caution: This book is going to be dark and heavy. And you might read something in there that will make you feel bad. And the term sends the message to kids who have dealt with the issues—kids who might struggle to share the heavy, dark stuff—that the rest of us, namely adults who come up with book categories, also think those topics are tough, heavy, and difficult to discuss. So maybe it’s best to avoid the conversations.
In her speech, Kamala Harris did her part to turn a tough topic into…a topic.
The truth is, most books that fall under the label tough topics truly care for the reader just as much as they care for their characters. In the same way that Harris used a comedian’s timing to invite the listener into the conversation, kid lit authors use all of the tricks of the trade to invite their readers into stories without shying away from the words and the vocabulary, the concepts, and big emotions.
Check out Patrick Flores-Scott’s No Going Back here:
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With one hand, great authors of topics books, reach out to the kid reader who’s experienced the tough, while extending the other hand to the kid who hasn’t. Let’s walk and I’ll tell you story. And at the end of the walk, one kid has a feeling that they’ve been seen and heard, and that maybe the idea of talking about what they’ve been through is little less tough. And the other kid has heard a great story while obtaining a deeper understanding about an issue that they or a friend or loved one might someday experience. Or, in living the other kid’s struggle in the safe space of the story, they’re a little more prepared for the struggles that will come their way down the road.
As a writer who delves into the realm of topics, I look for guidance to great authors who’ve walked the walk:
In Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson creates a safe, familiar setting—an art class—where her protagonist can process her emotions via creativity. It’s a safe, quiet place for the reader to process too. In The Watson Go to Birmingham, Christopher Paul Curtis balances the violence endured by those struggling for Civil Rights, with humor that is so compassionate and relatable. In Long Way Down, Jason Reynolds creates a reliable structure with short, poetic chapters that complicate his protagonist’s reflexive need for revenge, while propelling the reader toward an ending that provides no easy answer, but poses an irresistible question. In her books, Firekeeper’s Daughter and Warrior Girl Unearthed, Angeline Boulley expertly exploits our familiarity with mystery and heist genres to pull us into thrilling adventures, while addressing the realities of historical and personal trauma head-on.
These authors, through the very tough work of crafting compelling stories, remind us that we can handle this, as they guide us toward conversations that needn’t be so tough.
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