By Holly Koeli Thinking Outside the Canon A librarian offers a fresh perspective on introducing great literature to teens rs ptay Wor Association. I say, “CLas seat, maybe cross your arms or a leg, and respond with, “Old” iT hen, “dry.” “musty,” and “irrelevant.” And you're just come, “school,” and “required,” and “torture” While yo you may be remembering your juniorand high schools years and the “clasies” you were required to interpret in accor- dance with the educational dogma of the My own junior and high school years included works that I was pressed to read in a far shorter time than 1 could master, and interpret without the necessary aca- demic skills, developmental inclination, or general hu man exposure and understanding, Oh, | muddled my way through the process just like everyone else-well, except the Sth grade honor students who were actually excited by the societal iniquities in Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. | did make some positive connections in my secondary school years with classie literature, but on the whole I was left thinking that not only was I mostly abused by it all, [ was also wrongly mentored and totaly ripped off in my young reading life and introduction to the “classics.” Unfortunately, that fecling continued into my college years, until it dawned on me that ifit took a literary key and ‘a professor's daily proclamations by line and chapter to un- derstand Thomas Pynchon's The Crying of Lot 49, it not be worth my time. I gave up on the idea that these were, indeed, great works, and that it was my deficieney when I missed something to be found in them, I gave up on read- ing anything that appeared to requite academic interven tion for comprehension. I decided that it was okay not to understand, or if I did understand, not to agree with the standard interpretation of any work, classic or otherwise I determined that what I read would be fun, fascinating, expansive intriguing, sexy, weird, wild and creepy, and full of love, action, and power. Thus, no “classi I read regency romances, poetry, guides to meditation, cookbooks, everything ever written by Edward Abbey, hard boiled mysteries, woodworking manuals, political thrillers, art history, the instructional stories of the Sufis-anything and everything I could lay my hands on as long as it wasn't listed as part of the Western Canon or on a curricular list in secondary schools and colleges. And it was pure 346 Sohool Library Journal DrCENIBER 2005 YOU PULL. BACK IN YOUR firing off associations, pleasure, a great decision for me as a reader. Until, ironically, during my years as a bookseller at Cody's Books in that Berkeley, California bastion of anti-establishment thinking, | re- alized 1 just might have thrown the literary baby out with the bathwater ‘The passion many of my coworkers felt for works consid- cred to be classes of some kind, and their expansive defini- tions of what makes a classic, gave me pause and provoked a great deal of self-evaluation as a reader. I'd done myself a bad turn by allowing the less-than-savory characteristics of the educational system to define what would and would not read, to have granted it the power to remove from my consideration a great deal of top-ofthe-line works. It was as great a disservice to me as a reader to avoid classics as it had been to be inappropriately introdhiced to them in my youth. ‘A great deal of the literature defined as classie~and not just by collegiate and secondary curriculums-is the rich- cst, most significant, influent moving stuff, and I can't imagine I held ever myself back from it. In addition to the dry, boring, musty, irelevant titles that in- ‘arguably can be found in the Western Canon and on cur ricular lists, there are as many or more works honored as classics because they are truly outstanding, of great merit and meaning-and here’ a terrific thing-they are not just relevant to adult readers. “There are, though, teen serving librarians and educators who believe otherwise. In addition to a range of articles and editorials in library literature over time, YALSA-BK {an American Library Association-hosted and moder ated clectronie discussion list about teens and books) has recently had an on-again/offagain discussion about teens and classic literature. ‘The majority of teen serving, librarians who participated in this discussion relied on their unhappy recollections of school life and assigned reading-both as students and as teachers-to make defini tive proclamations about the inappropriateness of classics for teen readers. Many believe that classics absolutely, posi- tively turn teens off. [believe this viewpoint has its founda- tion in a classroom that can and should be left behind, and ina limited definition of what is classic literature Few people would argue that a less than cutting-edge collection of classies have been, and may continue to be, “Boring” inning up! Next ‘wwwsicompoorly taught in our secondary schools. ‘There are reason- able arguments out there that classics shouldn't be taught, at the secondary level at all, or that at the very least, the titles should be reexamined for their relevance and inter est to teens, and the methods of teaching be reexamined while they're at it. But this isa far different discussion than whether or not teens and classies can be meaningfully connected. What is certain is this: it isa grave mistake to define classics solely as those works you had to read in junior and high school, or have been required to promote fr teach. Asa teen serving librarian or educator, you don't have to limit today’s teens to those works and those experi- ‘ences. You are in a uniquely wonderful position to bring together teens and the right sorts of classics, based on de- velopmental stages and interests, reading levels, and any other unique characteristic that might come in to play. How? Begin with a new definition of clases that will lose nothing and gain a great deal. ‘There are far more clasie works of literature than are deconstructed in Barron’, Cliff's or Monarch Notes. This is not to sugges that despite the dry musts, there aren't wonderful works to be recommended to teen readers from the Western Canon and curriculum list, but don‘ limit yourselforteensto those choices. Broaden your understanding of classics in subject, format, and reading level, and don't be afraid to look a litle further forward in time. It ‘may feel litle uncomfortable at frst, butt will be worth the effort, both for yourself and for the teens you work with In addition to mainstream literary classies, how about including classics of gente literature in your definition you know, those oft short-shrifted genres like adventure, fantasy, mystery, horror, romance, and science fiction? Orclassies that represent world ethnic experiences, orthe experiences of ique group of people based oon belief systems, life ways, and personal orientations? Consider in your definition short story classics and clas- sic plays. Classic poetry. Myths, fairy tales and legends. Essays and speeches. There are nuumerons comic books considered classics in their genre, and even a handful of graphic novels are reaching that status. Consider contemporary classics, including award winners in both adult and teen literature. Works by Nobel Prize-winning, authors, Pulitzer Prize winners, National Book Award winners (they've got both adult and teen categories), and, of course, winners of the Michael L. Printz. Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature can all be reason- ly argued to be classies, or at the very least, classics in the making. And how about works written for child and teen audiences? Children’s literature has a long history, and teen literature is developing a strong if not as lengthy history as a body of literature. Include crossover classics and classics of teen literature in your definition other -worsi.com To help you formulate your own, broader definition of the classics, look at other folks’ definitions. ‘To help you get started, Chapter One of my book, Classies Connec- tions: Turning Teens on to Great Literature (Libraries Un- limited, 2004), provides definitions of and quotes about classic literature from a broad collection of individuals and resources throughout history, as well as from folks in mn the here and now. After much reading and pondering, I worked out my own definition: Any work of literature (fiction and nonfiction, prose cand verse) from times long puast to the recent past that is acknowledged with some consensus, through the test of time, through literary and/or social review, or through the award.winning status of the work or its author, to be of exemplary merit for: its form or syle, ils original or unique expression of enduring or universal concepts, or its unique reflection of the conditions ofits people and times. (Koelling, 9) Beyond some commonly held beliefsabout what makes a classic, there is a strong element of reasoned opinion in any overall definition. Your definition, if defensible, is as ‘good as mine or anyone else’. In redefining just what the classi are, and in gaining a renewed understanding of their potential value to teens, you develop the professional muscle to halt the destruction that well meaning but misguided and possibly obsolete educational systems have on junior high and high school students. You can motivate teens to leave negative experi- ences ofthe classroom behind cover the power ful potential connections to be found in classic literature. ‘Classic Novels beyond the Western Canon BROWN, Rita Mae. Rubyfruit Jungle (1973) PORTIS, Charles. True Grit (1968) HERBERT, Frank, Dune (1965), ‘CARD, Orson Scott: Enders Game (1985) ‘CORMIER, Robert. The Chocolate War (1974) ‘CHANDLER, Raymond. The Big Sleep 1959) JACKSON, Shirley. The Haunting of Hill House (1959) ADAMS, Richard. Watership Down (1972) MCKILLIP, Patricia. The Forgotten Beasts of Fld (1974) “TAN, Amy. The Joy Luck Club (1989) KINGSOLVER, Barbara. The Bean Trees (1988) ANAYA, Rudolfo. Bless Me, Ultima (1972) MOMADAY, N. Scott House Made of Dawn (1968) OPBRIEN, Tim. The Things They Garted (1990) Holly Koelling is a‘Teen Services and Reference Librarian atthe Bothell Regional Library inthe King County (WA) Lib, System. DECEMBER 2005 School Library Journal 37