Shweta Ganesh Kumar shared with me this TED Talk from novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie about how "a single story" about another person or country can cause critical misunderstanding, and I felt that the talk really reflected why I started this blog. Please watch it below, if you haven't already: I sometimes teach creative writing to children and teens and have been very shocked to see that the first impulse of my students - all Filipinos or Chinese Filipinos ages 11-15 - is to write stories featuring characters with blond hair and blue eyes. It seems that, like the seven-year-old Adichie, my students have "a single story" about what literature is and do not think that people like them can exist in literature. (Needless to say, I am now trying to expose my students to more Filipino literature and literature from other Asian countries.) I blog because our students, nieces and nephews, children, grandchildren, and godchildren NEED AND DESERVE more than "a ...
I didn't know we had a Philippine National Children's Book Day! That's a cute poster. :)
ReplyDeleteI am waiting for the list of activities for Children's Book Day. This is the first year I can actually participate in anything because this year I am a full-time grad student. Work got in the way all the other years.
ReplyDeleteI love the poster. We can definitely reach the stars through reading.
ReplyDeleteThe poster is adorable! =D
ReplyDeleteWhat a fab poster - I hope you've got a hard copy or two to put up on your walls!
ReplyDeleteI'll have to print out the letter-size version. Hehehehe. It's available on the PBBY website for everyone.
ReplyDeleteYour blog has a very strong identity, which is impressive. More power to it, and to more YA books set in Asia!
ReplyDeleteBut what is the Grand Metanarrative?
Thank you, ArtSeblis!
ReplyDeleteMe believing in the Grand Metanarrative means that I believe in THE Story - the Christian story. :o)