Speak - Laurie Halse Anderson

Title: Speak
Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Published: 1999 Pages: 198
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Rating: 5/5

Speak is an incredibly powerful book about a young girl struggling with a truth she cannot possibly tell. As we crawl inside Melinda's thirteen-year-old mind, we slowly learn the secrets that are eating her alive and the thoughts she has but cannot speak.

Extreme warning. This book struck an incredibly resonant chord with me. In many ways it was painful to read, but that's what makes it so important. I cannot review this book as I would normally. To do that would be for me to hold my silence. If this makes you uncomfortable, please kindly skip this post. For those of you who haven't read the book, the "Me" format comes from Melinda. Usually her "Me" entries in conversation or in her own mind are, well, silent.

The following comes from my personal writings--from high school to college. Some complete, some snippets of longer pieces. I have shared this with veryvery few people, but enough time has passed, I think. And while what happened to Melinda did not happen to me, I can certainly hear her voice. In many ways these writings are not my current voice, but they were my voice once upon a time. I haven't looked through these journals since the last time I wrote in 2002.

Me: I want you to hear what I'm saying, not just the words that come out of my mouth. I want you to listen to me, not just assume you know then tell me what I'm speaking. I want you to hear me till I'm through, don't just pretend to hear then tell me what to do. I want you to know the truth, for you to know how I feel, but tell me how the hell I'm supposed to tell you when you won't just let me say what I have to say. To finish what I have to finish. I want you to understand what I am, but you can't comprehend if you don't try. I want you to know what's going on, but you won't stop pushing. Let things be the way they are, let things happen the way they do. It is simple: just stop and listen. 2.6.98

Me: I've lost my voice, the soul from which I cry. My desires run cold and my fears hot. Churning within me, all my emotions grow stale. But I cannot find release, I've lost my voice. 11.1.99

Me: ...And I shout but you ignore my silent bouts. 2.2.01

Me: The years have silenced my voice. Courage I had gained was a false facade put up to barricade the fear... 9.19.02

Melinda: "There is no way they can punish me for not speaking. It isn't fair. What do they know about me? What do they know about the inside of my head? Flashes of lightning, children crying. Caught in an avalanche, pinned by worry, squirming under the weight of doubt, guilt. Fear" (157).

Melinda: "I unlock the front door and walk straight up to my room, across the rug, and into my closet without even taking off my backpack. When I close the closet door behind me, I bury my face into the clothes on the left side of the rack, clothes that haven't fit for years. I stuff my mouth with old fabric and scream until there are no sounds left under my skin" (162).

Melinda: "Sometimes I think high school is one long hazing activity: if you are tough enough to survive this, they'll let you become an adult. I hope it's worth it" (191).

How many of us hold our silence? And what does it cost us?

September 26-October 3, 2009 is Banned Books Week

Bebelplatz, Berlin
May 10, 1933 over 20,000 books were burned in this square
(enlarge pic to see the empty shelves in memorial)

Speak is commonly banned/challenged

Laurie Halse Anderson on censorship:

"Most of the censorship I see is fear-driven. I respect that. The world is a very scary place. It is a terrifying place in which to raise children, and in particular, teenagers. It is human nature to nurture and protect children as they grow into adulthood. But censoring books that deal with difficult adolescent issues does not protect anybody. Quite the opposite. It leaves kids in darkness and makes them vulnerable."

If you haven't read Speak, please do.

Sunday Salon 12 - Burn This Book

Good morning everyone! This post might end up being a little information-overload, but bear with me (I'll do my honest best not to ramble since I'm providing a lot of extra data). If there is a topic that will get book lovers riled up, it is censorship and banned books. Just this week, Stephanie from Confessions of a Bookaholic talked about Book Burning and there have been many many others. The freedom to read is very near and dear to me and the thought of that freedom being challenged makes my blood boil.

FSB Associates emailed me earlier this week about a pro-bono project they are doing for Burn This Book, a new collection of essays edited by Toni Morrison and published by Harper Studio. And while I didn't get a chance to get the book, let alone read it, this week, I wanted to share the information with you all.

Burn This Book contains a number of essays from literary heavyweights such as John Updike, David Grossman, Francine Prose, Pico Iyer, Russell Banks, Paul Auster, Orhan Pamuk, Salman Rushdie, Ed Park, and Nadine Gordimer. They pose the question of what censorship means and what the consequences of censorship could be. What can we do for our part? I'm not really sure, but I don't think it is a topic that can or should be ignored. You can even sign a petition for the right to read (go now!!).



What do you think the implications are of censorship and banned books? What does it even mean for you when a book lands on the banned book list? Do you think that certain material should not be taught in the schools? Are there books you read in school when you were younger that are now on that list? Do you have a favorite banned book?

What does our world look like with more and more of our favorite books landing on the banned or challenged book lists every year? Where do we draw the line?

Oh ya...come find me on twitter!! I'm still learning, but I don't know the best way to find people yet, so find me! :D (Shameless plug over)