tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post8071753943553667795..comments2024-03-25T09:56:16.164+00:00Comments on An Awfully Big Blog Adventure: Martin Amis: A Response from a Children's Author - Lucy CoatsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger66125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-2635649224587997682011-11-10T23:32:25.896+00:002011-11-10T23:32:25.896+00:00Considering that you are all well-versed in Englis...Considering that you are all well-versed in English I am surprised how many of you misconstrued what he wrote just so you could jump on the bandwagon and show some righteous indignation.<br /><br />Let us parse what he said, shall we?<br /><br />"the idea of being conscious of who you're directing the story to is anathema to me ..."<br /><br />MA does not target any specific demographic because he does not want to (for very good reasons) and that is him at his normal. Now if he is brain damaged obviously his judgement could be affected, he could, possibly, think in different ways in which case he could start writing for specific demographics. Basically if he is not himself (as of now) he would not write the way he does.<br /><br />What is so controversial about this? Where has he said that to write for children one (obviously excluding himself) has to be brain damaged?<br /><br />Sheesh people!!Logical Thinkinghttp://www.google.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-85284655762159061992011-07-26T04:53:50.802+01:002011-07-26T04:53:50.802+01:00Good post, indeed! I couldn't refrain from pos...Good post, indeed! I couldn't refrain from posting some of my advices... I think no one would say to a writer he or she's insane writing for kids if his/her works could be read by both adults and children?<a href="http://www.peekshows.com" rel="nofollow">webcam free</a><a href="http://parklaneandmayfair.com/mayfair-escorts.html" rel="nofollow">Mayfair Escorts</a>kakahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02000435384062939032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-25431323746403321422011-02-28T21:34:00.864+00:002011-02-28T21:34:00.864+00:00Hi there,
I didn't see the offending programme...Hi there,<br />I didn't see the offending programme in question but have read your post and all these comments with great interest...<br />For me the power and quality of the books I read as a child had a profound influence on the way I write as an adult, whether that be for adults or children. (Not that I claim to anything more than amateur!)<br />I still have strong memories of the way the language and storylines immersed me into complex, sometimes dark, many layered compelling worlds.<br />I still enjoy reading children's novels now of great thought, depth and quality. In many ways children's books have to be all the more exceptional, making as they will such profound impressions on young open minds.<br />Who doesn't have a memory of the stories that shaped their childhood?<br />Writing for children is NOT a lesser artform than writing for adults, I'd say quite the opposite...Windsongs and Wordhoardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12211375575810428500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-47287284525619405342011-02-21T19:16:48.775+00:002011-02-21T19:16:48.775+00:00Good post, indeed! I couldn't refrain from pos...Good post, indeed! I couldn't refrain from posting some of my advices... I think no one would say to a writer he or she's insane writing for kids if his/her works could be read by both adults and children? And the best evidence of sanity for an author are the good writing skills, which include the good imagination too? So, I guess every author should strive to create new creatures, the classical, öld like vampires, elves, dwarfs, wizards with sharp hats, fairies, etc. are too ordinary already? I try some new in some of my books too (Tale Of The Rock Pieces, The Opposite Of Magic, Kids'Funny Business, etc (weightless korks, glowing, living balls, Brown faces, fiery men, one-eyeds, night fruit, rock pieces, fish-keepers, etc...).Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01129753022664172166noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-82793392877872716912011-02-18T13:48:11.805+00:002011-02-18T13:48:11.805+00:00Unfortunately, this is the kind of support we get ...Unfortunately, this is the kind of support we get over here in Canada:<br /><br />http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/russell-smith/kid-lit-authors-get-over-yourselves-amis-has-a-point/article1910155/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-16636475772565416552011-02-14T14:17:52.521+00:002011-02-14T14:17:52.521+00:00Condescending piece from Vanity Fair:
'Like a...Condescending piece from Vanity Fair:<br /><br />'Like any ace reporter, I Google Martin's name and find that a fatwa has been declared against him over shock-horror comments he made an interview that have inflamed fine-feeling people everywhere and could easily be interpreted as an insult to the unborn, if they knew how to read.'<br /><br />More:<br />http://www.vanityfair.com/online/wolcott/2011/02/a-dismaying-development.html<br /><br />Steve J.<br />http://spauljensen.wordpress.comUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14017755514771329759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-76245451139056013102011-02-13T19:32:26.256+00:002011-02-13T19:32:26.256+00:00Delighted to see all the visitors and commenters f...Delighted to see all the visitors and commenters from Robin McKinley's blog! Susan--I entirely agree with you and Nicola that journalists should ask permission. To be fair, the Guardian et al did acknowledge Jane as the author of the quoted bits (though I wish they'd got the title of your book right, Jane--that's just lazy journalism. Still, the Huff Post called MA 'Marcus Amis' which made me laugh.). <br /><br />Anthony--thank you for your support on Twitter too! I love that 'gear change' quote. How brilliant RS was--she was my staple reading as a child (I suppose in large part she is responsible for my love of all that Roman and Greek stuff), and I had huge pleasure in introducing her to my son a few years ago. He enjoyed her just as much as I did. <br /><br />Steve--those cartoons did make me howl with laughter. Do go and have a look, everyone. Amis as Moomin, Grinch, and, most priceless of all, in a skirt as 'Madeline'. <br /><br />If you'd like the publisher's point of view, Kate Wilson, MD of new children's publisher Nosy Crow has written a very good piece here: http://tiny.cc/6089pLucy Coatshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16774389681477698245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-55275661815908445682011-02-13T16:22:02.846+00:002011-02-13T16:22:02.846+00:00Ps Some quite wonderful Amis cartoons from BookLus...Ps Some quite wonderful Amis cartoons from BookLust:<br /><br />http://storms.typepad.com/booklust/2011/02/only-a-brain-injury-could-make-me-draw-martin-amis.html<br /><br />Steve J.<br />http://spauljensen.wordpress.com/Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14017755514771329759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-38371244567668787812011-02-13T16:15:22.007+00:002011-02-13T16:15:22.007+00:00Thank you to Lucy, Jane et al for calling Amis to ...Thank you to Lucy, Jane et al for calling Amis to task. Special mention to the ever-brilliant Dan Holloway (aka Agnieszkas Shoes) for his typically wise remarks. :)Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14017755514771329759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-87330279638724222722011-02-12T21:41:46.178+00:002011-02-12T21:41:46.178+00:00I sometimes get quoted without permission or ackno...I sometimes get quoted without permission or acknowledgment in the editorials of our state newspaper. The first time it happened I asked a journalist what was going on and he said, "Once you write a letter to us we can do what we like with it." I suspect they view anything that comes up on the internet in just the same way.<br />I suppose we should just be grateful they think we are worth quoting!catdownunderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06959328192182156574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-58792036268477541352011-02-12T19:21:13.199+00:002011-02-12T19:21:13.199+00:00Thank you for that Lucy. I personally will be exer...Thank you for that Lucy. I personally will be exercising my freedom by not reading any more of his books (somehow I don't think he'll actually notice though). I feel that children's books are actually more important than adult books, as they're new to the whole reading thing and should have fabulous fiction to read to set the habit!<br /><br />(Followed the link from Robin McKinley).Louizhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05691100508790921779noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-1235860255823099492011-02-12T17:55:08.818+00:002011-02-12T17:55:08.818+00:00(Everyone, forgive me using this comment to write ...(Everyone, forgive me using this comment to write to Jane; I cannot easily find her email!)<br /><br />Everyone: Now that my dander is up, albeit way behind all of you, and having returned to find Jane's post, I am recalling a little item on my blog which recalls that around 1980 Rosemary Sutcliff was one of The Times 'top twenty' writers (of all sorts) of the centtury. The thing was, she beat inter alia Martin's father Kingsley Amis to the group. Silly, I know, but most satisfying!<br /><br />Jane, hello! I am of course delighted to learn that Romie (as I knew Rosemary Sutcliff - my godmother and first-cousin-once-removed who I grew in knowing well, and spent my pre-teen years pushing into bushes in her wheelchair ...) is your "heroine and inspiration".<br /><br />Can I entice you to post some writing about that inspiration at the You Write! tab at www.rosemarysutcliff.com (and indeed the same goes for anyone else as inspired by Rosemary as your are uninspired by Mr Amis)Anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08677173494958234552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-12915177136486382552011-02-12T16:16:26.523+00:002011-02-12T16:16:26.523+00:00Anthony, hallo! Rosemary Sutcliff is my heroine an...Anthony, hallo! Rosemary Sutcliff is my heroine and my inspiration, you moght like to know...<br /><br />I know that in law conversations on social neworking sites are deemed to be in the public domain, and I have no problem with being quoted, but law is one thing and courtesy another. (it's not as if a quick Google wouldn't have enabled them to trace my agent - and get the title of the book 100% right... )Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-46232158561329532842011-02-12T14:36:09.366+00:002011-02-12T14:36:09.366+00:00I only caught up with Martin Amis's remarks an...I only caught up with Martin Amis's remarks and some responses this morning. And now Lucy's powerful piece and this 'conversation'. I found myself wondering how the great adult and children's historical novelist and writer for children Rosemary Sutcliff (1920-1992) might have responded to Matin Amis had she had the misfortune to encounter him, maybe in a TV studio or interview.<br /><br />Her tone I think might have been the same as the resigned, pitying one she reserved for those who should have known better when they made 'does she take sugar' remarks. (Rosemary, a relative of mine, spent much time in a wheelchair, especially when out and about).<br /><br />By way of comment on the content, perhaps she would have repeated her oft made remark that she wrote for children aged 8 to 88; and recalled something she said to esteemed critic John Rowe Townsend: “The themes of my children’s books are mostly quite adult, and in fact the difference between writing for children and for adults is, to me at any rate, only a quite small gear change.” The gear change, in whichever direction, is clearly beyond Martin Amis. (See www.rosemarysutcliff.com)Anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08677173494958234552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-75790873176975930122011-02-12T14:32:26.031+00:002011-02-12T14:32:26.031+00:00Jane - the Guardian also lifted an online comment ...Jane - the Guardian also lifted an online comment of mine regarding World Book Night and quoted it. What I took from that was what I already knew: that none of us can or should say anything on any internet forum that we wouldn't be happy for anyone to read. (Inlcuding, btw, what seems like a relatively private Facebook conversation.) It changes the nature of conversation - the internet is so permanent and we can feel we're having a conversation and debate but aspects of what we said might be used at any time in the future. Yes, journalists should ask permission, I think, and in my case she tried to but I wasn't available during the few hours before her deadline...Nicola Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12189894289540344094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-28119003988144945332011-02-12T14:02:40.716+00:002011-02-12T14:02:40.716+00:00HI Lucy, Jane, everyone,
I came here from Robin M...HI Lucy, Jane, everyone, <br />I came here from Robin McKinleys site (totally agree with everyone, and would quite happily arrange for MA to have a brain injury, except for the fore-warned danger that he might start writing things which would end up on the YA shelves...*shudder*) I wanted to say that quotes should always be acknowledged - even from the internet. In university it's called plagiarism. I guess it's called journalism in the 'real world'... But then it seems that standards in everything but kids/YA writing are falling... Just saying.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09584045046185438953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-80513377018045892602011-02-12T13:01:38.498+00:002011-02-12T13:01:38.498+00:00Jane--so sorry the Guardian lifted your comment wi...Jane--so sorry the Guardian lifted your comment without asking...The Telegraph (books) and the Huffington Post have quoted you too. Hope you are ok with this--I think they can quote stuff published on the internet without any permission. This all seems to have got a lot of publicity for Amis (he was even trending on Twitter at one point)and not sure that is a good thing. However, I'd say most of the comment is pro-children's books, though not all (wouldn't be a proper debate if everyone agreed, would it?). The papers have quoted, variously, Kath Langrish and John Dougherty too, and the Independent pulled in Charlie Higson, Anthony Horowitz and Roger McGough. I'm feeling a bit like the pebble who started the avalanche at the moment!Lucy Coatshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16774389681477698245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-1420556971510358412011-02-11T23:51:51.282+00:002011-02-11T23:51:51.282+00:00Okay, who told the Guardian? ;->
They lifted h...Okay, who told the Guardian? ;-><br /><br />They lifted half my post without asking...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-53130200515524245022011-02-11T22:20:09.723+00:002011-02-11T22:20:09.723+00:00This from the man who wrote The Pregant Widow, whi...This from the man who wrote The Pregant Widow, which a ten year old would find puerile!Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03820882572926860471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-24864594486804566422011-02-11T13:20:28.678+00:002011-02-11T13:20:28.678+00:00What did Amis first read (at the undoubtedly preco...What did Amis first read (at the undoubtedly precocious age his untainted brain enabled him to devour fiction)? Who inspired him? How did he first learn about the art of narrative and characterisation? How did he form a view of his moral universe? Did he skip straight to his dad? I think we ought to be told. Great post, Lucy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-20546487656501574502011-02-11T12:51:05.673+00:002011-02-11T12:51:05.673+00:00Hey ho, nothing ever changes and self-important fo...Hey ho, nothing ever changes and self-important fools have always been with us.<br /><br />Literary fiction is merely another genre, and fairly recent one at that. It was invented because of the masculine desire to control through categorization, but it doesn't really exist. There are good books, indifferent books and bad books. It doesn't matter for whom they were written ... women, men, children, adults ... or in what 'style'. <br /><br />The great danger with literary fiction is exactly the sort of self-indulgence typified here. In the hands of idiots like Amis, art loses validity because its only concern becomes looking up its own backside. Forget your audience and they will soon forget you. Art is about creating structure from chaos and communicating that experience. 'Only connect', as Forster said. <br /><br />If Amis wishes to write only for himself, he should then keep the masturbatory result for his sole contemplation.<br /><br />Thanks, Lucy, for a great post, and another thanks to the Book Maven and Agnieszkas Shoes for brilliant comments that had me cheering.Ellen Rennerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09409919041496631776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-55866288113336054932011-02-11T09:27:07.077+00:002011-02-11T09:27:07.077+00:00I'm fascinated (and appalled) by Amis's as...I'm fascinated (and appalled) by Amis's assertion that he writes without restraints. Here's my take on that: <a href="http://www.whoatemybrain.com/2011/02/creative-restrictions.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.whoatemybrain.com/2011/02/creative-restrictions.html</a>Nick Crosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02571077124165351007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-70550666418266225692011-02-10T12:08:34.393+00:002011-02-10T12:08:34.393+00:00Given the choice in the library, I will pick up a ...Given the choice in the library, I will pick up a high quality YA fiction novel in preference to so called 'adult literary fiction' and, that's what I write too, because I write what I enjoy. No I don't have a brain injury, Mr Amis, I do however, have a degree in English literature from Cambridge University, where, incidentally, I did not study anything at all by your good self.Bryony Pearcehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058289532406290426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-50185997140468430482011-02-10T09:36:56.462+00:002011-02-10T09:36:56.462+00:00Great post. Agree about Amis, (have tried, but hav...Great post. Agree about Amis, (have tried, but have never managed to finish one of his novels) agree too about the media trotting out the Usual Suspects. (We have our own brand of them here in Scotland, as well.) I've written for children, written for schools radio, way back when, and it was one of the most challenging but rewarding things I ever did. You've only to tutor a creative writing group to realise that those who self consciously attempt to talk down to children produce rubbish. Which is, of course, quite different from having a certain awareness of who you are writing for. But if he believes that the likes of Pullman and so many other fine writers, some of them on this comment thread, are constantly and self consciously aware of 'writing in a lower register' it says a great deal about his own incompetence and prejudice.Catherine Czerkawskahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14554969254207924049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-13822705026208956192011-02-10T00:39:22.326+00:002011-02-10T00:39:22.326+00:00Brilliant post, Lucy, and I wholeheartedly agree w...Brilliant post, Lucy, and I wholeheartedly agree with you! It seems I don't have to say much as the previous comments pretty much cover it all!Savita Kalhanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07977368691995933130noreply@blogger.com