In class on Friday, we discussed "To the Pale Poets" by Ray Durem. During our discussion, we came to a conclusion that there is a certain privilege involved in being able to choose what you write about. White (or "pale") poets can choose to talk about social issues if they want, but they are also content to write about the intricacies of the natural world. Black poets, on the other hand, have a certain obligation to write about social issues. Durem points out that, while pale poets see leaves on a tree, he sees a hanging body, pointing out the stark difference between the realities of a white and black (or "pale" and "vivid") poet.
This idea stuck with me as I finished The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. This is a novel about an African-American girl who's grown up in a poor black neighborhood but attends a suburban prep high school. The novel grapples with countless relevant social issues, including poverty and police brutality. Because this book has some pretty dark content, I was surprised to find out it was marketed as a young adult novel. I'm used to young adult novels being lighter and more superficial, dealing with teenage romance or school bullies. I began to question my taste in books, wondering if I should be reading more "nuanced" literature geared towards adults. Was I too old to for a novel like The Hate U Give?
The answer is obviously no, but I didn't figure out why until after Friday's discussion. Angie Thomas is an African-American author who grew up in Jackson, MS. Many of her own childhood experiences are reflected in the main character of her novel. While I suppose this is true for other young adult novels I've read, I realized the authors of the books I was used to were overwhelmingly white. Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary, J.K. Rowling, Louis Sachar, Ellen Raskin, Jerry Spinelli, John Green, all of these young adult authors whose books I devoured growing up, all white, none of whom had a story like Angie Thomas.
The fact that I questioned whether The Hate U Give should be a young adult novel or not illustrates my lack of exposure to young adult novels written by black authors. Like Durem points out, the white authors I grew up reading had a choice to write about social issues or not, and most of them didn't. These books are sheltered, cozy, "lavender", in a way The Hate U Give can't be because of the author's identity. Thomas writes with a raw, unapologetic truth that seems dark to me because I've only read the lighter stuff. She's seen leaves as hanging bodies since she was young, so why should her novel be categorized as adult literature? I've taken young adult to mean "easier to read" when it is really defined as "novel with a young narrator." The fact that I've conflated the two reveals my naiveté when it comes to young adult content. I'm accustomed to "pale" young adult literature, when clearly there is so much more beyond that.
Unsurprisingly, The Hate U Give has become immensely popular. It won the Goodreads Choice Award, the Audie Award for Young Adult, and the Audie Award for Female Narrator, while receiving raving reviews. I'm sure Durem could've predicted the success of Thomas' novel. After all, he knows that stories from pale authors pale in comparison to authors with vivid realities to share.
Finally, I have to include a formal recommendation in this blog post, so: read The Hate U Give! You are not too old for it, in fact, I don't think anyone is!
