I think ‘bad children’ is a kindness. It’s as exhausting to be a good child as it is to be a finished adult. Both are invented constructs to make us feel like we can’t feel, like we must be guided by rationality instead of emotions. I think she is saying that she is publishing good books for children with big untethered authentic feelings. Whenever people say ‘is she a good baby?’ What they really mean is does she sleep? (Good) Does she cry? (Bad.) It is a terrible thing to ask a parent. I also think she believes you can be an unfinished adult who still has a living child inside you. It reminds me a lot of C.S. Lewis. “When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.”
The good baby stuff...can you imagine?! "My baby cries in the night because it wants food and comfort. I've got a bad baby!" What incredible confusion we put on children.
I love what you wrote. To expand your good words about "bad children" being a kindness, perhaps the kindness has to do with simply accepting children as they are. No confusing expectation to act dishonestly.
Oh, man, what a cool editor to chat about! I love Dear Genius (the fact I love reading other people's messages to one another is probably not a surprise here since you are kinda doing the same thing)--and most importantly (to me, haha), I genuinely loved Ursula as a writer! Her (lone) published written book, The Secret Language, was one of my favorite books in fifth grade for a lot of reasons (long story version at https://elaynecrain.substack.com/p/miss-shuttleworth-school-librarian). Anyhow, I adopted/bastardized her motto for myself; I'm aiming for "friendly books for loner children."
You’d think seeing that it has always been a fight would be discouraging, but I found this reminder very comforting and inspiring today right when I needed it. I’ve always imagined that golden time in history as a free-flow outpouring of story magic, but it is good to know that all the moments of advocating for great (often deemed “risky”) storytelling choices and pushing against the whole “what’s the message” narrative—though exhausting—can add up to something great.
Man I really advocated for Ursula to be my kid's name, but it was vetoed (probably fairly, I guess).
As a child I felt a lot of pressure to be a good kid or to fit into a model of what I assumed it meant to be a "good kid." Books that shed light on reality also make space for kids to be something other than just "good" or "polite" or compliant, which is freeing in a way.
I was caught right at the beginning to read that Ursula “published” all those books, as editor and publisher. I wonder if she had to go through the same rigorous acquisition process that happens these days. I guess she/you discusses having to fight to publish these books, but I wonder if that was a fight between her and her boss, or a table of Sales, Marketing and Rights. I am now a freelance illustrator, but I worked in Publishing for 20 years and went to more acquisition meetings than I care to mention, and having to “sell” a book based on future predicted sales (based on past sales) is very depressing!!
Writing as an Ursula to say I always kinda liked the association with the evil sea witch, although that might have been because I was really not very big on princess movies as a little kid anyway. (Besides, she's cool! Best part of the movie easily.)
But having the same name as Nordstrom makes any association with villainy that may happen in the meantime worth it ;)
I think Ursula knew that "bad kids" would grow up to be bold adults - the questioners, the dreamers, the brave kids that would get a thrill from seeing themselves in those pages and knowing that it was ok to question, to dream, to break the mold and make it through the world in their own way. I think you two do the same in your books and you understand bad kids in the same way - that's why you can't be dead, dull, finished adults- you're on the same page as the kids you write for.
Thank you for introducing me to this amazing woman. I will have to say the thing my grandkids most liked about Mac Barnetts Jack books was that he was bad! The Rock from the Sky by Klassen had a BAD thing happen. Kids can definitely handle it and revel in it.
I think ‘bad children’ is a kindness. It’s as exhausting to be a good child as it is to be a finished adult. Both are invented constructs to make us feel like we can’t feel, like we must be guided by rationality instead of emotions. I think she is saying that she is publishing good books for children with big untethered authentic feelings. Whenever people say ‘is she a good baby?’ What they really mean is does she sleep? (Good) Does she cry? (Bad.) It is a terrible thing to ask a parent. I also think she believes you can be an unfinished adult who still has a living child inside you. It reminds me a lot of C.S. Lewis. “When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.”
The good baby stuff...can you imagine?! "My baby cries in the night because it wants food and comfort. I've got a bad baby!" What incredible confusion we put on children.
I love what you wrote. To expand your good words about "bad children" being a kindness, perhaps the kindness has to do with simply accepting children as they are. No confusing expectation to act dishonestly.
Yes! (And Lewis’s literary hero George MacDonald said “there is a childhood we must grow into, just as there is one we must leave behind”)
Speaking of The Little Mermaid movie ruining the name Ursula . . . thank you for not mentioning the name of the Little Mermaid.
Oh, man, what a cool editor to chat about! I love Dear Genius (the fact I love reading other people's messages to one another is probably not a surprise here since you are kinda doing the same thing)--and most importantly (to me, haha), I genuinely loved Ursula as a writer! Her (lone) published written book, The Secret Language, was one of my favorite books in fifth grade for a lot of reasons (long story version at https://elaynecrain.substack.com/p/miss-shuttleworth-school-librarian). Anyhow, I adopted/bastardized her motto for myself; I'm aiming for "friendly books for loner children."
Consider this a formal request for merchandise that says “good books for bad children”
In the spirit of the dry wit on display on these conversations and the appreciation of Ursula Le Guin, here is her writing schedule:
5:30am - wake up and lie there and think
6:15am - get up and eat breakfast (lots)
7:15am - get to work writing, writing, writing
Noon - lunch
1:00-3:00pm - reading, music
3:00-5:00pm - correspondence, maybe house cleaning
5:00-8:00pm - make dinner and eat it
After 8:00pm - I tend to be very stupid and we won't talk about this.
You’d think seeing that it has always been a fight would be discouraging, but I found this reminder very comforting and inspiring today right when I needed it. I’ve always imagined that golden time in history as a free-flow outpouring of story magic, but it is good to know that all the moments of advocating for great (often deemed “risky”) storytelling choices and pushing against the whole “what’s the message” narrative—though exhausting—can add up to something great.
Man I really advocated for Ursula to be my kid's name, but it was vetoed (probably fairly, I guess).
As a child I felt a lot of pressure to be a good kid or to fit into a model of what I assumed it meant to be a "good kid." Books that shed light on reality also make space for kids to be something other than just "good" or "polite" or compliant, which is freeing in a way.
I was caught right at the beginning to read that Ursula “published” all those books, as editor and publisher. I wonder if she had to go through the same rigorous acquisition process that happens these days. I guess she/you discusses having to fight to publish these books, but I wonder if that was a fight between her and her boss, or a table of Sales, Marketing and Rights. I am now a freelance illustrator, but I worked in Publishing for 20 years and went to more acquisition meetings than I care to mention, and having to “sell” a book based on future predicted sales (based on past sales) is very depressing!!
Writing as an Ursula to say I always kinda liked the association with the evil sea witch, although that might have been because I was really not very big on princess movies as a little kid anyway. (Besides, she's cool! Best part of the movie easily.)
But having the same name as Nordstrom makes any association with villainy that may happen in the meantime worth it ;)
I think Ursula knew that "bad kids" would grow up to be bold adults - the questioners, the dreamers, the brave kids that would get a thrill from seeing themselves in those pages and knowing that it was ok to question, to dream, to break the mold and make it through the world in their own way. I think you two do the same in your books and you understand bad kids in the same way - that's why you can't be dead, dull, finished adults- you're on the same page as the kids you write for.
Thank you for introducing me to this amazing woman. I will have to say the thing my grandkids most liked about Mac Barnetts Jack books was that he was bad! The Rock from the Sky by Klassen had a BAD thing happen. Kids can definitely handle it and revel in it.
As someone who loves Lynd Ward....I was hoping you'd mention her avowed dislike for him!