Smart Bitches Trashy Books | All of the romance, none of the bullshit.

Hubby showed me Dear Abby’s column in the paper today, wherein a woman writes that she is concerned about her 14 year-old daughter’s romance novel reading, because the content is too explicit and mature for her age. The daughter told her that “there is nothing in the books that she didn’t already know about, and having learned about sex and relationships in school, there is no reason why she shouldn’t be allowed to read what she wants.” The mother is concerned that “her current reading choices [will] cause future problems”

Abby’s response is interesting:

Literature may have become more risque than years ago, but these days the chances of sheltering your “mature, straight-A student” are slim. Rather than censor her reading, stress to her that if she has any questions about anything she can come to you for straight answers. (You could also keep the channels of communication open by asking her to lend you the books when she’s finished reading them.)

Some might argue that the idealized depiction of romance, and women being “rescued” by powerful, wealthy men, is more worrisome than the sex and eroticism. However, if you are raising your daughter to respect feminist principles, I don’t think you have anything to worry about.

Back when I was a grad student (which, if you rearrange the letters, spells “utterly miserable.” At least, for me it did) I had a professor who was marvelous, and who told me that during graduation, she hid a paperback novel in the pocket of her robes to read during the commencement ceremony.

There are, after all, few things more boring than a college commencement ceremony, except for the moment when someone you know has their name read aloud because they are, you know, graduating.

She was, for the record, rather bothered by trade and, I imagine, venti sized books because they did not fit in the pockets of her doctoral robes. She tried hiding one in the hood, but it was way too obvious. So paperbacks it was.

Iron Lesbian #2, a friend of mine in real life, gave me the heads up to the following story on the blog of a caterer. Seems granny packed a romance to hide out from Bridezilla.

I must ask the obvious. Which book was it? And, more to the point, what PURSE did she carry that would hold a romance novel? Not one purse that I carry to weddings would hold a romance. I need to pursue larger formal handbags, clearly. 

One year ago tonight, a whole mess of the Gulf Coast was, well, a whole mess. Last year we gave out links to various sources for donations, from aiding people to finding pets.

Now that it’s a year later, attention is again turning to philanthropy, and I have to say, without sounding like Lee (Leigh?) Greenwood, I am so proud of my own country when I realize the depths to which people gave to help out American citizens who were displaced by thousands of miles and literally lost everything they owned.

Candy and I have been trading email messages, talking about how we can mark the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and an article in the Chronicle of Philanthropy caught my attention. School libraries in the Gulf region are seriously hurting, because they are a “lower priority among philanthropists than public libraries,” though school libraries are struggling to rebuild their collections as well. Further, school libraries are funded through individual school boards, which are also pressed with the absorption of new students from other communities, and the rebuilding of their own physical buildings. Another problem is that most of the donated books are often inappropriate reading for school children and are usually leisure reading materials for grown ups.

Moreover, from Charity Navigator, I learned that:

Compassionate people from across America have cleaned off their book shelves, rushed off to the local book store to purchase new books, or have held a book drive, all in an effort to replace the library books destroyed by Katrina. Thanks to their efforts, the New Orleans Public Library system reports that it has received over 1 million books. While no one can deny that this is a tremendous outpouring of generosity, it is also a perfect example of misplaced philanthropy. There are no librarians to catalogue the books and no shelves to stack them on. What the library system really needs is money to rehire its staff and rebuild its libraries. Yet, well-intentioned people continue to send books, only to see them rot and decay in untouched boxes.

Since there’s no shortage of paperback donations winging their way to the Gulf region, Candy and I thought we’d focus on the children’s libraries and reading programs that need help, and specifically, the green paper donations that make a difference directly.

So on the first anniversary of Katrina, we’re issuing the Smart Bitch Reading Challenge: we will match all your donations up to $250.00 US.

You can pick your charity; far be it from us to tell you what to do. Simply send money to a charity of your choice focusing on rebuilding school libraries, local children’s reading programs, or children’s literacy in the Gulf Region. Then all you have to do is email a copy of the receipt (feel free to edit out all your personal information if you don’t want us to have it). We Smart Bitches will match the total amount given by all the Bitchery donors and give that lump sum to UNICEF’s fund to rebuild children’s libraries and educational sites for the US Gulf Region. The deadline for donation submissions is September 30, 2006.

Here’s a list of a few organizations that can help get children’s books back in the Gulf region, and if you have a not-for-profit organization you’d like us to add to the list, please let us know.

Book Relief, A FirstBook Initiative.

The Louisiana Library Associaion Disaster Relief Fund is now accepting monetary donations to assist school, public, and academic library restoration efforts in southern Louisiana.
Please make checks payable to: LLA-Disaster Relief and mail to:
LLA
421 South 4th St
Eunice, LA 70535

The Texas Library Association’s Disaster Relief Fund will donate 100% of the funds sent their way to the library association in the state of your choice.

UNICEF is “soliciting contributions earmarked for children affected by Hurricane Katrina. Working out of Washington, DC, it is coordinating international support for children, their families, and for the restoration of educational settings—schools, libraries, and other places of learning. This is the first time in its 59-year history that the United Nations Children’s Education Fund has been involved in relief efforts in the United States.” (source: School Library Journal)

Darla suggests Donors Choose, where teachers looking for assistance with individual projects can solicit aid from individual donors for specific projects. That page highlights several Gulf-area projects for schools, from writing center supplies to construction projects. 

Beth has some words to say about how writing and reading are personal, and how talking about the books you’ve read is necessarily a process that involves the personal.

I’m le crunched for time (between work and helping my best friend move, I haven’t had much computer time lately), and I have some muddled thoughts about this that I’ll set down when I have a moment, but in the meanwhile, talk amongst yourselves in the comments, whydontcha?

Here’s a good question for all the vampire romance writers and fans: check out this comic and hook me up with an answer.