Art that Spans Generations

For the 4th of July, my family attended a local fireworks show / concert. This year’s headliners: The Beach Boys. (And seriously, who doesn’t love the Beach Boys? What’s more American than that?)

I’ve seen the Beach Boys before. In fact, I saw them at this same exact show a number of years ago. They have the kind of sound that makes people stand up and dance and sing at the top of their lungs, even if they don’t know all the words.

There was this guy a couple rows down. He had to be forty-five-ish, at least. But as soon as the band started to play, he whooped, and hollered, and jumped out of his seat to belt out the songs. And yes, he definitely danced, even when his kids got in the way.

Between songs, my teenage son turned to me and said, “This is the kind of music that will never go out of style. It’s classic. Why don’t they make music like this anymore?”

My first response was to point out that we were at a concert, so obviously someone still did make this exact music (notwithstanding the fact that the band members are in their 70’s ish). But then I thought about popular radio play these days, and wondered what songs and which groups will be considered classics when my grandchildren are teenagers.

I often have similar wonders about books and other literature.

I have fond memories of stories by Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary’s Ramona series, and Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. Those are the classics I grew up with. The stories that stuck with me. The art that carved out a piece of my soul and reshaped it. There were others, of course. I loved to read as a kid. But when I think of personal childhood classics, those are the first to pop into my brain.

In the age of technology, when there are thousands of books to choose from, and kids can buy them with the click of a button, I’m wondering which ones they will remember most when they’re grown.

And I have to admit, I kind of hope that someday, one of them will be mine.

For your enjoyment, this is the 1963 version.

The Other Side of the Line

**If you're looking to see who won the prize package including an ARC of Possession, scroll to the post below this one. Also, be sure to come back next Wednesday to see what I'm giving away next week. Because I'm not done giving away good stuff. Not even a little bit. Bwahahaha!**

My daughter recently told me a story about a high-school-age girl who conducted an interesting social experiment. This girl wanted to know how differently she would be treated if people believed she was pregnant and attending high school.

This was an elaborate project, since this girl wasn’t really pregnant—nor did she want to be. She enlisted the help of a boy—who may, or may not, have been her actual boyfriend—and her parents, who helped her acquire a prosthetic belly that could be adjusted as her faux pregnancy progressed through the school year.

From what I understand, the big “reveal” happened as part of an assembly, in which the nine-month-size prosthetic was removed. Can you even imagine the reaction of the people in the crowd—kids, teachers, and administration—when they discovered the whole thing was a hoax? Those who had treated this girl differently would probably feel shame, or anger at being disillusioned, or embarrassed for their words or actions. And those who had been kind, who had treated this girl as a person, with respect and friendship might have felt pride for being proven as true friends.

When I put the colored highlights in my hair, it wasn’t intended as a social experiment. To be honest, it started out as a nice change. Something to break up the monotony of winter. A fun accessory. A trend. A style.

But it’s been interesting to see the reactions of some of the people around me. I live in a very conservative area, where for some people, different = bad. And even the slightest difference has a tendency to stand out.

Some people have surprised me with their loving acceptance, while others have disappointed me in ways I never expected. In my head, I just keep thinking, “Holy crap, it’s only hair, not horns.” But as I’ve learned recently, to some people, a difference so dramatic can be seen as much, much more than what it really is.

In this way, I find myself identifying with characters from some of my favorite young adult books. Consider Vi in Possession, Cassia in Matched, Katniss in The Hunger Games, Calla in Nightshade, and Amy in Across the Universe.

So here’s the question of the day: Are you brave enough to stand on the other side of a line drawn by society, even if it means accepting unfair judgments as a consequence?