The Hub

Dear Kat,

I'll be blunt, I'm old, but I have to say that I'm intrigued by young readers as a possible audience. What you said, that YA is turning from romance to darker things, is of concern to me. Especially with readers younger, but even with the normal YA target audience I wonder if feeding them what they want is always the best... ... um... ...or ever.

I know in particular that you favor (flavor?) the darker side of things. Certainly some steampunk is dark, but much of it is so aspirational and what do you say about the very proper Victorian attitude? It is quaint, but so very positive and can do. Surely there is darkness to be overcome, but isn't that the enemy?

But back from my confusion about Steampunk, I TOO feel that young audiences moving away from romance, sexualizing young relationships too soon I might say, is a good thing. I wonder if the move to things dark is a positive alternative however, though if it is a reflection of their true situation, then it is both a pity and valuable. If it is wallowing in a melodramitic trope I think less of it, like a goth might ridicule an emo while I look on in amazement, confused as to just which is which. Hip Hop and Rap involved think "keeping it real" is presenting a distopian thug lifestyle that needn't be real, is incredibly caustic and ruinous to its participants and the society it infests. It is not real, but it is very much in vogue.

Is this really what children want? If it is, should they be given it or force fed something better for them while they are making such poor decisions? I, as a representative of the old, am being intentionally condescending, but perhaps you get my drift. What responsibility do you feel, in particular you, as one who favors a darker tone, simply to find an audience? To exploit an audience? Is this real?

I feel you might be well positioned to speak more widely to this issue and make good sense of it.

Thanks,

LSO