We’re going to Albuquerque in November 2010! The YA Lit Symposium Task Force is very excited about the plans for the next Young Adult Literature Symposium: Beyond Good Intentions: Diversity, Literature, and Teens.
One of the best parts of being on the YA Lit Symposium Task Force is reviewing the symposium preconference, program, and paper proposals. This is where you come in – proposals are currently being accepted for the symposium. Does the current YA Lit meet the needs of your diverse teens? How do you use the literature with your teens? If it isn’t meeting the needs, what are some things that you are doing to meet their needs? What impact is current generation having on the literature world? The proposal deadline is October 1, 2009.
What do YOU want to learn about at the symposium?
I’m glad to hear that Diversity in Literature seems to be the focus of the 2010 symposium. I loved the Nashville conference but felt it lacked much programming on fiction. Of course nonfiction, fanfiction, graphic, etc. are all important… just don’t forget about fiction. What I’d like to see is a discussion of the craft of teen fiction and how that’s changed (and it certainly has) over the past decade or more. Not necessarily just trends, though that’s useful, too. Sometimes trend-talk can sound like just regurgitation of what is already known. But some session that actually delves into the creation and structure of teen lit would be great!!