1173
Every year, AISG has a professional author visit and present to the high school English classes. This year’s author is Laurie Halse Anderson, a young adult writer with many popular books, most notably Speak, a National Book Award finalist and New York Times Bestseller. In addition to being an author, Halse Anderson is also an activist, fighting for both intellectual freedom and diversity in publishing.
I spoke to the person who coordinated her visit, Mrs. Navis, who said, “The more I hear about her, the more excited I am.” When asked about the things planned for the visit, Mrs. Navis assured there would be “… no surprises. […] She’s going to speak [to] all the English classes.” There will also be an assembly at the end of her visit. Mrs. Navis said that she hopes to “organize with the counseling department […] to talk about some of these issues,” referring to the sensitive topics discussed in her books, such as eating disorders and sexual assault. She hopes that students will “understand how writing can really impact people.” She also hopes “kids will feel greater freedom to talk about things.”
Next, I interviewed Mrs. Dean, one of the English teachers. When asked why she thinks it is important to read and understand the topics covered in Halse Anderson’s books in advance, she responded, “It makes us better prepared to fully engage with the material that she’s going to present.” When I asked her about Halse Anderson’s first book, Speak, Ms. Dean said, “[I was] struck by the powerful way it was written.” Ms. Dean added that she “hopes that students get to see that writing is not just for essays.” I asked her how students should prepare for her visit, and she simply said, “I would encourage students to read her books.”
As a student who has read two of Halse Anderson’s books (Speak and Wintergirls), I am very excited for this visit. Both students and teachers can benefit from it. I am excited to learn about writing from her, as many of the teachers are, too. I hope that, after her visit, we will better understand the hard topics her books cover and know that it is okay to speak up about them.
Overall, there are many people excited for her visit, teachers and students alike. This visit should be very beneficial to AISG, teaching students about writing, and educating them on the important issues covered in Halse Anderson’s books. She will be visiting from January 11-16. Think about checking out some of her many novels, available in the library, before she arrives.
For more information about Laurie Halse Anderson and her books, visit her website: http://madwomanintheforest.com
Share
Print
