I write books for teenagers because I vividly remember what it felt like to be a teen facing everyday and epic dangers. I don't write to protect them. It's far too late for that. I write to give them weapons-in the form of words and ideas-that will help them fight their monsters. I write in blood because I remember what it felt like to bleed.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of empowering teenagers through literature, reflecting the author's own experiences.
In this quote, Sherman Alexie expresses his motivation for writing books targeted at teenagers. He acknowledges the challenges and dangers that young people face, including both ordinary and extraordinary struggles. Instead of shielding them from these realities, he believes in equipping them with the tools of language and ideas, so they can confront their fears and challenges effectively. The imagery of writing 'in blood' signifies the deep emotional connection and authenticity he brings to his work, highlighting his understanding of the raw experiences associated with adolescence.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech at a writers' conference to inspire authors focusing on young adult literature.
Gordie, the white boy genius, gave me this book by a Russian dude named Tolstoy, who wrote, 'Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.' Well, I hate to argue with a Russian genius, but Tolstoy didn't know Indians, and he didn't know that all Indian families are unhappy for the same exact reasons: the frikkin' booze.
My wife was the first romantic partner who understood both American and native parts of me - not so much the positive stuff, but the damage.
I draw because words are too unpredictable. I draw because words are too limited. If you speak and write in English, or Spanish, or Chinese, or any other language, then only a certain percentage of human beings will get your meaning. But when you draw a picture everybody can understand it. If I draw a cartoon of a flower, then every man, woman, and child in the world can look at it and say, "That's a flower.
We all have to find our own ways to say good-bye.
A lot of people have no idea that right now Y.A. (young adult). is the Garden of Eden of literature.
I was studying the sky like I was an astronomer, except it was daytime and I didn't have a telescope, so I was just an idiot.
The writer's object is - or should be - to hold the reader's attention.
I've always had an abundance of material about the subjects of my biographies.
I want to get into the educational DNA of American culture. I want 10 percent of the common culture, more or less, to be black.
I wanted to use my experience to teach kids that racism has no place in hearts and minds.
I dream for a world which is free of child labour, a world in which every child goes to school. A world in which every child gets his rights.
I used to take formal notes in lines of blue, and underline the key words in red, and I realised I needed only the key words and the idea. Then to bring in connections, I drew arrows and put in images and codes. It was a picture outside my head of what was inside my head - 'mind map' is the language my brain spoke.
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