Orson Scott Card

I read the Unshelved cartoon featuring their comment on the Orson Scott Card controversy, and while I love these guys, I think they're missing the point. It's not about the books. If, in fact, the award was given solely on the basis of his published work, then I think the panel does have an obligation to completely disregard the author's personal beliefs, however loathsome they might be. In this case, the YALSA website describes the award as follows: "The Margaret A. Edwards Award, established in 1988, honors an author, as well as a specific body of his or her work, that have been popular over a period of time. The annual award is administered by YALSA and sponsored by School Library Journal magazine. It recognizes an author's work in helping adolescents become aware of themselves and addressing questions about their role and importance in relationships, society, and in the world."

So I do think considerations of the merits of the author as an influence on young people, and having nothing whatsoever to do with the body of work, are not entirely out of place in this consideration. That being said, I've been thinking a lot about this since we discussed it in class, and while I'm not sure yet that I could vote for Card, I've also been re-examining my own personal beliefs and how they might affect my decisions. It's hard to stay neutral in all things, but as librarians upholding the ideals of intellectual freedom, that is our mandate.

Still, what we're discussing here is not really directly related to the library itself. It's not about whether to include a book in a collection, or where to shelve it. It's about an award, honoring an author. The principles of intellectual freedom apply equally here, but so does personal opinion - whoever is on the panel is going to vote for the author that they feel is most deserving of the award. Period. The panel chose Orson Scott Card. If I was on the panel I might well have voted differently without even knowing about his personal beliefs, because from what I've read of his work I don't think he's a very good writer (I admit here that I haven't read Ender's Game, and obviously would have to read all his work if I was a panel member).

The award is also given in recognition of an "author's work in helping adolescents become aware of themselves and addressing questions about their role and importance in relationships, society, and in the world." I can't really address whether or not Card's writing helps adolescents, since I haven't read the books on which the award was based. But here again, the wording seems to me to be about something larger than just the novels; it addresses the "author's work in helping adolescents" not just the author's written work. On the whole, I would have to disagree that Mr. Card is working to help adolescents to become aware of themselves, or to understand their roles in relationships, society or the world in a positive manner. But that's just my opinion, and I'm not trying to impose it on anyone else. Honest.

Here's a link from Salon.com: My favorite author, my worst interview: I worshipped militaristic Mormon science-fiction writer Orson Scott Card -- until we met.