C.S.

LewiontheThreeWaofWritingforChildren
andtheKetoAuthenticitinAllWriting
Theonlmoralthatiofanvalueithatwhicharieinevitablfromthe
wholecatoftheauthormind.

Y M A R I A P O P OVA

Idontwriteforchildren,thelateandgreatMauriceendakaidin
hifinalinterview.Iwriteandomeoda,Thatfor
children!J.R.R.Tolkienhadmemoralarticulatedtheame
entimentevendecadeearlier,inaertingthatthereinouch
thingawritingforchildren,andNeilGaimaneloquentl
echoeditinarecentinterview.utperhapthegreatetandmot
ardentadvocateforthinotionwaC..Lewi(Novemer29,
1898Novemer22,1963).

Inthepringof1952,Lewideliveredamagnificentand
wonderfulldogma-defianttalkattheLirarAociationtitled
OnThreeWaofWritingforChildren,eventualladapted
intoaneaandpulihedinLewiOfOtherWorld:a
andtorie(puliclirar).
Lewieginoutliningthetrifectaofapproache:

Ithinktherearethreewainwhichthoewhowriteforchildrenmaapproachtheirwork;
twogoodwaandonethatigenerallaadwa.

Icametoknowoftheadwaquiterecentlandfromtwounconciouwitnee.Onewa
aladwhoentmethe[manucript]ofatorhehadwritteninwhichafairplacedata
childdipoalawonderfulgadget.Iagadgetecaueitwanotamagicringorhator
cloakoranuchtraditionalmatter.Itwaamachine,athingoftapandhandleand
uttonoucouldpre.Youcouldpreoneandgetanicecream,anotherandgetalive
pupp,andoforth.IhadtotelltheauthorhonetlthatIdidntmuchcareforthatortof
thing.hereplied,NomoredoI,itoremetoditraction.utitiwhatthemodernchild
want.Motheritofevidencewathi.InmownfirttorIhaddecriedatlength
whatIthoughtaratherfinehighteagivenahopitalefauntothelittlegirlwhowam
heroine.Aman,whohachildrenofhiown,aid,Ah,Ieehowougottothat.Ifou
wanttopleaegrown-upreaderougivethemex,oouthoughttoourelf,Thatwont
doforchildren,whathallIgivethemintead?Iknow!Thelittlelighterlikeplentof
goodeating.Inrealit,however,Imelflikeeatinganddrinking.IputinwhatIwould
havelikedtoreadwhenIwaachildandwhatItilllikereadingnowthatIaminmfiftie.

Theladinmfirtexample,andthemarriedmaninmecond,othconceivedwriting
forchildrenaapecialdepartmentofgivingthepulicwhatitwant.Childrenare,of
coure,apecialpulicandoufindoutwhatthewantandgivethemthat,howeverlittle
oulikeitourelf.
 IllutrationforHanChritianAnderenTheDarningNeedleb
MauriceSendak,1959.Clickimagefordetail.

Lewicounterthiwiththefirtofthetwogoodwa,whichmaearauperficial
reemlancetotheadutiinactualitfundamentalldifferent.Thiithewaof
tortellerlikeLewiCarrollandJ.R.R.Tolkien,whoepulihedworkgrowoutofatortold
toaparticularchildwiththelivingvoiceandperhapextemporeinCarrollcae,littleAlice
Liddell,andinTolkien,hiownchildren.Whilethi,too,maeacaeofgivingachildwhathe
orhewant,thefactthatitiaparticularchildmeantheauthormakenoattempttotreatall
childrenlikeapecialpulic.Lewiwrite:

Thereinoquetionofchildrenconceivedaatrangepeciewhoehaitouhave
madeuplikeananthropologitoracommercialtraveller.Nor,Iupect,wouldite
poile,thufacetoface,toregalethechildwiththingcalculatedtopleaeitutregarded
ourelfwithindifferenceorcontempt.Thechild,Iamcertain,wouldeethroughthat.
Inanperonalrelationthetwoparticipantmodifeachother.Youwouldecomelightl
differentecaueouweretalkingtoachildandthechildwouldecomelightldifferent
ecaueitwaeingtalkedtoanadult.Acommunit,acompoiteperonalit,icreated
andoutofthatthetorgrow.

Hefollowthiwiththefinalwaofwritingforchildren,thatofhiownpreference:

Thethirdwa,whichitheonloneIcouldeveruemelf,conitinwritingachildren
torecaueachildrentoritheetart-formforomethingouhavetoa:jutaa
compoermightwriteaDeadMarchnotecauetherewaapulicfuneralinviewut
ecauecertainmuicalideathathadoccurredtohimwentetintothatform.
 []

Wherethechildrentoriimpltherightformforwhattheauthorhatoa,thenof
courereaderwhowanttohearthat,willreadthetororre-readit,atanageIam
almotinclinedtoetitupaacanonthatachildrentorwhichienjoedonl
childreniaadchildrentor.Thegoodonelat.Awaltzwhichoucanlikeonlwhen
ouarewaltzingiaadwaltz.

IllutrationforthefairtaleofHanChritianAnderenb
JapaneeartitTakeoTakei,1928.Clickimagefordetail.

utLewimotpowerfulpointhaletodowiththeparticularart-formofchildrenliterature
andmoretodowitharoaderculturalpatholog.Indicuingthefateoffantaandfairtale
inocietandinthehandofcritic,hetoucheonourgeneraltendenctotreatadulthooda
uperiortochildhood,aortofexitentialupgrade,uingchildihneaaput-downandeeing
immaturitaanegativequalit.Lewiwrite:

Criticwhotreatadultaatermofapproval,inteadofaamereldecriptiveterm,cannot
eadultthemelve.Toeconcernedaouteinggrownup,toadmirethegrownup
ecaueitigrownup,toluhattheupicionofeingchildih;theethingarethe
markofchildhoodandadolecence.Andinchildhoodandadolecencetheare,in
moderation,healthmptom.Youngthingoughttowanttogrow.utthenintomiddle
lifeorevenintoearlmanhoodthiconcernaouteingadultiamarkofreallarreted
development:WhenIwatenIreadfairtaleinecretandwouldhaveeenahamedifI
hadeenfounddoingo.NowthatIamfiftIreadthemopenl.WhenIecameamanI
putawachildihthing,includingthefearofchildihneandthedeiretoevergrown
up.
Heextendthitohowweevaluateourcreativeandintellectualgrowthoverthecoureoflife:

Themodernvieweemtometoinvolveafaleconceptionofgrowth.Theaccueuof
arreteddevelopmentecauewehavenotlotatatewehadinchildhood.uturel
arreteddevelopmentconitnotinrefuingtoloeoldthingutinfailingtoaddnew
thing?Inowlikehock,whichIamureIhouldnothavelikedaachild.utItilllike
lemon-quah.IcallthigrowthordevelopmentecaueIhaveeenenriched:whereI
formerlhadonlonepleaure,Inowhavetwo.utifIhadtoloethetateforlemon-
quaheforeIacquiredthetateforhock,thatwouldnotegrowthutimplechange.I
nowenjoToltoandJaneAutenandTrollopeawellafairtaleandIcallthatgrowth:
ifIhadhadtoloethefairtaleinordertoacquirethenovelit,IwouldnotathatIhad
grownutonlthatIhadchanged.

IllutrationforTheFairTaleofE.E.CummingbJohnEaton,
1965.Clickimagefordetail.

Jutlikeevergenerationreporttheallegeddeathofthenovel,Lewiarguethataoutonce
everhundredearomewieacregetupandtrietoanihthefairtale.Inapaage
epeciallprecientinouragewhenfancifuluntruthlikecreationimaretilltaughtin
claroom,Lewiwrite:

[Thefairtale]iaccuedofgivingchildrenafaleimpreionoftheworldthelivein.ut
Ithinknoliteraturethatchildrencouldreadgivethemleofafaleimpreion.Ithink
whatprofetoerealitictorieforchildrenarefarmorelikeltodeceivethem.Inever
expectedtherealworldtoelikethefairtale.IthinkthatIdidexpectchooltoelikethe
 chooltorie.Thefantaiedidnotdeceiveme:thechooltoriedid.Alltorieinwhich
childrenhaveadventureanducceewhicharepoile,intheenethatthedonot
reakthelawofnature,utalmotinfinitelimproale,areinmoredangerthanthe
fairtaleofraiingfaleexpectation

Thiditinctionholdforadultreadingtoo.Thedangeroufantaialwauperficiall
realitic.TherealvictimofwihfulreveriedoenotattenontheOde,TheTempet,or
TheWormOurooro:he(orhe)prefertorieaoutmillionaire,irreitileeautie,
pohhotel,palmeacheandedroomcenethingthatreallmighthappen,that
oughttohappen,thatwouldhavehappenedifthereaderhadhadafairchance.For,aIa,
therearetwokindoflonging.Theoneianakei,apiritualexercie,andtheotheria
dieae.

Lewiconcludewithaeautifulandurgentlimportantentimentthatapplieamuchto
writingforchildrenaitdoetoallwriting,epeciallinourageofquetionalemotiveforthe
writtenword,andperhapmotofalltolifeitelf.Itapoignantreminderthateverthingwe
putintotheworldiinvarialtheumtotalofourlivedexperienceandourperonhood,and
ourjourne,toattempttoculpttheendreultintoomethingdifferentwouldenotonlanact
ofhpocriutalo,inevital,aguaranteeofmediocrit.Lewiwrite:

IrejectedanapproachwhicheginwiththequetionWhatdomodernchildrenlike?I
mighteaked,DoouequallrejecttheapproachwhicheginwiththequetionWhat
domodernchildrenneed?inotherword,withthemoralordidacticapproach?Ithink
theanweriYe.NotecaueIdontliketorietohaveamoral:certainlnotecaueI
thinkchildrendilikeamoral.RatherecaueIfeelurethatthequetionWhatdo
modernchildrenneed?willnotleadoutoagoodmoral.Ifweakthatquetionweare
aumingtoouperioranattitude.ItwouldeettertoakWhatmoraldoIneed?forI
thinkwecaneurethatwhatdoenotconcernudeeplwillnotdeeplinteretour
reader,whatevertheirage.utitietternottoakthequetionatall.Letthepicturetell
outheirownmoral.Forthemoralinherentinthemwillriefromwhateverpiritualroot
ouhaveucceededintrikingduringthewholecoureofourlife.utifthedonthow
ouanmoral,dontputonein.Forthemoralouputinilikeltoeaplatitude,orevena
falehood,kimmedfromtheurfaceofourconcioune.Itiimpertinenttoofferthe
childrenthat.Forwehaveeentoldonhighauthoritthatinthemoralpheretheare
proalatleatawieawe.Anonewhocanwriteachildrentorwithoutamoral,
hadetterdoo:thati,ifheigoingtowritechildrentorieatall.Theonlmoralthati
ofanvalueithatwhicharieinevitalfromthewholecatoftheauthormind.

Indeedeverthinginthetorhouldariefromthewholecatoftheauthormind.We
mutwriteforchildrenoutofthoeelementinourownimaginationwhichweharewith
children:differingfromourchildreadernotanle,orleeriou,interetinthe
thingwehandle,utthefactthatwehaveotherinteretwhichchildrenwouldnot
 harewithu.Thematterofourtorhouldeapartofthehaitualfurnitureofour
mind.

AllofthewritinginOfOtherWorld:aandtorieiaolutelfantatic,panning
everthingfromthenatureoftortellingtowhwriterhouldreadcriticimoftheirownwork
totheroleofciencefictioninociet.ComplementitwithLewilettertochildrenonthe
ecretofhappineandtheonlthreedutieinlife.

PulihedJune18,2014

http://www.rainpicking.org/2014/06/18/c--lewi-writing-for-children/

www.brainpicking.org