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I had all kinds of ideas about what I was going to write about for today. Science and art. A term called The Beholder's Share. I was going to tell you about a great trip I had in Maine, where I spoke to librarians about writing non-fiction. I was going to show you a cool NPR story about the wind at sea looking like a Van Gogh sky. But then I opened up the New York Times Monday morning and saw this:
Pseudoscience and Tennessee’s Classrooms
Please read it. I'll wait. I can't say it any better than that because all I want to do is scream. Loudly.
But I will say this, once again, as I've said many times and I think as I showed in CHARLES AND EMMA: Science and faith can co-exist. It does not have to be either or. But science is science and religion is religion. Evolution really happens. Smart theologians, religious people, clerics, rabbis, priests, ministers have NO PROBLEM WITH EVOLUTION. (I guess I am screaming.)
Our children deserve to be taught the truth in school. Period, the end.
Global warming really is happening. Smart politicians know that. Teaching our children the truth about global warming leaves open the possibility of saving our earth. Not teaching them the truth closes that possibility.
I hate conflict and controversy. I got very little of it, thank goodness, when Charles And Emma came out. I think because their relationship shows how science and religion can co-exist in peace and harmony with understanding. That's beautiful.
What's happening in Tennessee and elsewhere is not beautiful. It's UGLY. And stupid. I'm going to let Spencer Tracy say it for me: Inherit The Wind
In my somewhat new Monday slot, more of my posts fall on holidays (duh!) and I have just let them pass. Last month, for example, Valentine’s Day came and went, but my heart wasn't in it.
Today, however, I’d like to celebrate this week’s unofficial holiday that, in my opinion, deserves to become official--the onset of Daylight Saving Time (DST). What an emotionally lifting gift—especially to New Englanders who have been battling the suicidal impulses that accompany a 4:30 sunset. For months we have tried to keep our spirits up as the light inched back a minute at a time. Then PRESTO CHANGO! In just one day, arbitrary magic multiplies the jump times 60. We get a whole new hour of light—and life becomes brighter in every way. If only Zoloft worked so well.
As nonfiction writers we are obligated to tell the truth and nothing but the truth, right? What about the whole truth, though? In this case, I would have to admit that DST causes increased danger of traffic and pedestrian accidents during its first week because of sleep cycle disruption. It was never created to help the farmers or reinstated more recently to save energy. In fact, farmers hate it and many experts believe it increases energy costs: electricity for air conditioning and over $100 million a year for the airlines.
Why did this idea gain purchase? Some British golfer in 1907 realized that if one hour of sunlight was switched from the sunrise side to sunset, he’d have time to get to the back nine. In fact, when the 1986 Congress debated the issue of extending it into March, the golf lobby went to town. According to Michael Downing, author of Spring Forward: The Annual Madness of Daylight Saving Time, the golf industry estimated the extension of DST would increase their revenues by 400 million 1986 dollars, the barbecue industry over $100 million. In other words, if you give Americans the chance to go outside at any time, they will spend money.
Telling the whole truth about DST is not a horror. An ironic example of one of America’s worst traits, perhaps, but not a deal-killer. In the unlikely event that I ever wrote a book about DST, I’d “out” its origins with relish.
But what about other times, when telling the whole truth in our books for younger children is a lot more painful? Then how far do we go? I just attended a conference on sustainable energy this week where everyone had already accepted the devastating long range consequences of climate change as inevitable. Nobody was talking about getting better gas mileage or "clean coal." The focus was on how to think about reconfiguring communities in the Brave New World. I'm not considering a book about this subject either; but how do you give kids hope and this kind of information at the same time?
When I wrote See How They Run: Campaign Dreams, Election Schemes, and the Race to the White Hous
“Leaving the lights on won’t actually kill a polar bear.” This headline for a column in the July 4, 2010 issue of the “Washington Examiner,” a free daily paper found at most DC Metro stations, caught the eye of a friend of mine. She tore out the column, scribbled “here’s another view” at the top of the page, and left it on my front porch. It’s got me a little worked up. It’s not every day you see the word “iniquitous” used to describe the motives of children’s book authors.
Meghan Cox Gurdon began her piece with the story of two young girls in her kitchen, one of whom asked Gurdon to “please tell [the other child] that global warming isn’t real.” When Gurdon asked why, the girl responded, “Someone told her that if she leaves a light on, a polar bear would die.”
“Nonsense,” Gurdon told the child. “Grown-ups are investigating global warming and arguing about it. The one thing I can tell you is that you shouldn’t be afraid to turn the lights on. It’s not going to affect a polar bear either way.” With that, “the worried child’s face cleared, and the two girls went off to play.”
I think we can all agree that children shouldn’t worry that a polar bear will die every time they flip on a switch. And while it’s obvious that Gurdon is a global warming skeptic, I’m not writing today’s blog to help de-mystify climate science. What concerns me is the way she went on to indict “adults in the grip of environmental alarmism” who have “made a point of filling young lives with the threat of looming eco-catastrophe.” In particular, she pointed her finger at the “innumerable children’s books [that] sell a terrifying future to children as young as 4.”
One of the nonfiction books Gurdon singled out was Sarah L. Thomson’s
A couple of months ago INK had a blog post consisting merely of the cover of a book - no supporting text. I was curious enough to check out the quality/reviews on the book and immediately bought it.
The book was this one on evolution:
http://www.amazon.com/Billions-Years-Amazing-Changes-Evolution/dp/1590787234/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334664622&sr=8-1
It's wonderfully illuminating! My five year old daughter and I are on the last chapter and will likely finish the book today. I can't tell who learned more; however, it's probably me! Let me tell you that learning the many facts that support evolution in their complex beauty does nothing but reinforce one's sense of the sacred -- in all of creation.
This book makes me feel more connected to our living earth and a living faith.
As a result of this book we also started the series of books by Hannah Bonner:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=hannah+bonner+prehistory
Thank you Deb! I read that Times piece on Monday and couldn't help shaking my head in dismay. I wrote a post once where I cited a recent study where science took a look at what makes us adhere to our beliefs in the face of facts that prove otherwise. It's called "Motivated reasoning."
We tend to believe science when the facts corroborate what we already believe and discount it when there is conflict. Here's the link to the original article: http://cilc.org/calendar_event_detail.aspx?id=420&categoryid=2
Sad to say, that Tennessee is the second state to do this. Louisiana was first and I'm relieved I don't live in either place. It is unreal how politics and religion get swept up in things they don't belong in. Facts are facts.
Thanks for bringing this to the table, and for Emma and Charles as well. (Loved it) They had such a thorough and balanced insight, not to mention tolerance of others' ideas, and that was a century and a half ago. Perhaps social evolution is moving in the wrong direction?
On the adult side of things, I wish that every HS kid (and teacher) would read Bill Bryson's A SHORT HISTORY OF NEARLY EVERYTHING-
http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780767908184.
We are living in very challenging (and at times incomphensible) times. Don't be worn down or feel defeated by such nonsense; resist it here, in social gatherings, and at the polls.
Deborah, I think my favorite quote from Galileo is:
“The Bible shows the way to go to heaven, not the way the heavens go.”
― Galileo Galilei
Honestly, if God had wanted to write a science text book, he could have. But that was not his purpose.
As a side note, I adored "Charles and Emma." I'm curious why it's shelved as YA?
Kirsten Larson
Thanks everyone, so far, for your wonderful comments and book recommendations! As someone just wrote to me, we're fighting the good fight. I love that Galileo quote! Kirsten, how do you think C & E should have been categorized?
Deborah, I am just trying to figure out why some nonfiction is considered YA (especially when I love it equally as well as adult nonfiction). Is it that your book is shorter and uses simpler language therefore making it more accessible to young people? I can tell your research was as extensive as it would have been for an "adult" book.
Thanks,
Kirsten Larson
hmm, interesting & heated topic, but i dare suggest my opinion...
science is correct. evolution exists. proven by the fact that my 2nd son looks almost identical to my father, grandfather and 5 generations of great grandfathers before him...those are some strong genes.
religion is correct. why God chose to put the breathe of life into one 'ape' calling him "Adam" verses another animal is predicated upon the fact that God obeys the laws of science & universe. out of dust, and out of millions of years of waiting for the right set of perfect genes to call 'adam' and thus, man was created by God using divine power, patience, and yes, evolution.
its controversial for sure...that's why we as Christians believe we're descendants of Adam and not apes...because we know there was a divine religious event that changed the course of mankind from being lowly primates to sophisticated thinkers, doers, and superior beings. the lineage of Adam evolved into us. the lineage of other apes...not so lucky to be called 'human' & still primal creatures. then, again people claim to have seen a Sasquatch.
fear of evolution is fueled by people unwilling to accept science and religion can co-exist and work together to prove theories and ideas, dare I say "miracle"...hmm?
thanks for the great enlightening topic and thankful that evolution exists in many forms...even that of changing minds to understand and move forward.
here's to hoping the best for those TN kids! i look forward to reading 'charles & emma'
Kirsten, that's an interesting question. I wrote it for teenagers mostly because I love to write for kids. That's what I do. And because I also thought that this way I could tell the story I wanted to tell--the story of their marriage--without having to delve deeply into the history of the church, say, or to explain the science in greater detail. I wanted it to be a tight focus on their love story. I probably could have had it published by an adult publisher, but I chose to go this way. And it is a crossover. It probably has an equal number of adult readers, though I've never done a study. Perhaps this should be a subject of another I.N.K. post--how is writing nonfiction for kids different than (and not different than) writing it for adults.
I am no longer surprised at what small minded people do, but I am always delighted at the response of well-educated, open-minded, and dare I say "liberal" folks(in its true definition) to rise up and keep the flame burning. Science ain't dead yet - not even in Tenn.
according to you i'm a smart religious person...hurray! i feel better about talking evolution already. we teach our children evolution is a process that hasn't stopped, we are continually evolving both temporally and spiritually. such a great feeling to know that tomorrow is progress toward a brighter future based on choices we make today.
We humans, here on God's blue-green Earth, seem to have evolved in such a way that we get silly when we're scared, when we feel that things are going from bad to worse. Sometimes this fearful silliness takes the form of writing one's Congressmen & demanding that one's comforting notion of the 'old time religion' be written into Law.