Realistic Fiction (Newsletter No. 44)

Beverly Cleary died March 25, 2021

(Another seminal figure’s passing muted by Covid 💔 .)

Cleary’s elementary chapter books were written post-war, pre-Y2K.  The manageable, normal, middle class domestic dramas amidst sidewalks and sculptured carpets. The type of stories that, depending on your personality, you may find tremendously dull, or comfortingly digestible (I am the latter).

Via Wikipedia 
"Cleary's books have been historically noted for their attention to the daily minutiae of childhood, specifically the experience of children growing up in middle-class families.[…][William Grimes of The New York Times wrote that Clearly "made compelling drama out of the everyday problems, small injustices and perplexing mysteries – that define middle-class American childhood"

Pat Pflieger, professor of children's literature at West Chester University, commented: "Cleary's books have lasted because she understands her audience. She knows they're sometimes confused or frightened by the world around them, and that they feel deeply about things that adults can dismiss."Eliza Dresang, professor in children and youth services at the University of Washington Information School, Cleary's alma mater, said, "Those books don't seem so radical now, but they were when she was writing them. In terms of the topics [covered], the honesty, the accuracy, [and] the ability to portray real-life children", was decades ahead of her time.

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Simplified reality is my type of attainable fantasy…

I can’t wait for a giant peach or a letter to a magical school. But I can make my living space humbly cozy, no matter how shabby or chic it actually is, chat with the peculiar neighbor (or maybe I am the peculiar neighbor), go back home and chat about that chat, make applesauce…I probably won’t make applesauce…but maybe a cake with pink frosting?

Or don’t you think an icebox cake would be right at home in one of these stories?

Edited to add: come to think of it, my consumption of late of slice of life Youtubers like Halle Burns, Dasha Kim, GemJem, Michelle Choi, Rachel Nguyen, Christine Nguyen, Sophia Chang, probably stems from my love of realistic fiction. It’s the stuff I find relaxing and low-key inspiration for things to do on a day-to-day basis. The kind of videos that when someone looks over my computer and sees what I’m watching they say “seriously, you’re just watching this girl make coffee and eat instant ramen? You don’t even drink coffee.”
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Growing up, I thought authors were the most magical authority figures. Such lovely worlds they’ve created to live in! Imagination is a talent and a virtue!

Recently, I realized the perils of being an author so busy writing the romanticized version of life as to neglect repairing reality. And the confusion and pain that follows when they realize that they can’t just will their lives into a tidy epilogue.

Other (mostly Anglo) realistic fiction scapes (some more cheerful than others)

Disney’s One Hundred and One Dalmatians
Lois Lowry’s Anastasia Krupnik series
Sharon Creech’s Chasing Red Bird
Katherine Paterson’s Bridge to Terabithia
Betsy Byars Books
Cynthia Rylant Books
The Parent Trap
Paula Danziger Books
Judy Blume Books
Frog and Toad Series
Olive Kitteridge
Finding the fantastical in my backyard

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🎶 Piece of the Day 🎶

One of the biggest thrills of pre-internet childhood was finding a prize in the cereal box. Imagine being a kid and finding this. 

What do you think about realistic fiction? Relatable or boring or delusional?

Sincerely,
Kristy

ETA: I forgot to mention, we’re having a sale on kristylin.com starting Thursday, August 5th—stay tuned!