Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
I was on the set for a couple days, with my oldest daughter, Stephanie. It was a very moving, fun experience for both of us. The cast and crew were sweet, though I found that whenever Mr. Neck walked in the room, my stomach started to hurt. Even though he was sweet off camera, his on-camera role was intense—he nailed it. Everybody nailed it. Melinda, David, Mr. Freeman—they all rock this movie hard. One unknown actress gave a stunning, if brief, performance in her role as The Lunch Lady Who Puts Mashed Potatoes on the Plate. Yes, folks, that was me. Watch quickly. I’m on camera for almost a full second. Kristen Stewart, the actress who plays Melinda, had the most difficult job—showing a character’s emotions without speaking much. She pulled it off perfectly.
I love the movie. A lot. Jessica did a fantastic job. She had a budget of one million dollars (Twilight had an estimated budget of 37 million), one camera, and three weeks to make the movie. They filmed it in Columbus, Ohio, during a killer heat wave. The air conditioning in the building had to be turned off because the noise messed up the sound recording. A record-breaking thunderstorm opened up holes in the school’s roof—over the room that held all the electrical boxes—and they lost power for a day. I have no idea how Jessica pulled it off, but she did.
What are your Speak movie-watching tips?
Lots of readers have held Speak movie parties. If you want to do that, here are some games to play while you’re watching:
• Count how many times Melinda speaks.
• Watch for lines that came from the book.
• Figure out what famous teen movie the director paid homage to in one of the cafeteria scenes.
• Throw popcorn at the TV whenever IT shows up.
• Figure out what scenes were not in the book.
• Speculate on why the director chose the ending she did.
You can also play Spot the Food:
• Ho-Hos
• Mashed potatoes
• Powdered doughnuts
• Pop-Tarts
• Very bad turkey soup
• Pizza
• Applesauce
If you have read Catalyst in addition to Speak, award yourself five points and add these to your menu:
• Jell-O salad (preferably with fruit and nuts mixed in)
• Cheetos®
Have any readers ever asked questions that shocked you?
I have gotten one question repeatedly from young men. These are guys who liked the book, but they are honestly confused. They ask me why Melinda was so upset about being raped.
The first dozen times I heard this, I was horrified. But I heard it over and over again. I realized that many young men are not being taught the impact that sexual assault has on a woman. They are inundated by sexual imagery in the media, and often come to the (incorrect) conclusion that having sex is not a big deal. This, no doubt, is why the number of sexual assaults is so high.
I am also shocked by adults who feel that rape is an inappropriate topic to discuss with teenagers. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 44 percent of rape victims are under the age of 18 and 46 percent of those victims are between the ages of 12–15. It makes adults uncomfortable to acknowledge this, but our inability to speak clearly and openly about sexual issues endangers our children. It is immoral not to discuss this with them.
How do you feel about your book being taught in so many middle schools, high schools, and colleges?
I was not a great English student in high school, so it makes me chuckle. It also gives me hope. I am really happy that today’s English teachers are using contemporary literature in the classroom. I think the reason I didn’t like English was because I couldn’t stand the books we had to read. They were all about boring, middle-aged people a hundred years earlier. Gack.
Too many kids are turned off reading by being forced to read and regurgitate books that have no connection to their lives. I applaud the school districts and teachers who are bold and smart enough to find literature that helps their students grow as readers, and mature into thoughtful, caring people.
If I e-mail you the essay questions my teacher gave me for Speak, will you e-mail me back with some tips about how to answer them?
No way. One of the advantages of being an adult is never having to do homework again. However, if you go to my Web site—www.madwomanintheforest.com—you’ll find lots of resources for all of my books. Also, check out the archives of my blog—halseanderson.livejournal.com. I do answer questions submitted to the blog, and you might find what you are looking for in the archives.
Do many survivors talk to you about their sexual assault stories? How do you deal with that?
I have heard from hundreds and hundreds of survivors of sexual assault, male as well as female. I always feel honored when they trust me with their stories. It can be emotionally hard to listen to them, but it doesn’t begin to measure up to the pain the survivor has endured. My job in these situations is to listen carefully, reassure, and urge the person talking to me to find other trustworthy adults (parent, clergy, counselor, teacher) to talk to so they can get the help and resources they need.
What would you say to someone who has just been sexually assaulted?
The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network—www.rainn.org—has the best resources around. It has advice for victims who were just assaulted, as well as advice for victims who were assaulted a while ago and who are struggling to find the courage to speak up about what happened, and get the help they all deserve to heal from the rape.
What message were you trying to send with this book?
I don’t send messages. I try to tell good stories. But if you like a book and it is well written, you usually learn a couple of things. Good books reflect the human experience, and we all learn from that.
When did you know you wanted to be a writer? What do you love best about it? What’s most difficult?
I have always written for fun. I sold some short stories in my late twenties, then conned my way through a series of newspaper and freelance writing jobs. It still stuns me that people will pay me to write. I keep waiting for someone to poke me in the shoulder and announce that a mistake was made, and I have to go back and milk cows again. (That’s what I did to earn money for college.)
The most difficult thing about being an author is creating the uninterrupted time I need to think. Real life intrudes with alarming frequency. I also hate it when people ask when I’m going to get a “real job.” And I think there should be a constitutional amendment prohibiting telemarketing. Other than that, writing is great.
I love letting my imagination take off—sometimes it returns home holding disgusting things in its mouth, but sometimes it brings back the good stuff! I love that kids like my books. I love coming up with just the right description, or action, or line of dialogue. The very best part of writing is figuring out how all the narrative threads and imagery connect. Watching a character take over the story is pretty cool, too.
What is your writing process? Is there a special place where you write?
I have written in a lot of different places. My first writing space was a closet (honest!). Then I moved to the basement, which was a bad idea. Very depressing. I’ve written in cities, in suburbs, airplanes, trains, and in the car during countless soccer and basketball practices.
Now I live out in the country and I work up in the attic of the house that my husband built. Behind my chair is the stone fireplace, overhead are the wooden beams that hold up the roof.
I try to wake up before dawn, go for a walk or a run as the sun is coming up, then get right to work. I write as many hours every day that I can, at least eight, and sometimes as many as twelve or sixteen. My first drafts are always very rough, but that’s okay. My favorite part of writing is the revision process; I love the sensation of finally nailing a scene after fussing with it for weeks.
My life is my work and my work is my life. I don’t really think of writing as a job; it’s who I am.
You write a variety of books f
I have a short attention span and I get bored easily. I love kids, all kids, from toddlers to teens. And I have lots of voices echoing in my head. Some are obviously teenagers, others are younger kids who want their stories heard. And nonfiction is interesting because it is a fun challenge to present facts in a way that will excite a reader. Over the course of a year, I’ll average one novel for teens and one book for younger readers. As a writer, I love figuring out how to appeal to readers who are at different stages in their development. I can’t imagine what it is like to only write for one age group. I would probably break out in a hideous rash if someone forced me to limit myself like that.
Are any of your books based on your family?
My husband and I have four kids. Right now (early 2009), two have graduated from college, a third is about to graduate, and the youngest is a junior in high school. I really love my kids a lot, and I would never put them in a book. That would be exploitation.
Do your kids like having a mom/stepmom who is an author?
They like the fact that I have a flexible schedule, and that we have so many books in our house. They do not like me when I am on deadline and writing twelve hours a day. And they wish I made more money.
What do you do in your spare time?
I don’t have much of it. If I’m not hanging out with my husband or traveling, I’m either reading or writing. I like to work out at the gym and watch football and basketball. I enjoy fiddling with my Web site (www.madwomanintheforest.com). I really like to sleep. I wish I had more time for that.
Are you going to write a sequel to Speak?
This is a complicated question, so I wrote an entire essay about it. See “Here’s the thing … .”
Why don’t you ever write a book that has a boy as the main character?
I did! It’s called Twisted. I was a little nervous about trying to write from a guy’s point of view, but it wound up being a blast. Boys are fascinating creatures.
I’ve gotten a lot of heart-wrenching mail from boys about Twisted. Many of the letters are like this one:
“I just wanted to say thank you for writing this book. I have been considering killing myself for many years and … [this book] has given me a new perspective on life and that death isn’t the easy way out. I can relate to Tyler in many ways for years … . I greatly appreciate this book because now I know that there is hope in my life and that death is not the answer. And one more thing this is the only book I have been able to pick up and not put down from start to finish.”
That is what makes me get up before dawn every day, climb up to my attic, and work on the next book.
A COMMENT ABOUT CENSORSHIP
These are scary days in which to raise teenagers. I know. I’ve had four of them. Part of the problem is that we have a generation that has been exposed to unprecedented amounts of sexual behavior in the media and on the Internet. They see it, they talk about it, their hormones react, and a lot of kids wind up in painful situations.
Literature is the safe and traditional vehicle through which we learn about the world and pass on values from one generation to the next. Books save lives.
Contemporary young adult literature surprises some people, because it is an accurate reflection of the way today’s teenagers talk, think, and behave. But these books must be honest in order to connect to the teen reader. America’s teens are desperate for responsible, trustworthy adults to create situations in which they can discuss the issues that are of the highest concern for them. Reading and discussing books is one of the most effective ways to get teens to think through and learn about the challenges of adolescence.
Most of the censorship I see is fear-driven. I respect that. The world is a very scary place. It is a terrifying place in which to raise children, and in particular, teenagers. It is human nature to nurture and protect children as they grow into adulthood. But censoring books that deal with difficult, adolescent issues does not protect anybody. Quite the opposite. It leaves kids in darkness and makes them vulnerable.
Censorship is the child of fear and the father of ignorance. Our children cannot afford to have the truth of the world withheld from them. They need us to be brave enough to give them great books so they can learn how to grow up into the men and women we want them to be.
DISCUSSION GUIDE
• Discuss the title of the novel and its significance. What roles do silence and truth play in the story?
• Is there a relationship between speaking and listening? Can one exist without the other?
• What is friendship? Describe the important elements of Melinda’s relationships with Heather, Ivy, Nicole, and Rachel. Is she ever really friends with any of them? Can friendship mean something different to different people? Cite different passages in the novel as evidence of your opinion.
• Melinda says: “It is easier not to say anything. Shut your trap, button your lip, can it. All that crap you hear on TV about communication and expressing feelings is a lie. Nobody really wants to hear what you have to say.” Do you agree with her? Why or why not? Do the events in the novel support or negate her statement? Does her outlook change at any point in the novel? How so?
• What keeps Melinda silent? What is she afraid of?
• Discuss the social hierarchy of Merryweather High. What role does the concept of identity play in the novel? Why is belonging to one of the many clans so important to Heather and so unimportant to Melinda?
• Why does Melinda isolate herself from her friends? Is she justified in doing so?
• Melinda nicknames many of the other characters throughout the novel. Discuss the significance of this habit and how it contributes to the development of the story and your experience as a reader.
• Why do you think Melinda refers to Andy Evans as IT in the beginning of the novel? At what point does she start to call him by name? Why?
• In what places is Melinda able to find sanctuary at school? How do the characteristics of these places provide a window into her character?
• What does Melinda learn in art class? What does the tree she spends the year creating finally come to symbolize?
• How does David Petrakis contribute to Melinda’s quest to find her voice? How does Mr. Freeman influence her? What role do her parents and the other adults in the novel play in Melinda’s journey?
• Despite her internal sense of humor, Melinda seems depressed to the outside world. In what ways is her depression evident? How do the people around her react to her behavior? Do you think they respond appropriately? How would you respond?
• What role does rumor play in the story? Discuss how rumors and truth can be connected. Is one more powerful than the other?
• Reflect on Melinda and Rachel’s written conversation they have in the library. Discuss Rachel’s reaction to what Melinda tells her. Why do you think she behaves as she does? Does she believe Melinda?
• How does nature manifest itself in the story line and contribute to meaning? Discuss how the changing of the seasons could be argued to mirror Melinda’s ability to speak.
• Is it possible to speak without spoken words? Why or why not? Identify passages in the novel to support your position.
• Discuss the ending of the book and the relevance of the last scene.
• What finally allows Melinda to speak?
SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVOR RESOURCES
YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
1 in 6 American women will be the victim of an attempted or completed rape. In the U.S., a rape is reported every five minutes. Experts estimate that only 16 percent of all rapes are ever reported to police.
Nearly half of rape and sexual assault victims are girls under the age of 18.
Girls between the ages of 16 and 19 are 4 times more likely than the
Most teenagers who are raped or sexually assaulted are attacked by someone they know.
17.7 million American women have been victims of attempted or completed rape.
MEN AND BOYS CAN BE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED, TOO.
1 out of every 33 American men will be the victim of an attempted or completed rape.
In 2003, 10 percent of rape victims were male.
VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT ARE:
3 times more likely to suffer from depression.
6 times more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
13 times more likely to abuse alcohol.
26 times more likely to abuse drugs.
4 times more likely to contemplate suicide.
Statistics from studies by the Department of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—see http://www.911rape.org/facts-quotes/statistics
{more statistics: http://www.musc.edu/vawprevention/}