Bibliography
Franco, Betsy. 2001. THINGS I HAVE TO
TELL YOU: POEMS AND WRITING BY TEENAGE GIRLS. Ill. by Nina Nickles. Cambridge:
Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763609056.
Review
and Critical Analysis
THINGS I HAVE TO TELL YOU: POEMS AND WRITING BY TEENAGE
GIRLS is a collection of writings in poem, essay and story format, edited and compiled
by Betsy Franco, that explores the lives and issues faced by today’s teenage
girls. There are over thirty pieces in this collection; each written by a girl
ages twelve to eighteen. Franco also includes a Table of Contents that lists
both the work and author.
This anthology is
special because every poem, essay and story is written not by a well-known
poet, but by an ordinary teenager with an authentic voice. This makes both the
pieces and the authors extremely relatable to young girls. The reader may
experience the same situations, problems, and triumphs in their own lives. The
subject matter of the poems, and other works in this collection, are not
presented in a pedantic manner. They are not attempting to lecture the reader.
Teenagers would rarely share their feelings with family members, and perhaps
not even friends, on the subjects discussed in this collection. Issues such as sexuality, drug addiction, body image and cutting are topics
that are normally kept hidden, but here they are allowed to be expressed
freely.
The tone of this
collection is very somber. This is not an upbeat, happy collection of writings,
it is realistic and gritty. Laura Veuve demonstrates this in her untitled poem.
She writes, “Perfect body – Shocking studies show eating disorders on the rise
in teenage girls – Shocking Bullshit.” Veuve describes how society, and the way
she was raised, forced her to conform to the idea that girls should be perfect
in all ways, especially in the way they look. They should have a perfect body,
and do whatever is necessary to maintain that look. Her sense of anger is
palpable, as is her need to keep her eating disorder a secret in order to
“protect” her friends and family from herself. In contrast, this collection can
also be strong and defiant in the face of political correctness, as expressed
in the poem entitled TALL SINGLE ISO COFFEE. The anonymous author writes, “Even if I didn’t want coffee and I was
looking for some tall single it would be a girl…” In the first few lines of
this poem the narrator takes note of the fact that when she asked for “a tall
single” in the coffee shop, the young man serving her automatically assumed she
was asking for him. However, the reader soon comes to the realization that this
is not the case. The narrator is not afraid to express her sexuality, and to
counteract the prevailing view that all girls should automatically look for
male partners.
There is a strong
narrative quality to this collection. The reader gets a sense that the authors
are telling their stories directly to them. They come to see that the authors
are not looking for praise or judgment, just for a receptive audience to listen
to what they have to say. Each of these pieces evokes a powerful, emotional
response. One of the best examples of this is MY ODE TO CRANK by Lisa Woodward.
In it she writes, “Your love for crank has grown so strong/ You’ll depend on it
to fill the hole That has become so big inside.” This poem is a frightening
representation of a young girls drug addiction, and, depending on the reader,
has the ability to arouse horror or familiarity.
The language in this
collection is extremely visual, and expressive. It is not at a level where any
young reader would have problems comprehending it, but these authors use especially
creative words and phrases in much of their work. This is demonstrated in
Mahogany Elaj Foster’s poem WORDS. She writes, “Words fly across the paper like
blackbirds across the sky/Why not take that beautiful skill and use words like I love and I can and I will.” Foster, through her evocative language, is advocating using the ability to write beautifully to express positive, rather than negative, ideas. The reader can visualize the words gliding on to the page through the author's pen, much like blackbirds flying through the air.
The majority of the poems in this book are written in the form of stanzas. In addition, most are free verse with no rhyme scheme in use. There are some exceptions where the poems have alternating rhyme, but this is rare. This style makes many of the poems read like diary entries, which would enable any young girl reading them to instantly relate. The subjects discussed in these pieces are not something that a young reader would typically share, and perhaps only consign to a diary.
The majority of the poems in this book are written in the form of stanzas. In addition, most are free verse with no rhyme scheme in use. There are some exceptions where the poems have alternating rhyme, but this is rare. This style makes many of the poems read like diary entries, which would enable any young girl reading them to instantly relate. The subjects discussed in these pieces are not something that a young reader would typically share, and perhaps only consign to a diary.
Nina Nickles’
photographs are all in black and white and convey a very stark, urban feeling
which enhances the author’s work. Many of the photographs represent the poems
they accompany at face value; however, some portray a deeper meaning. The photo
accompanying DAMN, I LOOK GOOD by Miriam Stone is a clear-cut, straightforward
representation of the poem. The photo displays a young girl from a side view,
you cannot see her face, but you do see her hand holding a makeup brush. Her
pose is strong and confident, she knows she is beautiful and this is reflected
in both the photo and the poem. The photograph for ESCAPE by Theresa Hossfeld
however, is more layered. In it we see a girl in a bathtub, either just
emerging from the water, or preparing to slide under it and hide from the world.
This double layer of meaning is reflected in the poem. The narrator repeatedly
expresses that she does not feel the confidence other see in her. She knows she
must “take this test” that is life, like everyone, but she is always looking
for a way to escape.
Poem Used to Support Critical Analysis
and How That Poem Would Be Introduced
From
SECRETS
By:
Jessica L. McCloskey, age 16
Do you know my secret,
Did I tell you it last night,
Were you listening to my dreams,
Were you hiding out of sight?
Do you look to find my secret,
Picking up sometimes on phone calls,
Opening books to see what I wrote?
Do you ever think to ask me about my secret,
Being honest and forthright,
With no lies or hidden feelings?
Only then will my secret come to light.
McCloskey’s poem SECRETS exemplifies the
theme of the entire collection. These girls are sharing very personal topics,
topics that most teenagers would be reluctant to reveal. In this case,
McCloskey wants her family to not spy on her, but to ask her about her life,
accept it, and possibly help her. The final lines state that only through
honesty and trust, and without any hidden agendas on the part of her family,
will she say what she really feels. This seems to be the request of all
the authors of these pieces; just listen to what they have to say and think
about their message. This poem contains that strong narrative feel, as if
McCloskey were sitting down to explain to whoever was listening that this is
the situation, and only if I feel you will not judge me will I tell you my
story. As with the majority of the poems, it is written in stanza form.
However, this is one of the few that contains a rhyme scheme. In each stanza
the second and forth lines rhyme.
I would introduce this poem by saying to the
students, “Today, I am not going to read you anything from a famous or
well-known poet. Today, I am going to read you something
written by a young girl, a girl who could be the same age as many of you. Her
name is Jessica L. McCloskey and her poem is called SECRETS. I want you to
listen to what she has to say, it could express feelings that many of you have
experienced. After the reading we will talk about what this poem meant to you,
and what your feelings were about the content and the themes presented. We will
also discuss how you think the photograph did, or did not, fit in with the poem
itself. ” As I read I would also display the book so the students could see Nina
Nickles’ photograph of three young girls
sitting on the sidewalk, which accompanies the poem.