V-Blogging: Kidlitophere 2008 Conference in Quick
Here at long last is that there children’s literature conference post I’ve been slowly working on. Sorry if I missed anyone! It was a busy busy day. I’ve also been forced to move it to Vimeo.
Untitled from Elizabeth Bird on Vimeo.
Here’s another Vimeo video, this one taken by author Lynn E. Hazen. Ms. Hazen watched me as I sat on the first panel of the Kidlitosphere Conference and noticed something others might not have. At one point there was a mention by Mark Blevis that the term "osphere" as found in the word "Kidlitosphere" is a rather inclusive term and not one that he’s particularly fond of. I desperately wanted to follow up on that by pointing out that the term "Kidlit" is viewed by MANY people as equally if not more offensive. Unfortunately the conversation moved on and I never got the chance. Fortunately, Lynn noticed and so this video (which she expertly put together) discusses my discomfort with the phrase.
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Betsy Bird Talks "KidLit" at the 2008 KidLitosphere Conference from Lynn H on Vimeo.
Thanks for the video Lynn!
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About Betsy Bird
Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Kirkus, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on BlueSky at: @fuse8.bsky.social
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I love the term Kidlit and I love the shirt.
So the first video is marked as private and is asking me to sign in in order to view it…
Yup. I like the shirt too. But it’s good to know the history behind these things. Okay, let’s take two here! And ah-one… and ah-two…
I too love the term kidlit. What I do find offensive is when people who know I write for children find out I wrote a novel and say, “Oh, you’ve moved up to adult books now?” or “Oh, you’re writing REAL books now,” as though A)children don’t read novels, and B) picture books aren’t REAL books! Okay. Done with my rant!
Academics need to eat more fiber.
You’re welcome Betsy. Thanks for participating and for posting the video on Fuse 8.
KidLit certainly makes for a shorter url and it fits on a tee shirt.
But I like Children’s Literature, too. Each comes in handy in its own realm.
I say use both terms proudly.
I Love Kidlit! It’s a Great Term! And I Love the Groovy bass tunes in your video!
Well, I think it’s important to know the history behind these terms. Sure, it’s shorter to say but if people get offended by a word and we bandy it about we should at least know the story behind its use.
What’s the song you use on the first video? I KNOW I’ve heard someone quote it before (being in Portland) and now it’s bugging me. Oh right, I can just go look it up. Never mind! Loretta Lynn’s “Portland Oregon.”
Thereby breaking 40 different copyright laws 40 different ways. The very reason I couldn’t post this video on YouTube, in fact. Hasn’t been a problem in the past, but I didn’t do my usual workaround this time and paid the price. *sigh*
AWESOME song. That’s gotta be Loretta as produced by the White Stripes guy, right? Since I have a big connection to Ms. Lynn (I drove by her Hurricane Mills house once), I’m sure the parties that be will do the right thing and pay her. Yes?
I am not a fan of the term “Kidlit.” It’s one that I’ve grown to accept with blogging because that’s the term a lot of people use, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. Then again, I never liked pronouncing “SLIS” for the School of Library and Information Science.
P.S. I didn’t think that comment would go through, because I got a message warning me that my comment contained an expletive or word common to spam. I am amused.
Probably “slis”. A dirty term if ever I knew one.