Munich is a beautiful city. But remnants of a horrific past remain, frozen in beer halls and town halls and city squares where a zealot named Adolph Hitler once propagandized crowds into celebrating his demented vision. Not far from the city center is a stark reminder of just how far this man was allowed to go—Dachau. I wish every single American could visit, to understand exactly what’s at stake when fear becomes the driving factor within a society.
My family just shared that experience. Our private guide was extremely well versed in history, so we got a tour not everyone who visits Dachau will hear. His words, and the simple experience of being in buildings where people were interred, interrogated, beaten, hung, starved, warehoused, worked to death, experimented on, tortured, dissected alive, gassed and finally cremated, raised ghosts who will haunt me forever.
The people sent to Dachau (not to mention 1700—no typo!—other concentration camps) weren’t all Jews or Gypsies. Some were Catholic. Jehovah’s Witnesses. Clergy. Polish people. Russian POVs. Homosexuals. “Asocials” (people of “lesser worth” like street musicians, homeless or the disabled). Communists (the party was recognized in Germany at that time) whose philosophies clashed with the National Socialist German Workers’ (Nazi) party.
The Nazi party gained control of the Reichstad (Germany’s parliament,) through the 1932 election, garnering 37.3% of the German vote. Because Hitler founded the party, he was appointed chancellor six months later and when the German president died, Hitler declared himself Fuhrer. That’s right, the Nazi party was voted in, and the driving factor was fear.
At the time, the German economy was interdependent with ours, and America was on the tail end of the Great Depression. In Germany, unemployment was upward of 35%. People stood in huge soup kitchen lines. I saw a photo. And on the wall of an adjoining building was a huge graffiti endorsement of Herr Hitler. Read: propaganda. Hitler was a master, and he used propaganda to manipulate people’s fear, bringing to the surface hatred of anyone who might compete for jobs or food. Hatred of anyone different.
The different, the undesirables, were forced into the camps. When they arrived, all possessions (identity) were taken away. They were warehoused, eliminating any sense of individuality. While still of value as unpaid labor, they were fed enough to keep them working. As hope faded and their willingness to toil in impossible conditions dissolved, rations were halved, and then halved again. Many committed suicide before torture, starvation or the death marches claimed them. In total, more than eleven million died.
Most Germans knew. And, largely, they stayed silent as Hitler invaded sovereign nations in his quest to conquer Europe, bombing innocents right along with the armies forced to defend their homelands. They stayed silent as the elderly and disabled were “put down”; as children were “educated” as Hitler Youth; as adolescent Arian girls were gathered as procreative hosts, then bred like Thoroughbreds, to create a cadre of “pure German” babies—“Hitler’s Children.” When good people do nothing—stay silent—evil flourishes.
Which is why I can’t stay silent now. Those ghosts are telling me I really need to point out the parallels in this country right now. We don’t have a Hitler as president. But our last president invaded a sovereign nation, plunging this country into ten years of war, little of it related to the events of 9-11. Megalomaniacal politicians are legislating against sexuality, gender, ethnicity, disability and “other than Evangelical” religions, as well as education, labor, the disenfranchised, healthcare and senior care. And let’s not forget women, who apparently should only be allowed sex as a means of procreation.
An uneducated populace is easily manipulated. Fed propaganda, the vote of a fearful person is easily swayed. Fear makes people hate, and the United States has become the ugly side of hate. Racists have crawled out of their holes and proudly fly their flags. Blue collar works cheer for corporations whose CEOs pay themselves millions while dialing back wages and benefits for employees. Teachers and firemen and policemen draw scorn. Damn the children who don’t belong to us. Damn the strangers whose houses burn. Worst of all, people bastardize their faith to give themselves reasons for their hate. WTF have we become?
I have traveled a bit of the world now. Before, I truly believed America was the shining example of democracy on this planet. Not any more. Don’t tell me I should leave. If everyone who felt like me shut up and moved away, evil would continue to flourish in America. The US is my home. I love it. Yet, I’m ashamed of what it’s become, and will continue to devolve into if we choose “representatives” who only care about what’s in the best interest of the few. Money must lose its place in our estimation, and in our politics.
We can change this tide. It starts with refusing fear. Refusing propaganda. Refusing to hate. It starts with returning to the very simple concept of loving our neighbors as ourselves. Accepting every person as a human brother. America should be a shining example to the world, and it can be again. But it won’t if we allow evil to flourish, like they did in Germany seventy years ago. History teaches us much. No wonder a few are so focused on rewriting it.
A statue outside the Dachau crematorium bears these words: In memory of those who died here. A warning to the living. Powerful words I needed to share with you.
Hundreds of you sent your New Year’s resolutions. Thanks so much for the great response, and for your downstream thoughts. Paying it forward totally rocks. The finalists were chosen at random, and here they are:
Bret Stephenson
Elizabeth (lizzyroo@gmail.com)
Amy Langton
Matthew Dooley
Danielle Schrupp
Heather Nollette
Maggie Belle
Terri Frederickson
Anne Rasmussen
Hannah Marble
If you are on this list, please send me your mailing address to claim your prize. I hope 2012 brings many good things your way.
Popular Read Winner:
Skinny, by CourtneyKingsley
First Place Winner:
The Thinkers, by Trela07
Congratulations, to you two, as well as to the other top finalists. I'm so impressed by the level of writing I witnessed here. You are the next generation's inspiration. Well-deserved!
Please, top two winners, contact Pulseit@simonandschuster.com , with Manifesto Top Two in the subject line, to claim your prizes.
Hey everyone!
I know you’re eagerly awaiting the announcement of the two winners of the Write Your Own Manifesto contest. There were a lot of entries (over 300!) and now I’m very close to a decision. The Popular Read winner has already been decided and will be announced on January 12th, when I announce the first place finalist of the top ten.
While I make final deliberations, I want to thank all of you who entered this contest, and congratulate the top ten finalists. All of you will receive a complete set of my books. If your manifesto is on the list below, please email your name and shipping address to PulseIt@simonandschuster.com with “Manifesto Final 10” in the subject line to receive your prize.
While you wait for the announcement of the top two winners, you can go over to Wattpad to get extra content and an extended excerpt of my latest book, Perfect. (http://www.wattpad.com/user/EllenHopkins).
Tune back in here on 1/12/12 for the official announcement of the final winners!
Here are the finalists (in alphabetical order by title):
The Broken Ballerina by jrose014
Do You Hear Me by mamie1990
End It All by PrettyGirlNerd
Funny That I Tried So Hard by xoxomurphyxoxo
My Reflection by tickledpink93
Secrets of a Girl Gone Lost by inmyplace
The Thinkers by Trela07
Watch Them Burn by momamoose
With Rainbow Flags Galore by Elisabeth_Carr
The World Today by InsipidLives
Mrs. Hopkins,
My name is Charles Thomas, and I am a teacher at Ridley Middle School in Ridley Park, PA. Allow me to start by telling you what a difference you have made in the lives of my students. Your books have turned so many reluctant readers into eager readers. My students thirst for each new book you release. It is fantastic that you create so many memorable novels for my students. I am emailing you though about a project my students have started.
My Language Arts students and I have started a project called LACING IT ALL TOGETHER. We are collecting shoelaces to remember those who lost their lives in the Holocaust. We are trying to gather them from all the places we possibly can. Once the year is done, we are going to tie the laces together and display them somewhere in the school. The laces were chosen due to the fact we are representing people who will never walk the earth again. We are also trying to gather survivor stories and make connections with families or survivors. Education is under a lot of criticism right now, and it is important for people to know the good things that are happening in our schools.
I am very proud of my students, and I was wondering if you would be interested in donating your own lace to our cause. If you are, then you can send it to:
Mr. Charles Thomas
Ridley Middle School
400 Free St.
Ridley Park, Pa 19078
I’m sending my shoelace! Will you send one of yours, and show these students that we believe, and that we care? Let me know if you choose to. And thanks for caring!
There were several who didn’t follow directions—include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for the return. Those, unfortunately, got moved to the back of the pile, because with so many on my desk, I had to do the quickest first. They did get taken care of eventually—having to track down some addresses, then address and stamp the return envelopes was time-consuming. But, hey, it’s the holidays. Again, my gift for you.
What I really wanted to comment on was the giving spirit of friends, siblings, parents, grandparents, aunts/uncles, boyfriends/girlfriends and spouses who took the time to send a request for a special gift for those they love. Wow. Many thanks to all of you for your caring so much. And particular thanks to the adults who trust the kids in their lives enough to allow them to read the books that touch their hearts.
After all the negative comments over the years, it’s heartwarming to know some adults realize the need for books like mine—books that inform, comfort, arm and strengthen young people so they know they’re not alone, help them make better choices, and develop empathy for those whose lives are different from their own.
Today’s young adults are tomorrow’s adults. They are the future. No way can we allow them to give in to fear, sadness and pain. Those things are threads in every life. So are courage, joy and love, and these we must provide in abundance. So thank you, friends, partners and family members. Together, we can build a future filled with hope.
I don’t often read reviews of my books, but while sorting through mail recently, there was one from my agent. Inside were copies of “big” reviews (as opposed to blog or reader reviews—you know, PW and Kirkus and Booklist). And I think it’s indicative of why my books are embraced by my readers, but sometimes snubbed by “major” reviewers. The review wasn’t bad, exactly. But it went something like this: blah-blah-blah-not-so-special-or-differe
The review was for Perfect, a book that literally hundreds of readers have written to tell me is their favorite book of mine. And guess what. They told me why, meaning they had personal reasons to care more about this book than others I’ve written. So here’s my question to the reviewer. Did you actually read this book, start to finish? And have you really, truly read all my other books, start to finish? Because this book is home to specific characters, with specific lives, families, friends and problems. It isn’t even close to being the same book as Crank or Burned or Identical or Tricks.
My supposed talent or writing style may not suit certain readers or reviewers. Ditto the content. But to say that all my books are the same is, quite frankly, wrong. Perfect has a unique sensibility that you can’t dismiss, and the same goes for all my books, whether or not some reviewers are discerning enough to see it. The fabulous thing is, my readers can. Witness this email I just received (I bolded a few sentences):
Hey, I'm not sure if you'll get this email but I have a few things I want to say, if you have the time. I'm 18 … [name deleted for privacy] and just finished Perfect five minutes ago. Your books are phenomenal and I have been reading them over the course of the last 4 years, and have loved and read them all. I wanted to let you know that people out there truly find inspiration in your words, and your novels have helped me from making a lot of not so smart decisions. I truly believe we all go through what we do in our lives and were put on this earth because we all have the inner strength to handle it, and triumph over our own battles. We do all make choices and must live with the repercussion whether positive or negative outcome of our actions. I would love to go on and on about your novels and ask you so many questions, but I know you are a human being, and you have lived, like others have lived and that is why you can write with such a gift.
You and your words are an extreme blessing, and you touch so many aspects in all our lives that some of us hold dear and are scared to face. You face them, put them out there, and vocalize different outcomes through the mistakes and determination of the characters you bring to life. The way you intertwine characters from book to book, and the way you show truth and vulnerability is amazing. Each character has a place in my heart, and each character can identify with someone I know, knew, or have a certain aspect of who I am or what I have faced in my life and that is so important to me.
I want you to know that you are truly an inspiration, and I haven't even met you. That I'm so glad you decided to write from a special place inside, because it touches millions and that is true beauty. Thank you for writing and please never stop. And if by some chance some day you lose inspiration in your work, or any challenge that may face you, remember that you have inspired countless times, and please find hope and faith in that.
The reviewer would likely dismiss this as just another fan letter. And I’m sure she would write off this reader as just another #fanofellenhopkins’darkdrivel. But I see her as a unique reader, in the same way she sees my characters as unique. She doesn’t read my books because they’re dark. She reads them because she finds inspiration within the pages I so carefully craft. And she cares enough about me, the person, to remind me that I can find “hope and faith” in the way I have affected her life, as well as the lives of others.
Logically, it doesn’t matter at all what the reviewer thinks. But I want her to understand that my readers are individuals, with individual life experiences and tastes. Lumping them all together, and dismissing them the same way, is unjust. To them. And to me.
Write a short letter to these critics (a paragraph or two will do), addressing those claims. Email them to ellenhopkins2@charter.net. We'll put them all into a random drawing, but I will post some of the best to my blog, and maybe even forward them to my critics. You guys rock. Not a reprobate among you!
Much love.
What I want to say is this. Yes, some YA lit includes references to sex or drug use or abuse. And that is because those things are threads in the teen weave. But YA authors DO write with our audience in mind. Authors for the adult marketplace have no such worries. When I was a teen, “young adult” meant middle grade. There was no teen fiction. So I, an avid reader, read whatever I could get my hands on. I read Jean Auel. (God, those Clan of the Cave Bear rutting scenes!) I read Jacqueline Suzanne, Jackie Collins, Colleen McCullough (that priest in Thorn Birds!) and Erica Jong (Fear of Flying’s “zipless fuck!”) I read Stephen King, Ken Kesey, Dean Koontz, Mario Puzo (Sonny and Lucy against the door!), and even managed to find a copy of Story of O. Too often, these books equated sex with “getting off.” They didn't make me want to run right out and get off. But neither did they define "healthy sex" for me.
Teens have sex. Period. They do, and always have. Why not show them what healthy sex is, or isn't? Rather than focus on sex as titillation, YA books tend to portray it as an outpouring of love—good, bad or confused. They show the outcomes of sex given too cheaply or taken by force. Teens make choices every day. It is vital they understand that every choice has a consequence. Mistakes can be forgiven, but some consequences can’t be taken back—a pregnancy, an addiction, a drunk driving accident that kills someone. Knowledge is power—the power to see consequences before a choice is made.
It is ludicrous to assume a teen who reads about cutting will choose to self-harm. Kids cut to deal with the immense pressure in their lives—the pressure to succeed at school, at sports; to live up to others’ expectations, or perhaps have no expectations at all because no one really cares. Ditto reading about drugs. Young people use to cope; to fit in. Hey, to have fun. But if they can become a character in a book, use and lose control, right along with that character, they understand better what’s at stake.
YA books do not make the world a darker place. They bring light and hope to an already shadowed landscape. Parents have every right to encourage their kids to read the kinds of books they’d prefer. But I submit that they also have a duty to arm their young adults with knowledge; to empower them to make better choices. And they should respect their teens enough to let them read the books they’re hungry for, whether that’s vampires or wimpy kids or teen prostitutes. Step up to the plate, parents. Read with your kids. Open the lines of communication and discuss your kids’ favored reading material with them. That’s parenting. Censorship is not.
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