election night in Canberra

My mind is interestingly vague this year. I know I've talked about the elections with lots of people and I also know that I've said I will hold my usual election night session (lots of food, drinks and conversation while we watch the numbers come in and get rather snarky) but I can't for the life of me remember who has evinced interest in coming over. I was reminded of this last night when I realised that at least three of my usual crowd will be overseas.

Since election watching is a bit of a rarified sport, I feel safe in inviting all my friends. Just let me know if you're coming (enough in advance so I have food and etceras) and try not to turn up before 8 ish. The first two hours after the polls close are an entire waste of election-watching time, except if there's a landslide. If there's a landslide feel free to come over as soon as serious numbers appear, of course (and I'll improvise dinner).

This invitation applies to friends I haven't actually met offline yet. You need to know that I'm not much good at houseish things, though (except cooking) and that the less formal events are the happier I am. I do need to know numbers though, because I'm a numbers kind of a person. Hence the election watch. (you also need to email me for an address, I guess)

If it worries you that I might hate you for your politics, then stop fretting and just come over. At my place on election night we get snarky about everyone as a rule. I am leftish of centre, but I have friends and rellos who are far right and far left and everything in between.

If the National Tally Room still exists and if thoughtful guests bring cars, we might excurse there. Last elections they said that it was all going to turn electronic, though, and the National Tally Room without board updates, without the pollies and the TV folks chasing them round when their personal doom appears, and the scrutineers and the various news booths (where you can read the autocues and bet on which newsreader will get their own cue wrong next) is just not worth visiting.

There's bed space and floor space if anyone needs to crash (ie if you're coming from afar or you want to drink).

I suspect this is one of the rare times my past will out and I will openly talk all kinds of politics. I know for a fact that even if no-one turns up I shall entirely enjoy watching the evening unravel. I always do.

more Aurealis thoughts

I'm two thirds through my two day reading marathon. It ought to feel like hard work, but each book illuminates and so I enjoy every page.

What am I learning this year that I didn't get last year? Stuff I knew but didn't really understand, I think. Why it's so important not to summarise ten thousand books from one and say "this type of book is like that." Why genre should never be a cage. That every good writer should be appreciated for their writing and their stories and their characters, not because they remind us a bit of Heinlein.

Young adult fiction is not fiction written for young adults. It's not fiction written to educate. It's not fiction that has a large development arc for a single juvenile character. It's not hip. It's not fairy tale. It can be any or all of these things and it's usually a whole heap more.

There is no reason whatsoever why young adult literature should be considered anything but equal to other literature. It shouldn't ever be written less well or be less respected by the communities of readers.

Sometimes we cage YA fantasy and think that it's all like A Wizard of Earthsea, but the Earthsea books are just one of an infinite array of books that young adults will enjoy. Young adult readers are individuals and have as varied likes and dislikes and needs and artistic appreciation as older readers.

How am I learning this? This year's books cover a wider range of emotions and ideas than last year's. The writers sometimes extend the boundaries of genre and sometimes work within them. Right now there are two books I am pondering about, trying to work out exactly where they fit and why I think they fit there. When I've discovered my own boundaries, I get to discuss it with the other judges and extend my understanding further: it's fabulous.

Then I work out the relative strengths of each and every book. How do I compare adventure with fairy tale with hard SF with brain-expanding fantasy? With difficulty and a great deal of thought. After I've done that, then I find out what my fellow judges are thinking and we all surprise each other. The results aren't cut and dried and they're not easy to determine.

One thing's for certain and is quite obvious: the best writing for young adults is equivalent to the best writing for anyone, anywhere.