A hero for our time

 There has been some controversy over a book. 

At first, the controversy surprised me. It’s a book where an English teacher discusses some of the things she has learnt from pupils. Personally, I didn’t think it was going to set the world on fire, however any book that wins an Orwell Prize for political thinking is going to cause debate. 

What I couldn’t know and probably what the author couldn’t know, as white middle aged women, was how much light it shed on unconscious racism. The book was universally hated by minority groups and they felt that it was a racist book. Not only did it show how education fails children of colour it also made the author appear racist.

They pointed out the language she used to describe students and somehow her racism became undeniable.

She had used descriptions like, almond-shaped eyes, Ashkenazi nose and chocolate-coloured skin. 

Someone posted a very good review of the problems with the book on Goodreads and the author became defensive, spitting and hissing threats like a feral cat. She wanted the review removed and the reviewer strung up for pointing out these things. 

I can only imagine how upsetting it must have been for everyone. The author thought she was writing a nice book about her favourite students and the reviewer was pointing out the author’s bias. How can anyone back down from such lofty positions without falling and cracking their head open on the tarmac. 

However, after a few days and a few other authors pointing out her bias, Kate Clanchy has taken a careful step from the top rung of the ladder. Of course she had no intention of racism (or classism - which is also there) but she has gracefully seen that she could have been wrong. 

This morning she tweeted, “I have been given the chance to do some re-writing on Some Kids. I’m grateful: I know I got many things wrong, and welcome the chance to write better, more lovingly. To people saying I shouldn’t centre myself in the kids lives: I agree. I’ve been worrying about this for years. I hope you will be able to see them better, now I am knocked off my pedestal. And I apologise too for over reacting to the Goodreads reviews. It was wrong. I don’t really have an excuse, except that I am bereaved and it takes people in different ways. I am not a good person. I do not try to say that in my book. Not a pure person, not a patient person, no one’s saviour.”

For this, I think she is a hero. How many of us could truly do that? How many of us would roll our eyes and say, “Oh god, you can’t say anything these days? How many of us are completely open to learning from criticism?  In a world where people are encouraged to pick sides and double down on their beliefs, I think it takes real strength not to do that. I just hope that people allow her continued growth.