How many times had I let myself connect with someone only to have it thrown back in my face? Jay Asher More Quotes by Jay Asher More Quotes From Jay Asher I wanted to tell you everything. And that hurt because some things were too scary. Some things even I didn’t understand. How could I tell someone—someone I was really talking to for the first time—everything I was thinking? I couldn’t. It was too soon. Jay Asher hurt talking thinking I left. When I should have stayed. Jay Asher left should should-have She wants to believe my excuses so bad. Every time I lie, she wants to believe me so much. Jay Asher want believe lying I was too weak to walk. At least, I thought I was too weak. But in truth, I was too weak to try. Jay Asher walks weak trying Do you remember the last thing you said to me? The last thing you did to me? And what was the last thing I said to you? Because trust me when I said it I knew it was the last thing I’d ever say. Jay Asher trust-me lasts remember The longer you wait, and this is true, the slower the hands will move. Jay Asher waiting hands moving Because what if I got to know you and you turned out to be just like they said? What if you weren’t the person I hoped you were? That, more than anything, would have hurt the most. Jay Asher what-if hurt said Personally, I never understood the power of having books written about your experience - whatever that experience may be - until I wrote one and started hearing from teens. I just got an email from a reader who said that "Thirteen Reasons Why" was the first time they had felt understood. A book shouldn't be anybody's first time feeling understood and that's where censorship bothers me. These books need to be out there. Jay Asher censorship feelings book Every reader is different. There's no book that's inappropriate for every person, but there are people who cannot handle everything. Jay Asher different book people A lot of authors see their book being banned or challenged as a badge of honor. But for me, it's nothing but frustrating and upsetting. I hear from readers that my work encouraged them to ask for help or reach out to someone about the situation they're in. When you hear stories like that on a daily basis and then hear adults call for your work to be banned, it's proof of why the stigma around these issues is so dangerous. Jay Asher upset honor book The young adult literature is relatively new - it just kind of exploded in the 2000s. When I grew up, there weren't bookstores with sections dedicated to teen lit, nor was my generation raised reading books written specifically for us. Because of that, today we still think of books for teens as children's books and so when you write a book that includes sensitive topics, it just seems even more controversial. What's troubling to me about that is these are issues adults know that teens deal with. Not writing about them makes them something we don't, or can't talk about. Jay Asher reading writing book I felt I had a very innocent childhood and I feel privileged by that. But as an adult, I know that there were people who didn't have that. There are a lot of teens who haven't had as easy a childhood as me, and having literature that explores these "darker" parts helps relieve the burden and stress they may be feeling. As a writer, there is often a temptation to draw back when we write for teens - to preserve their innocence. But the reality is, if someone has already had that innocence taken in their life, then not writing about it is just brushing it under the rug. Jay Asher stress taken writing Bullying has been around forever, and so it became one of these issues that as an adult we look back on and say, 'Yeah, it's just one of those unfortunate parts of growing up.' You know you're not going to stop it, so it just became easier to call it one of those things that 'just happens.' Jay Asher stop look you bullying If we know it's happening, and we're not having the discussion, we're contributing to the problem of making it seem like people can't open up. Jay Asher like know problem people See, I'm not a very good musician. Jay Asher very good see musician I really love visiting schools - in fact, that's my favorite part of being an author now - even though I still get stage fright! When I visit schools, I know I'm going to be talking to some kids who don't like to read. Jay Asher know stage talking love I was in Las Vegas, and there was a exhibit of King Tut's tomb, and it was an audio tour. At the very end of that, I just thought it would be a really cool structure for a novel, but I just didn't have a story to go along with it. Jay Asher king end thought cool With traditional school visits, I also get to speak with people who haven't read my books and talk about my writing process as well as the serious aspects I write about. Jay Asher serious speak people school I knew that part of the problem with sensitive issues is that, because they're uncomfortable to address, we have a hard time doing so honestly, if at all. Jay Asher doing hard problem time Usually, when somebody really hates your book, they're not going to waste time on it, telling you what you need to work on. Jay Asher you work time book
