.
We love our Supernatural Underground backlist, exactly because of posts like this one by Cindy Pon, on Sex as a Life Force.
Definitely worth a reread, we feel, so without further ado...
 |
Sex As A Life Force
by Cindy Pon
...
this past weekend, a fellow writer who had just read my debut interviewed me on her blog. she asked a very interesting question about my use of sex in the novel as a life force, a source of power. i was taken aback, as i had never thought of it that way.
in contemporary young adult books, there is discussion about teen sex and consequences, or the lack thereof. in Silver Phoenix (which is inspired by the myth, folkore and culture of ancient china), i tried to stay true to the thinking of the time. a girl's place in society is to stay within the inner quarters of her home and, if she is a good daughter and wife, to make babies. preferably sons. this is the "young adult" life at the time teen sex isn't about decisions, labels, finding yourself or consequences. much less about love and pleasure.
it's about duty, filial piety, and obligation.
it's something that my heroine, ai ling, has to come to terms with. and ultimately uses to her advantage to defeat her enemy. although sex is often addressed in less explicit terms in young adult novels, i don't feel the scope of it is any less wide-ranging than in their adult counterparts. i actually think that it's in those crucial teen years, when feelings of sex, desire and longing may resonate the most--a time for firsts. and is there anything more powerful or unforgettable?
 |
To read the full post, click here
To catch up with Cindy, go here
No comments:
Post a Comment