The City Beneath the Snow: Stories (The Alaska Literary Series)
Contents:
Pudge finds Alaska's copy of The General in His Labyrinth with the labyrinth quote underlined and notices the words "straight and fast" written in the margins. He remembers Alaska died on the morning after the anniversary of her mother's death and concludes that Alaska felt guilty for not visiting her mother's grave and, in her rush, might have been trying to reach the cemetery.
On the last day of school, Takumi confesses in a note that he was the last person to see Alaska, and he let her go as well. Pudge realizes that letting her go doesn't matter as much anymore. He forgives Alaska for dying, as he knows Alaska would forgive him for letting her go. After Alaska's death, Pudge and Colonel investigate the circumstances surrounding the traumatic event. While looking for answers, the boys are subconsciously dealing with their grief, and their obsession over these answers transforms into a search for meaning.
Get The Lithub Daily
Pudge and Colonel want to find out the answers to certain questions surrounding Alaska's death, but in reality, they are enduring their own labyrinths of suffering, a concept central to the novel. When their theology teacher Mr. Hyde poses a question to his class about the meaning of life, Pudge takes this opportunity to write about it as a labyrinth of suffering. He accepts that it exists and admits that even though the tragic loss of Alaska created his own labyrinth of suffering, he continues to have faith in the "Great Perhaps,'" meaning that Pudge must search for meaning in his life through inevitable grief and suffering.
Literary scholar Barb Dean analyzes Pudge and the Colonel's quest for answers as they venture into finding deeper meaning in life. Because this investigation turns into something that is used to deal with the harsh reality of losing Alaska, it leads to Pudge finding his way through his own personal labyrinth of suffering and finding deeper meaning to his life.
When Alaska dies unexpectedly, the repercussions in the lives of her friends are significant, especially for Pudge and the Colonel. Scholar Barb Dean concludes that it is normal to seek answers about what happened and why. She also points out that in writing Looking for Alaska , John Green wished to dive deeper into the grieving process by asking the question "how does one rationalize the harshness and messiness of life when one has, through stupid, thoughtless, and very human actions, contributed to that very harshness?
Because of this, their grieving process consists of seeking answers surrounding her death since they feel that they are responsible. Ultimately, Miles is able to come to the conclusion that Alaska would forgive him for any fault of his in her death and thus his grief is resolved in a healthy way. Throughout the book, the events that Miles and other characters experience are typical coming-of-age situations.
By the end of the book, it is clear that Miles has grown throughout the year. Book reviews often note this theme, bringing up the instances in the book such as grief that cause the characters to look at life from a new and more mature perspective. The theme of hope plays a major role in Looking for Alaska. Even though some of the novel's prominent themes are about death, grief and loss, John Green ties hope into the end of the novel to solve Pudge's internal conflict brought on by Alaska's death.
In Barb Dean's chapter about the novel, she takes a closer look into Mr. Hyde's theology class where he discusses the similarity of the idea of hope between the founding figures of Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism. Hyde also asks the class what their call for hope is, and Pudge decides his is his escape of his personal labyrinth of suffering.
Best Alaska books for 2012
For Pudge, his call for hope is understanding the reality of suffering while also acknowledging that things like friendship and forgiveness can help diminish this suffering. Dean notes that Green has said that he writes fiction in order to "'keep that fragile strand of radical hope [alive], to build a fire in the darkness.
Reviews of Looking for Alaska are generally positive. Many comment on the relatable high school characters and situations as well as more complex ideas such as how topics like grief are handled. Overall, many reviewers agree that this is a coming of age story that is appealing to both older and younger readers.
Parents and school administrators have questioned the novel's language, sexual content, and depiction of tobacco and alcohol use. Printz award in and has also won praise from organizations such as the American Library Association, School Library Journal, and the Los Angeles Times among others. In in Marion County, Kentucky, parents have urged schools to drop it from the curriculum, referring to it as influencing students "to experiment with pornography, sex, drugs, alcohol and profanity.
- Peggy Shumaker: Projects.
- Local news matters..
- Blue Water, Brown Water: Stories of Life in the Navy and in Vietnam (My Life as a Baby Boomer Book 2)!
- Navigation menu.
- ?
After the challenge, students were given an alternate book for any parents who were not comfortable with their children reading the book. One parent still insisted on getting the book banned and filed a Request for Reconsideration on the basis that Looking For Alaska would tempt students to experiment with drugs, alcohol, and sex despite the decisions made after the challenge. Looking For Alaska was challenged by parents for its sexual content and moral disagreements with the novel. Despite the teachers providing an alternate book, parents still argued for it to be removed from curriculum due to its inappropriate content such as offensive language, sexually explicit content, including a scene described as "pornographic", and references to homosexuality, drugs, alcohol, and smoking.
The book was ultimately kept in the curriculum by the school board after a unanimous school board vote with the stipulation that the teachers of the 11th grade class give the parents a decision to have their children read an alternate book. Looking for Alaska was defended by the school district because they felt it dealt with themes relevant to students of this age, such as death, drinking and driving, and peer pressure.
- The Literary United States: A Map of the Best Book for Every State.
- The Drinkers Woman Book 1: 2nd Edition: For the Woman who loves or has loved a man who drinks too much.
- Best Alaska books for - Anchorage Daily News?
In March , The Knoxville Journal reported that a parent of a year-old Karns High School student objected to the book's placement on the Honors and Advanced Placement classes' required reading lists for Knox County high schools on the grounds that its sex scene and its use of profanity rendered it pornography. The school's spokesman argued that two pages of the novel included enough explicit content to ban the novel. Further controversy came from the cover art.
In August , Green acknowledged that the extinguished candle on the cover leads to "an improbable amount of smoke", and explained that the initial cover design did not feature the candle. Green said that certain book chains were uncomfortable with displaying or selling a book with a cover that featured cigarette smoke, so the candle was added beneath the smoke. Further paperback releases of the book also have the candle removed.
Green defended his book in his vlog , Vlogbrothers. Green defends the inclusion of the oral sex scene in Looking for Alaska stating, "The whole reason that scene in question exists in Looking for Alaska is because I wanted to draw a contrast between that scene, when there is a lot of physical intimacy, but it is ultimately very emotionally empty, and the scene that immediately follows it, when there is not a serious physical interaction, but there's this intense emotional connection. He also condemns the way that groups of parents underestimate the intelligence of teenagers and their ability to analyze literature.
He ends with encouraging his viewers to attend the Depew School Board hearing to defend the choice of parents, students, and teachers to have Looking for Alaska included in public schools. The film rights to the novel were acquired by Paramount Pictures in The screenplay was potentially going to be written and directed by Josh Schwartz creator of The O. Weber , screenwriters for Temple Hill Entertainment who had worked on adaptations for The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns , would be writing and executive producing for the film.
Later in , John Green announced in a Vlogbrother's video and on social media that the film adaption has once again been shelved indefinitely.
Looking for Alaska - Wikipedia
On May 9, , it was announced that Hulu would be adapting the novel into an 8-episode limited series. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Looking for Alaska Looking for Alaska first edition cover. Printz Winners and Honor Books".
Archived from the original on Questions about Writing and Inspiration". Retrieved 14 May Retrieved 15 September The New York Times. Journal of Intellectual Freedom Blog. Retrieved 7 December Penguin Young Readers Group. An Interview with John Green.
100 Books Across America: Fiction and Nonfiction for Every State in the Union
A memoir about master mariner J. Holger Christensen of Nome and his passion for the sea. Made in Alaska" by Chuck Heath Sr. Sarah Palin's father and brother share stories from her life. A Survival Story" by Abigail B. Calkin; Fern Hill Press. An adventure story about Captain Larry Hills' attempt to rescue his deckhand — and then himself -- after both become trapped in the net reel of a trawler.
Arctic researcher Matthew Sturm shares the story of his 2,mile snowmobile expedition across arctic Alaska and Canada, weaving his narrative with other stories of exploration and adventure.
Juneau author and photographer Larry Johansen traveled to all 18 wilderness areas in the Alexander Archipelago, and documents those travels and surrounding issues here through words and pictures. The second edition of this book on skijoring, or being pulled on skis by a dog in harness, covers what equipment is needed, how to teach a dog to pull, and how to work with your dog year-round.
An analysis of the distribution of caribou herds in northwest Alaska, based on modern research as well as sources that predate western science. In Frontier Romance, Judith Kleinfeld examines Americans' love of the frontier and its cultural influence. A comprehensive guide to the natural history of the North Slope, with information on climate, geology, landforms, and ecology; a guide to the identification and natural history of common animals and plants; and a primer on the human prehistory of the region.
Recipes for cooking with the more abundant and popular species of wild berries indigenous to Alaska, from currants to watermelon berries. A photo essay book featuring pictures by a dozen photographers. An exploration of Alaska's National Parks through photographs and panoramic gatefolds. Albert Lewis, a professional photographer and dog-lover, spotlights the four-legged heros of the Iditarod through full-page photos and accompanying text.
Walker; Another Alaskan DoDad. A combination of narrative and photos, this book features outhouses and stories from around the state. Just out this month, this children's picture book by two locals combines verses about a mother's love with facts about Alaskan animals. An alphabet book featuring birds that visit the Alexander Archipelago and Glacier Bay by a Gustavus author and artist. This kids book combines science drawn from orca research with a story about family and friendship. This story, set in Alaska, describes a girl who has lost her mother, and focuses on the power of memory and a sense of place in the natural world.
Probably a good reason why it is taught in middle school, high school, and college, ya think? Writing has taught me that the world will never work the way we expect or predict. In the Lake of the Woods; Louisiana: Yang — American Born Chinese Please enter your comment!
This children's book is set in one of the oldest houses in Haines, and describes Tlinigt history, culture and language through the eyes of a mouse who benefits from the generosity of his hosts. The issue of this award-winning humor magazine features stories on extreme roller derby action, the new exhibit at the Alaska Zoo, visqueen harvesting, renewable energy, ulu throwing and more. Tidal echoes, 10th anniversary edition UAS' literary and arts journal published their 10th anniversary edition this year.
Ice Box is published annually by undergraduate students of UAF. Founded in by Anchorage poet Mike Burwell, Cirque is a regional journal created to share the best writing in the region with the rest of the world. Alaska Quarterly Review, 30th anniversary issues: Spring and Summer , Fall and Winter The highly regarded AQR published two special anniversary issues this year in honor of its 30th anniversary. Mark Kelley calendars L ocal photographer Mark Kelley's "Southeast Alaska" calendar is now in its 19th year, and his "Juneau Alaska" version is in its 24th. The Outer Coast calender The Outer Coast calendar features wood engravings and watercolors by Sitka artist Rebecca Poulson as well as contemporary Alaskan poetry and classic poetry and quotes.
Directed by Ken Kwapis; Universal. Amy Fletcher is the arts and culture editor of the Juneau Empire. Read her other articles here. Alaska Life We Alaskans. Arts and Entertainment Books.
Mission. The Alaska Literary Series publishes poetry, fiction, and literary In the Quiet Season and Other Stories The City Beneath the Snow. For many, the idea of living off the land is a romantic notion left to stories of olden days or wishful dreams at the office. City Beneath the Snow - The.
Special Sections Holiday Gift Guide. Events Best of Alaska.