Thoughts on - The Art of Growing Up - a book by John Marsden

I recently downloaded and have now read a new book by Australian author John Marsden - The Art of Growing Up.

I read a review of this book in the Sydney Morning Herald and I was stunned, the writer of the review embarked on a tirade of misinformation regarding the books message. It was an education to me, how one person could skew the message of a book so significantly. I commented to the writer via social media, “I stand by my review” was the reply. I have reflected on the review over a week or so and I continue to feel stunned - it was a gross distortion of the book as a whole.

So - I am taking the step of expressing my thoughts in this blog

I think Marsden’s efforts deserve better than the review I read.

In his book, John Marsden was critical of just about everybody - he presents his case for change, his views about how our world could improve education, by opening with arguments that clearly show the problems rained upon children by their parents, by schools and by governments. It is easy to take this presentation of his views personally but a mature and reasonable person can surely accept some level of criticism with regards to the treatment of their own children.

If we posit that the world has many problems and that many or most of these problems are brought about by adults, we can extend that to mean that those adults were once children and were taught how to live by their parents - therefore parents have a very significant role. Marsden sets out a strong case along these lines.

I observe that schools are often filled with people who have grown up going to school, moved to university and then gone back to school. I observe that teachers are forced to follow a system that in many cases is unhelpful - great emphasis is placed on ranking and marks and merits, “are we smart and good compared to others”. Marsden sets out a strong case along these lines.

I observe that the government continues to appoint men and women to ministerial roles where these very people have no real knowledge or perhaps interest (outside of their career) in the subject they are responsible for making decisions about. Marsden sets out a strong case along these lines.

I observe that teenagers have a difficult time interfacing with a society that often judges them as bad or ‘naughty’ for behaving in ways that are entirely natural to them. If a person sits in a class and says, through either action or utterance - "this bores the crap out of me, I don’t want to do it and I do not want to listen to you” - then panic sets in and we all feel the need to bring that growing human ‘into line’. What kind of a system have we built that criticises people for being human and moving through a phase in life. Marsden speaks with great clarity about this fact and its existence in our lives.

I observe that the world is often lead by men who make clear and decisive statements - statements like “Iraq has chemical weapons” - statements that are clear and concise yet full of ambiguity and untruth. Why do these men gain power?? Marsden sets out some clear thinking behind this fact.

I judge John Marsden’s book as being an extremely balanced account of society as it currently stands. He is at times cynical and even a bit condescending, demanding, angry, sympathetic, loving and open.

He speaks of a school where a teacher can bring her new born baby into the classroom, where she can breast feed the child in the classroom, where she can ask the students to watch the child whilst she is busy, where the students gain insights into more than the ‘subject’ at hand. It sounds like community to me.

I highly recommend this book.

In my music life I had a special interest in WW1 and its Centenary - a part of my motivation in looking at this period in history is that WW1 and its devastation (in emotional terms) set the 20th century on its course. We are all children of the stress this event and subsequent events have created.

We are what came before - but we can also be much more as we grapple with the facts of our own failings and weaknesses, difficult work, but worthy work - especially for our children.