About THAT Scene in Looking for Alaska

In which John discusses the widespread banning of his first novel Looking for Alaska, and the single page in the book that has caused so much controversy. Also discussed: Book banning in general, the professions of teaching and librarianship, the ability of teens to read critically, and so on.

----

[onebenclark]

The year is 2008, I am watching John Green discuss the banning of his book Looking for Alaska, the importance of context to understanding meaning, and believing in teenagers' capacity to think and understand.
The year is 2016, I am watching John Green discuss the banning of his book Looking for Alaska, the importance of context to understanding meaning, and believing in teenagers' capacity to think and understand.
The year is 2024, I am watching John Green discuss the banning of his book Looking for Alaska, the importance of context to understanding meaning, and believing in teenagers' capacity to think and understand.

[NabPunk]

"It's not books they find obscene, it's reality." - That one's got to go in the books now.

[bat_manda]

I lost a close friend to suicide when we were both 16. The idea that teens aren’t smart or mature enough to read books about grief and loss isn’t just insulting—it ignores the reality that those are things they actually deal with.

[Jennaesis]

As a librarian, a teen once told me they wanted to read about things like race and sex and drugs in books so they could learn from the characters instead of risking their own life. Teens are smart and curious. They deserve credit.

[Daliachan]

Teenagers are old enough to have babies, but too young to read anything describing the making of the babies

[meerly_here]

Took “library aide” as an elective in high school in the 2010s. One day the librarian asked me to take a list of commonly banned books, find all the ones we had, and make a nice big display of them in front of the checkout desk with a “Read Banned Books” sign. I read as many as I could that year.

[toxicbagel]

Hello, John! I'm honored to let you know that, just last month, a small but passionate group of bookworms and I spoke in defense of Looking for Alaska at my local school district. After both challenge and an appeal, I am proud to say that my second favorite censored writer from Indianapolis will remain on the library shelves where he belongs. Thank you for all that you've done and continue to do. 💜

-- June B.

[BaileyMarieBernadette]

As a Catholic Christian, born and raised, At first my mom was infuriated that I read this book my junior year of HS. Then I asked her to read it to because it profoundly impacted me and made me really think about the complex reality of relationship and how YES even as high schoolers, we feel deeply. And she read it, and she loved it, and apologized. It is truly a Christian valued book at its core and I’m thankful for you and your writing and for a mom who was willing to listen and be changed by stories.

[zebracorn]

The copy of looking for Alaska at my school has a note in the back “every freshman should read this.” and someone else in another ink color crossed out “freshman” and wrote “person”

[sarahmickel]

Thank you for this. As a relatively new librarian and library administrator (still not sure how that happened), this nuanced take over controlling an adolescent’s right to read is lovely. Thank you for sharing.

[conqu]

Proud to be an Illinoisan, where we were first to outlaw book bans!

[nicolefess]

Looking for Alaska has been banned from my old high school, but I loved that copy because in the back there were discussion questions for students and students interviewing you. You and Hank have inspired me to become a teacher. Thank you for all your work.

[KaytiQuickSilver]

It’s kind of insulting to me as a teacher that we pay thousands of dollars for a bachelors degree in education, spend a large part of our time in profession development to stay up to date with education research, spend time outside of work to plan and grade, spend our own money on supplies we need to teach lessons with because the school declined to pay for them- and we are still treated like we cannot be trusted with our students and have to micromanaged the entire year. Not to mention the fact that we see our kiddos struggling to keep with learning academically and socially, but there is nothing we can do about it.

[jaithewizard]

My uncle gave me a copy of this book when i was in middle school and it's been important to me every day since. It introduced me to the idea of choosing your own name, which i later did when i came out

[lindsayrigby]

Looking for Alaska changed my life. It was a recommendation by my middle school librarian, who is now one of my close friends. It was 2008 and I was experiencing great grief when I read the book, though of a different flavor - my parents were separating, and my father had moved abroad, and there had been violence in my home. I was 13, and I loved Alaska (I was aspiring to be a mysterious and wanted person myself despite my great nerdiness and my basically-subtitled facial expressions). And the book devastated me, and I immediately checked out An Abundance of Katherines, and my librarian said, "You know, I just went to see the author of this book - he and his brother started this video project online." And here I am, over half my life later.

It boils my blood that groups are banding together to stop librarians, like mine all those years ago, from making their best recommendations for teenagers based on their expertise and understanding. The only reason I know what you mean when you say "THAT Scene" is that I've been in Nerdfighteria since 2008 and remember the first time Alaska was banned - otherwise, my brain would go to the pond or the daisy or the kiss or the McDonalds or any of the other meaningful moments of connection and grief within.

[lauralittle]

Late to the conversation, but here now!
About 11 years ago, I was depressed and reading Looking for Alaska. A boy I sat with in English Literature asked to borrow it when I'd finished, sure fine.
That boy texted me at 2 in the morning to ask my thoughts when he got to the part between before and after. That sparked more conversations, and that boy is now my husband.
Thanks for the great book John, it changed my life.
P.s. Had to seriously think about the scene people are up in arms about, so it didn't scare me for life!

[iplayminecwaft]

Almost a year ago, a student at my school died.
Based on the manner of death and the circumstances, there was no conceivable logical explanation for it to have been anything but a suicide. And yet, a part of me held out a belief that it was just an incredibly strange accident

Then I learned, a couple weeks before I read Looking for Alaska, that he had left a note.

Looking for Alaska hit incredibly close to home for me. It helped me fully process his death. It very well might be the book that has caused me the most tears (challenged only by Book Thief)

Thank you, John, for allowing me the opportunity to read about Pudge’s journey.

Alaska, you may not be real, but within your world you are missed

And Riley, we miss you. Fly high buddy.

[browncesario]

looking for alaska has brought so much hope and clarity into my life. i have to believe its legacy is so much bigger than this.

[the_ellieverse]

As a YA & YS librarian, yes. A thousand times yes.

Also, I read this book in the 9th grade and immediately understood the juxtaposition of this clumsy awkward scene versus real and genuine intimacy, that it wasn't the act itself as much as the connection you have with the person you're interacting with. As a young and inexperienced teen, this was, in fact, a great lesson for my young self to have.

[ecilana]

Looking for Alaska found teenage me trying to navigate grief and loss for the first time in my life. I will be forever grateful to finally read something that could put into words what I was experiencing.