Hysterical aftereffects
Good god. People need to CALM DOWN.
The Chicago Tribune reports that an eighteen year old straight-A High School student was arrested for writing an essay that 'disturbed' his teacher. Even though no threats were made to a specific person, 18 year-old Allen Lee's English teacher convened a panel to discuss the work. As a result of that discussion, the police were called in. '
Editing to add a link to this essay by Stephen King on predicting violence…
I've thought about it, of course. Certainly in this sensitized day and age, my own college writing — including a short story called ''Cain Rose Up'' and the novel RAGE — would have raised red flags, and I'm certain someone would have tabbed me as mentally ill because of them, even though I interacted in class, never took pictures of girls' legs with my cell phone (in 1970, WHAT cell phones?), and never signed my work with a ?.
Mom to 4 kids and 2 stepkids, I am a writer writing in the heart of chaos. I am the co-founder and former editor of 
One of the comments read: I'm really scared for the future of our country when kids these days
are walking around with essays. I hear that Mexicans go around with
them all the time, too.That made me laugh. Yeah, people need to learn to calm down. Most of the teenagers I know write depressing, bleak things. Where would we draw the line? Where could we?
faerie~wings
28 Apr 07 at 11:38 am
Amen! I once burned some poetry I wrote in college after reading Conrad's "Heart of Darkness." I knew, even then, they'd come lock me away if they read that…
Yeah, I write horror; they're going to come haul me away one of these days. Autographed books to the first person who brings me a file in a cake.
Holly
28 Apr 07 at 7:09 pm
Sheesh! Calm down is right.By the way, I LOVE your new banner. It's wonderful.
Red Pen
1 May 07 at 9:59 am
By the way, I LOVE your new banner. It's wonderful. Thanks Red Pen! When I found those illustrations, I could NOT resist lol.
beba
2 May 07 at 11:00 am