Archive for June 8th, 2012
Sweethearted Schadenfreude in the kid’s letters home from camp in: P.S. I Hate It Here and P.S. I STILL Hate it Here
Posted on: June 8, 2012
It technically IS schadenfreude since the pleasure of these books DOES come from the painful expressions of homesick, loneliness and discomfort in all the hilarious letters. But it IS also sweethearted from the reader’s point of view, knowing the love and aches that befell the original readers of these letters (namely the parents of the children).
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P.S. I Hate It Here (Kids’ Letters From Camp)
Selected and Edited by Diane Falanga
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P.S. I Still Hate It Here (More Kid’ Letters Home From Camp)
Selected and Edited by Diane Falanga
Humor also stems from recognition in us, the second hand readers, of the manipulation and inflated hysteria documented on the note sheets, postcards and cute stationary provided by parents for kids to write home. We, too, wrote letters just like these, seeking love, validation and consolation from our parents.
And it is the inflated hysteria of these letters that give the humor such power!
One child asks, “Do you care about me or the stupid money?” Another suggests that the parents come and pick him up and if they don’t he provides a list of ways he will use to leave on his own which include, “Running away, Getting sick, Contacting the office for help.”
In the second book, “P.S. I Still Hate It Here,” I adore Lauren’s food request list. She suggests that her parents can “analyze but I would like you to bring all of it.” The list takes the whole page, but her wishes include fried onions, chicken scaparilla (La Parma) and Entenmans Chocolate Crunch Cake.
At least the kids are getting some good practice in composition and exploring techniques for quality persuastive writing!
And it is impossible for me to read these photocopied letters, laughing through my tears, without the soundtrack of Amilcare Poncielli’s “Dance of the Hours” running through my head as it was captured for “Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah” by Allen Sherman and Lou Busch.
Kid’s love this song and they howl with laughter when I read them some of these letters. The kids recognize the sweethearted schadenfreude, too.
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Related Posts
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HELLO MUDDAH HELLO FADDAH, A SINGABLE PICTURE BOOK:
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/03/05/hello-muddah-hello-faddah-a-singable-picture-book/
