Hello!
Here are my slides for Everything, Everything. Also, here’s the link to Emily McDowell’s website (alternative greeting cards): https://emilymcdowell.com
I’m super passionate about sick lit and disability studies, so please please let me know if there is anything further I can provide or help investigate with you!
Thanks for being such (a) lovely audience/contributors today!
Everything, Everything Presentation Slides (Brooke Harvey).compressed
I’m not sure if it would interest you, but your presentation reminded me of a comedy film I had seen called “The Fundamentals of Caring.” It stars Paul Rudd and Selena Gomez. The film looks at the experience of a teenage boy who has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and his mom’s search for a caregiver who is a suitable match for her son’s stubborn and sometimes abrasive personality. They eventually end up going on an extended road trip and meet a cast of characters. It is sort of a formative, fairly light-hearted road-film. It is based on a novel, “The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving,” by Jonathan Evison. I have not read the book and can’t really speak to that. The film was very pleasant to watch and was high school appropriate (some sexual humor) and touched on some of the themes and difficulties we discussed together in class. I could imagine it possibly having a place when discussing “sick lit” within a YA context. I could imagine the film and the book possibly interesting young people and providing a lot of food for thought, critique, and discussion.
Aaron!! Thank you so much! I have seen it pop up on my Netflix recommendations but never gave it a try. I like the idea of the road trip too – the sort of cramped quarters that lend themselves well to bringing up difficult topics for discussion. Plus, you know, Paul Rudd.
And I will also check out Evison’s novel – there’s usually so much to unpack when looking at the language the author uses to discuss illness, so it will be good to look at that as well. Thank you so much!
Fantastic presentation, Brooke!
I wanted to reiterate my recommendation that a book like this (possibly any piece of Sick Lit fiction) could, I think, be effectively taught alongside Edward Scissorhands. I found the following clip where Johnny Depp talks about the deeply personal theme of connection and the desire for it as illustrated in Edward Scissorhands, and how the movie portrays that:
“Talking about what drew him to the role during an appearance, alongside Burton, on The Arsenio Hall Show in 1990 before the film came out, the chisel-cheeked Depp said, ‘I think it’s a pretty universal thing. It’s the feeling of not being able to fit in, the feeling of wanting to touch something but not being able to because you’ll hurt it, everything will crumble if you touch it. Early-teens kind of a feeling.'”
With a story like Everything, Everything focusing on the profound disconnection that a chronic illness can create in someone’s life, I think Edward Scissorhands would really help to illustrate the disconnection and thwarted desire in a fun, accessible way.
Such great insights! Thank you, Brianna!! I am so intrigued by the idea of bringing in Edward Scissorhands–I never would have thought of it, and I really like the way it might reinforce how prevalent these themes actually are across demographics/genres. I also like (and the quote you brought in reflects this too) bringing up notions of guilt. That you don’t want to cause harm to others, or ‘infect’ them with what you’re going through, so you distance yourself even further. Hazel does this a lot in The Fault in Our Stars too.
Thank you, thank you!!
I commented earlier but I wasn’t signed in haha let’s try this again.
I wanted to reiterate my belief that Edward Scissorhands would pair wonderfully with teaching Everything, Everything, or possibly any other popular Sick Lit for the very reason that it highlights the profound human need to connect and touch–a popular theme in youth. Johnny Depp articulates it as such:
“Talking about what drew him to the role during an appearance, alongside Burton, on The Arsenio Hall Show in 1990 before the film came out, the chisel-cheeked Depp said, ‘I think it’s a pretty universal thing. It’s the feeling of not being able to fit in, the feeling of wanting to touch something but not being able to because you’ll hurt it, everything will crumble if you touch it. Early-teens kind of a feeling.'” Everything, Everything aims (as far as I understand it) to describe the isolation of a chronic illness, and what that isolation means for the human desire to connect and touch. Edward Scissorhands illustrates that need in a humorous, accessible way that, I think, provides a fantastic entry point for students.