Norma Klein (1938–1989)
Author of Sunshine
About the Author
Series
Works by Norma Klein
Associated Works
Places I Never Meant to Be : Original Stories by Censored Writers (1999) — Contributor — 337 copies, 7 reviews
Wrestling with Zion: Progressive Jewish-American Responses to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (2003) — Contributor — 84 copies, 1 review
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1938-05-13
- Date of death
- 1989-04-25
- Gender
- female
- Education
- Barnard College (B.A., Russian, 1960)
Columbia University (M.A. ∙ Slavic Languages ∙ 1963) - Occupations
- children's book author
- Short biography
- Norma Klein, the daughter of a psychoanalyst, attended progressive schools before studying at Barnard College, Cornell, and Columbia. She originally wanted to become an artist, but said she decided to become a writer when she was unable to find books written about the kinds of people she knew, or who held her interest. Along with Judy Blume, she became one of the early pioneers of young adult literature in America with her realistic novels and short stories. She attributed her portrayal of alternative lifestyles, such as the single-parent family in Mom, the Wolf Man and Me (1972) or the lesbian mother and her partner in Breaking Up (1980), to her liberal upbringing in New York City. Her works dealt openly with other controversial issues as well, such as racism, divorce, abortion, and death, which may explain why Publisher's Weekly listed her as one of the most frequently censored authors in America. She died after a short illness. Her papers are housed at the University of Minnesota.
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- New York, New York, USA
- Places of residence
- New York, New York, USA
- Place of death
- New York, New York, USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- New York, New York, USA
Members
Discussions
somewhat explicit YA books in Name that Book (March 2012)
Reviews
New York City high school senior Jody meets Midwestern transplant Lyle at their summer internship, and they become friendly playing tennis. They are romantically interested in each other, but Jody is more forward and experienced than Lyle, and ready to have sex sooner; he doesn't want to have sex until he's sure he is in love with the other person, while Jody espouses the titular phrase. The two do fall in love and have sex, and fold into each other's lives: Jody babysits Lyle's baby niece show more with him, and he visits her father Sidney, and father figure Philip, with her. But when Jody's first boyfriend returns to town, she sleeps with him, and tells Lyle the truth about it, after which they break up. She also fights with her mother when Jody sticks firm to her decision to go to Swarthmore, not Radcliffe (her mother's alma mater). Blunt, cosmopolitan Jody has been stewed in Second Wave feminism, but still feels insecure sometimes; kind, thoughtful Lyle is often surprised or baffled by her, and occasionally hurt. Yet, the book ends with a note of hope, Jody heading to the tennis court to meet Lyle.
See also: Forever by Judy Blume
Quotes
"Though, well, if I'd been God, I'd have done it a little differently...I'd have made it so either a man or a woman could get pregnant. Nobody would know when they made love who would end up pregnant."
"That would lend a certain element of surprise." (Jody and Lyle, 10)
Mom always goes around saying the double standard is dead and Eric and I are so lucky to be living in a generation when everything is equal, but I wonder. That might not be as true as she thinks. (31)
I guess deep down I'm afraid if I wait for someone to fall madly in love with me, I might have to wait the rest of my life. (84)
"Jo, where do you get these crazy theories? Men are never insecure?"
"Well, I don't see why they should be. They have everything." (Philip and Jody, 88)
"There are some people...who just don't examine things. They're not introspective. So you just have to accept [your father] for who he is." (Mom to Jo, 119)
What I should try to do, as Mom says, is just figure: This is what he's like. Why be hurt by it? (120)
I suppose the part of me that wants to please runs head on with the part that wants to antagonize. You can guess which part pulls into the lead fairly early on. (129)
"I don't think I could stand it, having children...to go through all that a second time, all that pain." (Jody, 151)
"...the truth per se has no value whatsoever....You think of people's feelings!" (Mom to Jody, 183) show less
See also: Forever by Judy Blume
Quotes
"Though, well, if I'd been God, I'd have done it a little differently...I'd have made it so either a man or a woman could get pregnant. Nobody would know when they made love who would end up pregnant."
"That would lend a certain element of surprise." (Jody and Lyle, 10)
Mom always goes around saying the double standard is dead and Eric and I are so lucky to be living in a generation when everything is equal, but I wonder. That might not be as true as she thinks. (31)
I guess deep down I'm afraid if I wait for someone to fall madly in love with me, I might have to wait the rest of my life. (84)
"Jo, where do you get these crazy theories? Men are never insecure?"
"Well, I don't see why they should be. They have everything." (Philip and Jody, 88)
"There are some people...who just don't examine things. They're not introspective. So you just have to accept [your father] for who he is." (Mom to Jo, 119)
What I should try to do, as Mom says, is just figure: This is what he's like. Why be hurt by it? (120)
I suppose the part of me that wants to please runs head on with the part that wants to antagonize. You can guess which part pulls into the lead fairly early on. (129)
"I don't think I could stand it, having children...to go through all that a second time, all that pain." (Jody, 151)
"...the truth per se has no value whatsoever....You think of people's feelings!" (Mom to Jody, 183) show less
I started out hating this 1976 YA novel and wondering what on earth was going on with Norma Klein when she wrote it, since she was a total genius. Then, about a third of the way through, the book won me over. It's a stream-of-consciousness story about an 18 year old ballet student whose boyfriend is a choreographer at her school. He's an absolute monster (but that's not the main character's assessment) and she starts cracking up.
I discovered Norma Klein via The Genius of Judy [Blume] by Rachelle Bergstein. This picture book - wordy by today's standards - features young friends Marina and Adam, who frequently play together at school. But Marina takes issue with Adam's certainty that some jobs are for boys and some for girls, and in fact, her parents support her, even reminding her that she knows a woman doctor - her own Aunt Rose. They have to concede, however, that there has never been a woman president of the show more United States (though other countries have had women leaders). With admirable straightforward simplicity, Marina and Adam work out the problem, taking turns to be president and flying each other to the places they'll give speeches. show less
I've just re-read this book, which I've read maybe 3 times over the last 30 years. Each time, I've loved it. If you like character-driven fiction, this is as good as it gets. If you like Norma Klein, this is her best. Too bad that it's stuck in the YA ghetto. I'm now a 64-year-old guy, and I find it perfectly satisfying as an adult book about two teens, first love, a clash of cultures (middle class Ohio versus Jewish Manhattan) with a nice story arc with a touching ending. Judged as an adult show more title, the sex is very mild. The friendships and love and confusion are very real. The parents are believable and sympathetic even as they mess things up. Everybody is white and heterosexual, which is the only thing that makes the story seem a little bit dated.
Ten years from now (hoping I'm still around), I bet I read it again, and I bet I still love it.
One quibble: the Fawcett edition cover shows a clingy, blond girl with straight hair whereas the character Jody is upright, independent, with dark curly hair. The boy, Lyle, on the cover appears kind of snotty, which is the opposite of the Lyle depicted in the book, and he appears to be looking down Jody's blouse, which the Lyle in the story would never do. I'm just sayin'... show less
Ten years from now (hoping I'm still around), I bet I read it again, and I bet I still love it.
One quibble: the Fawcett edition cover shows a clingy, blond girl with straight hair whereas the character Jody is upright, independent, with dark curly hair. The boy, Lyle, on the cover appears kind of snotty, which is the opposite of the Lyle depicted in the book, and he appears to be looking down Jody's blouse, which the Lyle in the story would never do. I'm just sayin'... show less
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- Works
- 67
- Also by
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- 1,633
- Popularity
- #15,730
- Rating
- 3.7
- Reviews
- 20
- ISBNs
- 249
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- 10
- Favorited
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