For my second class this summer, Foundations of Teaching as a Profession, I’m supposed to read Nothing But The Truth by Avi. I did, and I was completely underwhelmed.
The story is of a ninth grader, Philip Malloy, who is suspended from school for causing a disturbance during the morning’s intercom playing of “The Star Spangled Banner”. A local politico picks it up and attacks the current school board for kicking the boy out “for being too patriotic” because the disturbance was the boy singing to the anthem when everyone was supposed to be respectfully silent. The story gets national media attention, and it goes downhill from there.
First, it’s supposed to be a documentary, but Avi reconstructs dialogue there’s no way he could get accurately - dinner table conversations, conversations between teachers that I doubt either would admit to, and a clandestine meeting between the superintendent and a candidate for the school board that casts both in a very bad light.
Second, there is a standard disclaimer inside the cover of the book, but it is SO standard, I could see it being stuck in by accident. Besides which, the cover is emblazoned with “DOCUMENTARY”.
Third, if it is fiction, it’s not very well written. Yeah, I know I’ve been spoiled by Rowling, Hambly, Willis, et al, but it just didn’t strike me as being a really good book. Rob Thomas’ (not Matchbox Twenty) Slave Day tackled the same subject matter with a much more deft voice.
So, have you guys ever heard of Philip Malloy, or a student kicked out of class for “being too patriotic”. I may or may not bring this up with my teacher. Haven’t decided yet.
Really? All I did was put ‘Philip Malloy’ in the address box, yes, you read me right, in the address box of the browswer & there are A LOT of web sites about him.
Some:
Web Pages
1-10 of an estimated 2,750
The Google search engine found these pages.
RMS READING
...a great novel about a boy, Philip Malloy, who is mad at his
...teacher asks him to stop, he refuses. Philip is suspended from
school,...
http://www.valley.net/~rms/sevenread.html
The Truth Will Not Set You Free ...
...Some of the facts are these: Philip Malloy hums through the ...is
this main character Philip Malloy? How do we get to the real...
scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ALAN/winter96/brooks.html
TeacherView: Nothing But The Truth
...Goshen, Ohio USA The Review Philip Malloy is a high school
boy who ...because he has a 'D' in English. Philip is not fond of his
English...
http://www.eduplace.com/tview/tviews/weber12.html
Shaker Heights Schools - High School Reading List
...Nothing But the Truth When Philip Malloy hums along with
“The...
http://www.shaker.org/libr/hslist.htm
Well, it does call itself “a documentary novel” (itals mine) - though what that means exactly is anybody’s guess. I would think it fits into the same genre of fake “documentaries” as The Blair Witch Project.
Or there’s the case of Mark Helfrich, who put out a book called, Naked Pictures of My Ex-Girlfriends. The book was reputedly filled with pictures Mark had taken years ago, documenting the wonderful era of “free love.” He even said all the exes were delighted to be part of the book and had happily signed waivers so their pictures could be used.
But some clever dick recognized one of the girls in the photos and knew that a) she was a professional model and b) she was far too young to have been Mark’s lover in 19-whatever. Turns out, ol’ Mark stretched the truth a bit. He didn’t contact all of his former girlfriends - he admits now he doesn’t even remember some of their names! - so he “recreated” a few of the pictures using models.
I’ve become leery of anyone or anything that tells me, “This is the Absolute Truth!”