ENRAGED -- BUT ALSO TERRIFIED

I was reading Neil Gaiman's weblog today. It contained a letter from Daniel "Lemony Snicket" Handler about the events surrounding the San Francisco-based Academy of Arts University and their decision to expel a student because he wrote a story with disturbing, violent and horrific imagery.

I was aghast. Disbelieving. And, ultimately, furious. I could go off on a huge rant here about the American way of life and how it seems ENTIRELY based on fear and distrust of The Other Guy, who in these latter days is not Russian or German or Japanese, but The Guy Next Door, but it would be pointless. The idea that America is an amorphous mass of ill-educated, violent, physically-degenerate and prejudiced louts is self-evident in their media.

But that one of their own ART institutions should begin to slide down that artistic evolutionary ladder to ignoble hypocrisy terrifies me. Read the article published in the San Francisco Chronicle, and then read the letter I have sent to Ms. Elisa Stephens, president of the Academy.

Dear Elisa Stephens:

My name is Michael McAdam. I am a Canadian actor and writer. I am not published, I'm merely one of the thousands who are plying their craft in the hopes of one day being so. But after reading the article in the San Francisco Chronicle I felt that I must write to you immediately.

America is obviously a land in turmoil.

Each time I am exposed to the latest media circus over what Americans are offended by NOW, I am alternately shocked and disgusted. The very nation whose genesis lay in throwing off oppression of religious freedom as well as the freedom of expression is now, it seems, the First Nation of Censure, the World Leader in Fear.

I recently was made aware of the expulsion of one of your students over his written assignment; apparently he had written something so disturbing and violent that it struck post-Columbine fear into the school's administrative hierarchy and sent common sense packing.

Jan Richman, his teacher, was also fired. Or, as I'm sure you would put it, "not re-hired."

Ms. Stephens, the Academy of Art University is an ART SCHOOL. The very first sentence on your website's home page states: "I invite you to develop your art and design skills at the Academy of Art University." And try as I might, I can't seem to find the follow-up sentence that reads "...unless you offend someone."

Someone is always offended by some form of expression or another; and granted, your former student had chosen volatile imagery to express his imagination. But I ask you: Are you now, as an educator, in the position to censor a student who is in an adult learning setting because he has created something disturbing?

I myself am not a fan of violence and horror imagery in art. But to rescind the right of others to create it? No one should do that. Especially at an institute of higher learning whose very mandate is to foster that creative spark.

I will quote part of your own mission statement to you: "The Academy operates at the intersection of life and art in preparing working artists and designers within a creative environment that is at once supportive and challenging. The curriculum integrates the talents of students with their personal visions and aspirations with the overarching goal of preparing them for professional employment in art and design careers."

Apparently in the case of this expulsion and firing of a teacher you are preparing this former student for professional unemployment in an art and design career, by denying him the very education you purport to be "supportive."

How DARE you, Ms. Stephens. How DARE you allow fear and baseless prejudice to not only negatively impact this young student's life, but to set a dangerous precedent for your country. Your Academy is hailed as the largest institution of artistic learning in the United States; will you now also be the leader in censorship, fearmongering and ignorance?

I also have heard that you barred Daniel "Lemony Snicket" Handler from entering your campus buildings. To what end? He's an author that writes delightfully clever children's books. What possible threat could he comprise to your institution?

Ms. Stephens, I urge you to stop this hypocrisy, this artistic heresy. To deny this issue is to deny the very tenets of your institution. Please re-instate this student you have expelled. Please re-hire his teacher, Jan Richman. Please be a leader, and show your country that fear, ignorance and censorship have no place at the Academy of Art University.

Sincerely,
Michael McAdam

Posted by Agent M at April 04, 2004 06:37 PM