redaction

I know this word. But I never use it, although I certainly engage in it enough!

Definition of word:
“Putting something (as a literary work or a legislative bill) into acceptable form. Synonym: editing.” (answers.com)

Where I ran across it:
6/16/08 NYT article “The Secret to Success in Publishing: Bash Bush, With Nods to a Classic,” By Joanne Kaufman, about a brilliant, new political parody of the children’s classic, “Goodnight Moon.”

“…For example, the mouse that flits about the pages of “Goodnight Moon” has been replaced by a tiny scurrying Osama Bin Laden. At the beginning of the book, a pristine Constitution hangs on a wall; by book’s end, it is full of crayoned redactions.…”

My two cents:
Mixed feelings, here. I adore a good chuckle over a clever parody. And “W” is always ripe for the pickings, deserving of every skewering he gets. But mess with the all-time children’s classic, “Goodnight Moon???” I don’t know… is nothing sacred? I guess I should reserve judgment until I take a look. Judging by Joanne Kaufman’s review, the new book is hands-down genius. For that alone I may have to loosen up and give it its due. But let’s keep it on the adult bookshelf, away from the children, shall we?

Pardon my being overly sensitive, but, oddly, painfully, this has hit a nerve. I'll admit, the parody is funny, but my protective and thoroughly nostalgic inner parent/grandparent longs not to sully the tender content of the original. When I was reading “Goodnight Moon” to my own children in the late 70’s and 80’s, it was a precious part of a sacred bedtime ritual in which we parents left the adult realities of our scary political messes and worldly worries outside the door, and we did our best to create a warm, safe, magical moment for our children to fall asleep to.

OK, we basically lied.

The reality is, we had Nixon, Watergate, Abscam, and Reagan back then. And the political scandals and dirty tricks simply continue; only the names have changed – and the stakes are always rising. While all of it does, indeed, make great fodder for comic relief, sometimes I’m just not amused.

There’s a time and a place for everything. There’s a time for reality, and a time for suspension of it, for just a little while. I’ll soon be reading “Good Night Moon” to my sweet, innocent, 6-month old grandson. I hope it’s a long time before he has to hear about the harsh realities of stupid adults who screw up the world.

So sue me, but until then, I guess I'm just the quiet old lady who is whispering, "hush."