The 80s Club

…and I feel fine. (REM, 1987)

As my time as a writer for The 80s Club comes to a close, I thought I would write a little something, rather than just disappear with no comment. I started writing for this blog as a fun side project, and it soon became very time intensive (that darned memory, it ain’t what it used to be. thankfully, the world has Google). The 80s were the decade of my teen years, and much loved, and I have thoroughly enjoyed this journey along memory lane. If nothing else, I have had a chance to look at a bit of history I lived through from an interesting perspective, and to see some of the common themes of our century, which seemed so unique to me when I was *in* the 80s, expressing themselves in our current times. A large part of my dilemna with writing for this blog has been what tone and focus did I want to bring? The elements which feel to me like they matter, tend to be darker, sterner stuff. Politics, war, famine, the environmental changes. These things do not lend themselves well to a light-hearted Club, heh. That is not to say there is something wrong with a whole lotta fun, because I certainly do love fun! At any rate, in the sorting and ordering of my priorities and time, it came down to continuing to write here and sleeping less, or stepping aside as an editor for The 80s Club and getting a few extra winks every night. Luv ya all, but sleep won out ;)
So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish!

Author Toni Morrison’s popularity grew in the 1980s and eventually she won a Pulitzer Prize in 1988, for her novel Beloved. Some other titles you might recognize include: The Bluest Eye; Sula; Song of Solomon; Tar Baby; and Jazz.

From Wikipedia:

Toni Morrison (born February 18, 1931) is one of the most prominent authors in world literature, having won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993 for her collected works. Several of her novels have taken their place in the canon of American literature, including The Bluest Eye, Beloved (winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction), and Song of Solomon. Morrison’s writings are notable for their epic themes, vivid dialogue, and richly detailed African American characters. In recent years, Morrison has published a number of children’s books with her son, Slade Morrison.     

© Simon & Schuster

Flowers in the Attic (1979) by V.C. Andrews was the first book in the Dollanganger series, with books 2-5 being written in the 1980s. Many of Andrews books were (and still are) controversial because they deal with topics such as incest and child abuse. Flowers in the Attic was no exception. The book was so controversial, that the plotline for the movie based on the book was altered quite a bit. One of the differences, in the Wikipedia entry:

There is no sexual tension or incest between Chris and Cathy in the movie, whereas it was a major theme in the latter part of the book.

Flowers in the Attic also made the banned lists in libraries across the nation.

FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC, by V.C. Andrews.
Considered “dangerous” because it contains “offensive passages concerning
incest and sexual intercourse.”
Challenged by Richmond (Rhode Island) High School, 1983. source

One thing the adult reaction to this book caused (as if often the case with banned books) was an increased interest among readers as to what shocking things might be contained within its covers. I recall some of the people I knew being pretty excited about getting the final book in the series in 1986. An interesting factoid is that V.C. Andrews was so popular, her estate hired a writer (Andrew Neiderman) to continue writing novels under her name.

That is correct. Even though there are books still being released under the name V.C. Andrews (Girl in the Shadows published in 2006), the author herself has been dead since 1986. So, if you want to read authentic V.C. Andrews, look for books published prior to her death.

Ted Hughes was appointed Poet Laureate in England in 1984. Some people may be aware that he was married for some years to Sylvia Plath. He wrote in a variety of genres, including children’s literature. The film The Iron Giant is based off one of the children’s books which he wrote. Ted Hughes died in 1998. There is more to Ted Hughes life than I can possibly do justice here. The best site I have found for exploring the life and writings of Ted Hughes is Earth | Moon.

An excerpt from “The Harvest Moon” by Ted Hughes:

The flame-red moon, the harvest moon,
Rolls along the hills, gently bouncing,
A vast balloon,
Till it takes off, and sinks upward
To lie on the bottom of the sky, like a gold doubloon.
The harvest moon has come,
Booming softly through heaven, like a bassoon.
And the earth replies all night, like a deep drum.

Miss Piggy’s Guide to Life (1981) is a book chock full of advice from the diva herself. You can’t go wrong with her beauty advice (if you’re a pig that is). Miss Piggy’s blend of coy ladylike mannerisms and martial arts moves is something which many of us have found endearing. I recall spending hours giggling over this book, and while I no longer have it (not sure what happened to it), I recommend it for anyone who loves humor and the Muppets - especially Miss Piggy.

Anne McCaffrey started writing her Pern novels in the late 60s, and has continued to release new books set in this world of Pern ever since. (Dragon’s Fire (Dragonriders of Pern, The) release date 11th June 2006 in hardcover). If you are a Dragon Lover, you may own a copy of the 1st Edition of The DragonLover’s Guide to Pern, which was released in hardcover in 1989. If you missed out on the book, do not despair! There is a 2nd Edition available.

Whether you want to know more about dragons, or learn about the customs of the holds, or perhaps just set your table to feast upon Pernese delicacies, this book is sure to please.

If just reading about Pern isn’t enough, you may want to check out the Arolos Weyr RPG site. (What is an RPG you ask? Check out Wikipedia’s entry to find out!)