“No. We’re talking about an accessible way for parents to help determine if they deem a book appropriate for their child or not. A way for parents to protect their child. A way to foster open discussion of said topic between the parent and the child to promote better understanding of an issue.”
“Like I said, there are merits on both sides of the coin. But who decides what is ‘triggering’?” She said the word with air quotes. “It is subjective, is it not? You say these warnings aren’t censorship, but I say it’s a slippery slope. Red-flagging a book because of its content is the first step toward book banning. It’s the first step toward erasing a diverse understanding of history. Of bubble-wrapping the human experience.”
“Now you’re being extreme. There’s a big difference in offering a content list and starting a bonfire for a book burning.”
Should Julien step in and comment? This was a subject that had come up a lot at King Publishing and all of their imprints. It affected every reader, one way or another, but it wasn’t until he’d sat in a meeting with one of their copy editors that he’d garnered a deeper, personal understanding.
Slowly, he lifted his hand. The woman against content warnings who sat beside him offered him her microphone.
“My esteemed colleagues make very important points on this subject, but before we get too heated in these polar views, I’d like to offer a third perspective, if I may.” He scanned the audience, his gaze landing on Martha in the front row. Her skin was pink, bordering on red. Had she gone out withoutsunscreen? Needing to focus and knowing she was a distraction, he pushed his gaze past her and focused instead on a grandmotherly woman sitting in the middle of the room.
“The perspective I’d like us to consider is that of a specific reader. Let’s call him Johnny. Johnny comes from an abusive home where his father has used him as a punching bag in the past. Johnny is safe now. No one hits him anymore. But he still remembers. Still has nightmares. Still carries that trauma around. When he is triggered, Johnny’s body forgets that he’s no longer in danger and reminds him of all the fear and hurt and ugly that he had to endure. It can sometimes take hours or even days for Johnny to claw his way out of that panic.”
The tone in the room grew somber. It was too easy, unfortunately, for everyone to picture a child like Johnny. Either they related personally to a boy with a story like his or they had seen the same scenario too many times on the news. Either way, by the grim looks on the faces around him, Julien knew each person had the image of a little boy who’d experienced something no one should in their minds.
“Now imagine that Johnny picks up a book. The cover is fun. The book looks like it will be a good escape from reality for a little while. Until the boy in the story also suffers at the hands of domestic violence and Johnny gets a solid right hook to his mental and emotional stability.”
Julien paused a moment before continuing. “I think it’s readers like Johnny who are the intended audience of trigger warnings. And it isn’t necessarily to shield them from distressing realities, but to provide them with the autonomy and agency to moderate their own emotions while they interact with the book. It allows them to search within themselves and decide if they are ready to face such realities. To steady and brace themselves and not be caught off-guard by something that could unbalance their healing.”
The room was quiet a moment as the audience seemed toabsorb what he’d said. His gaze drifted back to Martha of its own accord, her own eyes holding a specific sheen to them. She smiled at him, closed-mouthed and a bit tight-lipped, like she was holding in her emotions. But she couldn’t stop them from spilling out of her gaze. And if he wasn’t mistaken, those honey-hued eyes of hers said she’d been moved by him, that she was proud of him, and—maybe it was wishful thinking on his part—maybe there was somethingmorethere as well.
The other panelists continued to discuss the topic. The gentleman at the end dove off Julien’s words, capitulating that truly traumatic event warningsinsideof a book instead of the cover could be a good middle ground, but that there was harm when the warning was on topics in general or indicated language or sexual content, going on to say those things could stigmatize a book.
Julien tuned out the rest of the Q&A. His mind reverted back to Martha, her books, and Squire. He couldn’t shake off the way she’d looked at him. It was a look that gave his heart hope, but in his enthusiasm to grasp hold of the solution to saving Squire by publishing Martha’s books, he hadn’t taken the time to consider another more personal problem that answer would bring.
If he signed Martha as a contracted author at Squire, then her temporary status as his employee would become more permanent. He’d been counting down the days until her contract was fulfilled so he could voice his romantic interest. If he published her books, he wouldn’t be free to confess his growing feelings and pursue a possible relationship with her.
23
Martha met him outside the conference room when the editors’ panel was over. She was leaning against the wall, her focus on her phone. Julien took a moment to allow his gaze to sweep over her. It was a rule he lived by—and a good one—not to mix business with pleasure, as the saying went. A rule that protected both himself and every woman whom he worked with.
In all honesty, it hadn’t been difficult before. Yes, he’d worked with attractive women in the past and even a few in the present, but he’d never given any of them more than a fleeting glance. But Martha was more than a pretty face. She challenged him. No one else would’ve called him out on his poor behavior during this trip. She’d not only held him accountable, but she’d also been willing to give him something personal—a wound from her past—in order to make him see the damage he was doing and force him to be a better man.
So, he’d allow himself this moment to imprint her on his mind. To remember how she felt like a gift he didn’t deserve. And maybe even torture himself in the future when he was alone and thinking of what might have been and how he’d chosen a path where they couldn’t be together.
The flowy sundress hugged her curves, and the way she had her curls piled on top of her head accentuated the elegant slope of her neck. Her skin was flushed, the hue even redder now than it had been during the panel. Julien winced. He should’ve warned her not to go outside without sunscreen. The hotel might have some aloe vera lotion. If not, it would be easy to find in a store. More difficult would be Martha trying to apply the lotion to the hard-to-reach places along her back.
Julien gulped. Talk about a slippery slope. He mentally backed away from the edge before he started picturing things in his mind that he shouldn’t. Like his hands caressing Martha’s back. Even if it were innocent and he’d only be helping her relieve the pain of her burn.
Taking a deep breath, Julien realigned his thoughts. Dad. His health issues. The reason Julien was there in the first place. The consequences if he failed. Back on track, he pulled all the arguments he’d compiled to the forefront of his mind to convince Martha his plan to publish her work was solid. Back in the business headspace, he determinedly strode forward.
Martha lifted her head, her gaze roaming his face as he walked toward her. He stopped in front of her, ready to launch into his first point and not waste any more time.
She raised a hand in a halting motion. “I promised to think about it, and I am. I don’t need a spiel.”
Julien closed his mouth. It was really disconcerting when she did that, knew what he was going to say before he said it.
“In fact,” she continued, “I emailed the manuscript to Caroline to get her opinion as well as to a few other people who are well versed in children’s literature.”
Julien frowned. “You don’t trust my opinion?”
“It’s not that I don’t trust it. It’s just ... tell me, who is Patricia Polacco?”
“Who?”
“Exactly.”
Julien crossed his arms over his chest. “So, Caroline and these other people get to read the full manuscript, but I don’t?”
