The House of Tomorrow

by Gary Crew

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts.
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

Kahlil Bibran


Sixteen-year-old Danny Coley has stories to tell - stories of life and death and beyond...
The haunting story of a teenager's self-discovery.

Genres: Young Adult

185 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Dr Gary Crew, author of novels, short stories and picture books for older children and young adults, began his writing career in 1985, when he was a high school teacher. His books are challenging and intriguing, often based on non-fiction. As well as writing fiction, Gary is a Associate Professor in Creative Writing, Children's and Adult Literature, at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland and editor of the After Dark series.

He lives with his wife Christine on several acres in the cool, high mountains of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland in Queensland, Australia in a house called 'Green Mansions' which is shaded by over 200 Australian rainforest palms he has cultivated. He enjoys gardening, reading, and playing with his dogs Ferris, Beulah, and Miss Wendy. In his spare time he has created an Australian Rainforest Garden around his home, filled with Australian palms. Gary loves to visit antique shops looking for curios and beautiful objects.

Gary Crew has been awarded the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the year four times: twice for Book of the Year for Young Adult Older Readers (Strange Objects in 1991 and Angel’s Gate in 1993) and twice for Picture Book of the Year with First Light in 1993 (illustrated by Peter Gouldthorpe) and The Watertower (illustrated by Steven Woolman) in 1994. Gary’s illustrated book, Memorial (with Shaun Tan) was awarded the Children’s Book Council of Australia Honour Book in 2000 and short listed for the Queensland Premier’s Awards. He has also won the Wilderness Society Award, the Whitley Award and the Aurealis Award for Speculative Fiction.

In the USA he has been twice short listed for the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Allan Poe Mystery Fiction Award for Youth and the Hungry Minds Review American Children’s Book of distinction. In Europe he has twice been and twice the prestigious White Raven Award for his illustrated books. Among his many Australian awards is the Ned Kelly Prize for Crime Fiction, the New South Wales Premier’s Award and the Victorian Premier’s Award. He has been short listed for both the Queensland Premier’s and the Western Australian Premier’s awards for Fiction.

Reviews

[Stef Rozitis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am appalled to learn that Gary Crew was actually a teacher because I assumed he (writing this in the 80s when everyone tried so hard to be "cool" and "relevant") wrote about something he didn't really understand. But for an actual teacher to have written this makes its flaws even worse.

The narrator "Mr Mac" is narcissistic, emotionally stunted, self-indulgent and unprofessional in all sorts of ways/. He consistently seems to objectify students- referring to their appearance inappropriately for example, and reaction to a student based on his mood or a superficial feel for the person not out any sort of commitment to education or awareness of the rights of the child (unless he likes the child).

Here are some examples of problematic behaviours- he casts a girl as the romantic lead based on her good looks (p102) despite her lack of acting and singing ability. He also does not consider pedagogical questions in his casting it is all about making a fantastic show to show off (which sits badly with his constant false-humility). P108 "Mr Mac" decides to replace the school orchestra with "real" musicians. In this he is aided and abetted by a music teacher who seems to share his values in many ways. Follows a discussion of his opinion of the children in the orchestra which is beyond disrespectful. He refers to one of them as "Thing" and claims not to know its gender.

This is a book that claims to be written for teenagers to read. What would be the effect on already insecure teenagers of thinking their teachers judge them in these ways- preferring the good looking ones, feeling dismissive of any who are less than charming or well turned out? I really am appalled.

And yet here I also read hints of Crew's rich, dark writing, his beautiful sentences. I have quite liked his work at other times. While I don;t like the often stereotypical way he puts these characters together, he brings them to life with colour and conistency. He builds emotional tension, ambivalence, the cluelessness that we all feel in trying to get into someone else's head. I wanted to love this book.

But there was also the androcentic world-view, the stereotyping, the objectification. I am too lazy to do a major deconstruction of Daisy Rackman but look to p97 for passive homophobia that Mr Mac and Leigh seem to need to share to define themselves and feel comfortable with each other (this is not deconstructed); look to p133 to some stereotyping about women teachers, women's cultures in general and some hetronormative observations about that. And while whenever possible I tried to see this misogyny as Mr Mac not necessarily Crew's own beliefs, Crew definitely collaborated with Mr Mac in how he let things unfold - also I think in a book for teenagers anything so strongly ideological that is at no point even weakly questioned or challenges stands as the book's "truth".

There's a possibility that "succour" was an unfortunate choice of words on p157, however considering how sophisticated Crew can be as a writer it is hard not to see it as an intentional (and somewhat immature) "locker-room" pun.

All in all an unsatisfactory book, and I am the fool for expecting something so different. I know it was the 80s and I know Crew was only starting off as a writer. Thank goodness it is in all of us to grow.

[Janelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

About a troubled 16 yr old boy called Danny Coley, who writes a journal for his teacher to read, with the handwriting suggesting a double personality. He may be responsible for the death of a schoolmate on a field trip, and ultimately his mental state, the voices he hears and such are never fully explained - they just put it up to his overimagination.

[Woff · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book aimed at teens but with an unlikable teacher on the verge of retirement as the protagonist, who can’t keep up with the younger teachers let alone the students.

“What’s cooking?” I asked, in my brightest voice.
She held up a colander: “Pasta.” She giggled and my heart sank. Trendy people, trendy food. What was I doing there?

[Sarah Thornton]

Australian Gothic once more.
Love the genre, love the author, was hoping for a little more intrigue.
Very interesting to see how the style of YA changes - this is from 1988 and it's so unsanitary in comparison to recent books from the same genre - but in the absolute best way.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in Year 10.
At the time, Gary Crew was still working as Head of the English Department of a Brisbane Public High School. He visited with us to discuss his work as an author :)