I found an intriguing post today on Publisher’s Weekly’s Shelftalker blog.  Children’s bookseller Elizabeth Bluemle ponders the role of acknowledgments pages in books, particularly in novels (as opposed to in works of nonfiction, where acknowledgments are par for the course).   While recognizing that it is certainly lovely and thoughtful to publicly mention those who have helped the novel along its journey (not to mention that it’s interesting to get a peek at the author’s personal life), she brings up two issues about these infamous pages which bug her:

First, acknowledgments pages have the potential to project a—certainly innocent and obviously unintentional—self-congratulatory air. When I mentioned the topic of this post to Flying Pig staffer Kelly Dousevicz, she succinctly observed, “They often read like an award acceptance speech, without the award.”

[Additionally,] acknowledgments pages can have the subtle psychological effect of undercutting the authority of the storyteller by being a little too revealing, by broadcasting an author’s private uncertainties about the work, self-consciousness as an artist, or by laying bare the scaffolding of craft… The world of a book, after all, is a private conversation between author and reader. Acknowledgments pages break that spell by bringing in the outside world.

The comments section in this blog post are equally – if not more – fascinating (it’s amazing to see how a seemingly inane topic can transform into a public debate on matters of good taste, good breeding, and high literature).  Readers, writers, and editors all chime in on the issue, and their opinions are incredibly diverse.  Many agree with Bluemle’s criticisms, others suggest possible solutions (“I do prefer the acknowledgments at at the back”), and still more disagree with Bluemle, claiming that the acknowledgments don’t break the storytelling spell, and that they actually enjoy reading them.

Want to know my thoughts?  No?  Well, I’ll tell you anyway.  There’s a wonderful Jewish concept called hakarat hatov – literally, “recognizing the good”.  It’s all about recognizing, and acknowledging, a goodness or kindness that another person has done for you.  Basically, giving credit where credit is due.  It’s not only considered to be bad form, but is also considered to be a negative personal trait, to not stop for a moment and acknowledge that however great your work is, you are standing on the shoulders of giants.

That’s why I’m putting myself in the pro-acknowledgments camp.  Even Shakespeare drew inspiration from outside sources (“Romeus and Juliet,” anyone?) – if only we could have gotten him to acknowledge it!

-Naomi