Open Letter to John Green
I am 24 years old and a middle school teacher. I spent a good amount of my adolescence devouring your books. Looking for Alaska was my favorite as a teenager, and I even traveled to Indian Springs School to see you and Hank during The Fault in Our Stars book signing tour. Needless to say, I purchased Turtles All the Way Down soon after it was released.
As a human who has struggled with mental illness her whole life, I want to thank you for creating Aza Holmes. I struggled (and still struggle) with ruminating thoughts and panic attacks, and reading about a character such as Aza gives me hope. I work in a small, country school in Mississippi, where the majority of my students live below the poverty line. The community in which I work does not have access to adequate mental health services, and the general public perceives mental issues to be relatively fictitious.
I grew up in a much different environment, but if I had been able to read about a character such as Aza Holmes when I was in school, it would have been a great comfort. All manifestations of mental illness are different, but one accurate and humane description can offer a world of understanding.
When I return to school after the new year, I will be placing this book in my classroom for my students to read.
The purpose of this letter is to say thank you.
areudirty
gummygunk
germansingergirl
dailybridgerton
tangentwithtanner
ellievsbear
amandla
theartofmadeline
gamechangershow
