I defend “Authentic Voice” by saying that a sincere voice just fits the conscious mind while authentic voice fits the whole self. Sincerity is tinny because it leaves out parts of the self. But I hear others objecting that some tinny sincerity, especially among the naive or adolescent, may not leave anything out at all. The whole person is thin and cliche’d. The only feelings he has are the common, cliched, public, tinny ones. People are mere puppets; shallow. Is that true? Tempting.
But perhaps it’s a perfect place to join this battle in the most central and radical way. We must decide whether we think that the kids in our classes really are shallow and thin and cannot/do not have complex feelings or perceptions. They certainly look that way sometimes. Only talk in cliche’s, & etc. But if we look closely at them and much of their lives, we must see that they are complex and rich and subtle. They do not have language yet or means of saying it. Or, they fall into common ruts of language. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t much there — or much complexity.