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[CCBC-Net] Pura Belpre Award
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From: Eliza T. Dresang <edresang>
Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2002 20:42:07 -0500
Randall:
As Megan said, you have hit the nail on the head with your question. i.e., why aren't there more books with Latino themes and by Latino authors and illustrators?
Since I am not a publisher, I cannot respond to that question from the publishers point of view, but perhaps if there are any publishers
"listening in," they may lend some insight. I do know about some specific efforts by publishers to encourage authors/illustrators of color, including presses that specialize in a specific cultural focus.
Nor do I know why there are not more persons of Latino background writing for youth -- Somewhat facetiously I'll say remember the "bottom heavy" age of this population -- maybe there are some budding authors and illustrators that just have to grow a bit older (we did have two very interesting books submitted by the publisher of a 12 year old authors this year).
Re what has been done: I remember after publishers and the public woke up to the fact that there was an "all white world of children's books" in the mid-sixties that the Interracial Council for Children's Books offered an annual award and publishing opportunity to encourage people of color to write. The list of authors and illustrators who participated from 1967 to 1979 are some of the most prominent yet today. Two of the Latino authors in the "awakening to multicultural literature" in the 70s (and among the first to write specifically for children in the US) were Cruz Martel and Nicholasa Mohr -- both writing from a Puerto-Rican American heritage.
After a conference called the multi-colored mirror sponsored by the CCBC in 1989 that included a writing workshop for aspiring authors of color, HarperCollins offered a publishing award to beginning authors and illustrators.
I don't know if you realize that there is a somewhat similar "incentive" that was started just 3 years ago by Lee & Low publishers. Just in case, here is a brief blurb about it -- it was just given for the third year. Hopefully more Latino and other authors of color will be encouraged to write by this opportunity also.
http://www.leeandlow.com/editorial/voices.html
In addition to Lee and Low, there are other relatively small presses that specialize in books by people of color or especially in Latino literature, i.e., Children's Book Press, Cinco Puntos, and Pi?ata Books/Arte P?blico
(unfortunately I can't name all of them here, but the CCBC list of small presses owned and operated by people of color is a great resource -- http://www.soemadison.wisc.edu/ccbc/pclist.htm#latino )
I do know, too, that the small number of such books is one of the motivating factors behind establishing this award. Discussion such as this one bring to light the creativity that resulted in these books and bring to Latino children as well as non-Latino children the chance to explore Latino culture and to see the population of the US more accurately reflected. But hopefully there is an inspiring effect on authors & illustrators, also.
Many, many years ago (approaching 100 before too, too long), the Newbery Award was established in order to, among other things, hold up "unique distinctiveness" (one of the criteria of both Newbery and Belpr?) for all to see and seek. Hopefully the prominence of this award will interest just the sort of storytellers you mention to put pen to paper (or hands to computer) to share their experiences in words or pictures with children.
Well, nuff said for now.
Eliza
At 09:28 AM 2/22/2002 00, gravity_rabbit wrote:
that
you
42
_________________________________________________________ Eliza T. Dresang, Associate Professor School of Information Studies/ Florida State University Tallahassee, Florida 32306!00 e-mail: edresang at mailer.fsu.edu Phone: 850 644 5877 (w) FAX: 850 644 9763 (w)
Received on Fri 22 Feb 2002 07:42:07 PM CST
Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2002 20:42:07 -0500
Randall:
As Megan said, you have hit the nail on the head with your question. i.e., why aren't there more books with Latino themes and by Latino authors and illustrators?
Since I am not a publisher, I cannot respond to that question from the publishers point of view, but perhaps if there are any publishers
"listening in," they may lend some insight. I do know about some specific efforts by publishers to encourage authors/illustrators of color, including presses that specialize in a specific cultural focus.
Nor do I know why there are not more persons of Latino background writing for youth -- Somewhat facetiously I'll say remember the "bottom heavy" age of this population -- maybe there are some budding authors and illustrators that just have to grow a bit older (we did have two very interesting books submitted by the publisher of a 12 year old authors this year).
Re what has been done: I remember after publishers and the public woke up to the fact that there was an "all white world of children's books" in the mid-sixties that the Interracial Council for Children's Books offered an annual award and publishing opportunity to encourage people of color to write. The list of authors and illustrators who participated from 1967 to 1979 are some of the most prominent yet today. Two of the Latino authors in the "awakening to multicultural literature" in the 70s (and among the first to write specifically for children in the US) were Cruz Martel and Nicholasa Mohr -- both writing from a Puerto-Rican American heritage.
After a conference called the multi-colored mirror sponsored by the CCBC in 1989 that included a writing workshop for aspiring authors of color, HarperCollins offered a publishing award to beginning authors and illustrators.
I don't know if you realize that there is a somewhat similar "incentive" that was started just 3 years ago by Lee & Low publishers. Just in case, here is a brief blurb about it -- it was just given for the third year. Hopefully more Latino and other authors of color will be encouraged to write by this opportunity also.
http://www.leeandlow.com/editorial/voices.html
In addition to Lee and Low, there are other relatively small presses that specialize in books by people of color or especially in Latino literature, i.e., Children's Book Press, Cinco Puntos, and Pi?ata Books/Arte P?blico
(unfortunately I can't name all of them here, but the CCBC list of small presses owned and operated by people of color is a great resource -- http://www.soemadison.wisc.edu/ccbc/pclist.htm#latino )
I do know, too, that the small number of such books is one of the motivating factors behind establishing this award. Discussion such as this one bring to light the creativity that resulted in these books and bring to Latino children as well as non-Latino children the chance to explore Latino culture and to see the population of the US more accurately reflected. But hopefully there is an inspiring effect on authors & illustrators, also.
Many, many years ago (approaching 100 before too, too long), the Newbery Award was established in order to, among other things, hold up "unique distinctiveness" (one of the criteria of both Newbery and Belpr?) for all to see and seek. Hopefully the prominence of this award will interest just the sort of storytellers you mention to put pen to paper (or hands to computer) to share their experiences in words or pictures with children.
Well, nuff said for now.
Eliza
At 09:28 AM 2/22/2002 00, gravity_rabbit wrote:
that
you
42
_________________________________________________________ Eliza T. Dresang, Associate Professor School of Information Studies/ Florida State University Tallahassee, Florida 32306!00 e-mail: edresang at mailer.fsu.edu Phone: 850 644 5877 (w) FAX: 850 644 9763 (w)
Received on Fri 22 Feb 2002 07:42:07 PM CST
