From: Norma Jean <nsawicki>
Date: Wed, 09 Mar 2005 16:03:53 -0500

Sorry but Elliott batTzedek's question about what underneath it all is the
"color" of the editors of the CKS books was disheartening. Having spent over 30 years publishing children's books, it is a tape that has been played on and during all of those years, and I had hoped the children's book world would be beyond the race card by now, nor do I understand why the "color" of an editor matters in terms of writers/books that receive awards. Virginia Hamilton, Eloise Greenfield, Jerry Pickney, Brian Pickney ( as well as Andrea), Julius Lester, Mildred Taylor, John Steptoe, Sharon Bell Mathis, June Jordan...to name only a few, were discovered and nurtured by white editors. One's color has little to do with one's interests or ability to identify/ nuture a gifted writer. If one were to count the number of writers/illustrators of "color" discovered, nurtured, and published by a single editor, Phyllis Fogelman, who is white, would still win, hands down. With very very few exceptions, children's book publishing does not attract many "people of color." I have always suspected one of the reasons is the gifted folk can do better financially in other businesses...and too, except for those who come to know and love children's book publishing, it is not a business that is viewed as sexy, or, in some circles, valuable...meaning...when are you going to become a grownup and publish adult books or "real" books but that is a whole other subject. Lastly, there is some concern among publishers that the business as a whole no longer attracts, or is able to keep, " the best and the brightest" no matter the background. Norma Jean
Received on Wed 09 Mar 2005 03:03:53 PM CST