From: Debbie Reese <dreese.nambe_at_gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 09 Feb 2013 05:28:38 -0600

One of the paranormal romance novels I read (and gave up on) is K.D. McEntire's LIGHTBRINGER.

I posted my thoughts on it and the author responded. Jeffrey Canton, who teaches children's lit in Canada, asked her a follow up, and she responded to it. In a nutshell, she said that there had been more info about the Native character but that editors asked her to cut it because the Native character was a secondary one.

I'm grateful to McEntire for sharing the behind-the-scenes of the process. It gives us a peek at what's going on with regard to characters of color in books where they're, as McEntire said, secondary rather than primary characters.

Here's the link: ires-lightbringer.html

In my experience, most authors are reluctant to share that sort of information. I really appreciate McEntire sharing it because it lets us (readers) understand what we're all up against in terms of getting the books we're after. I'm definitely going to follow her work. She's trying.

(Here's a note to authors, editors, reviewers, and readers: I said this in my critique of McEntire's book. People use the word SHAMAN in their books about Indigenous people all the time. It's not ok! Like "squaw" (which is offensive) or "papoose" (which is used as THE 'Indian' word for baby when it actually is the word in ONE Native language), it raises a huge red flag about outsider perspective. I know a lot of Native people from a lot of different nations, and nobody calls their medicine person a shaman. Nobody.)

Debbie
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Debbie Reese, PhD Tribally enrolled: Nambe Pueblo

Email: dreese.nambe_at_gmail.com

Website: American Indians in Children's Literature _at_ http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.net

Now: Studying for MLIS at San Jose State University Then: Assistant Professor in American Indian Studies, University of Illinois
Received on Sat 09 Feb 2013 05:28:38 AM CST