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Re: Caldecott at 75: Diversity (or lack their of)
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From: Christine Taylor-Butler <kansascitymom_at_earthlink.net>
Date: Thu, 16 May 2013 12:08:08 -0600 (GMT-06:00)
body{font-family: Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size: 9pt;background-color: #ffffff;color: black;} body{font-family: Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size: 9pt;background-color: #ffffff;color: black;} I think statistical ana lysis is good. But is limited. For instance, "talent" and "percentage of th e population" are not necessarily mutual. Even so, there is a piece missing to looking solely at census data for clues. For instance, my own ane ctdotal experience shows me more women as illustrators trying to break into , or currently working, in the kidlit industry than males. Often, for exped iency (putting food on the table) they are hired to illustrate books that a re traditionally not considered for awards (chapter books, educational book s, etc.)
Also, as I look at my own daughter's colleges (both world-r anked art programs) those universities have more women enrolled than men.&n bsp; So the tide is changing but despite the statistics for women in the wo rkforce. Because art and illustration have always been perfect cottage indu stries that allowed women to stay at home with children. Many illustrators I know are self-employed.
What I think we can't discount is that abs ent of data showing there are more "white males" illustrating trade b ooks total, there may be a bias against women and minorities among awards c ommittees. One way to combat that is to insist on more diversity on the com mittees. Or use the clout to highlight publishers who need to be pushed to acquire more female illustrators for Trade books.
I remember when Je rry Pinkney received a Caldecott, it came only after angry blog posts and a n essay in Horn Book Review lambasting ALSC for ignoring him and talented p eople of color. And yet equally talented women who had been commercially tr ained and equally skilled at a number of classical styles contend it is dif ficult to get work in the industry even if a prior book had been critically acclaimed.
The opposite was true when I was at Hallmark. I was adep t at reading statistics used at Hallmark to justify why they only marketed to women even as my own studies showed marketing to men and broadening the landscape would stem their significant sales losses. To no avail. So as I l ook at publishing - I'm struck that - like Hallmark, the primary purchaser of books for children may be females. But the industry does seem to favor w hite males, an odd concept given their representation in the overall popula tion.
Perhaps ALSC can do more to create a diverse body of judges fo r its committees. I have spoken to librarians who are interested but can't get funding or support to serve on committees, particularly those of color. Perhaps if we started there, we'd see a shift.
But mostly, th ose committees can't judge work if the publishers don't acquire it - choosi ng to use statistics to recreate models that have been successful for them. Although I do wonder if there are many females in Trade who fall vi ctim to the current landscape which is that publishers choose who to market from the point of acquisition and everyone else on the list is subject to the sink or swim mentality. Librarians can't judge work if no one knows it exists........Christine
Received on Thu 16 May 2013 12:08:08 PM CDT
Date: Thu, 16 May 2013 12:08:08 -0600 (GMT-06:00)
body{font-family: Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size: 9pt;background-color: #ffffff;color: black;} body{font-family: Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size: 9pt;background-color: #ffffff;color: black;} I think statistical ana lysis is good. But is limited. For instance, "talent" and "percentage of th e population" are not necessarily mutual. Even so, there is a piece missing to looking solely at census data for clues. For instance, my own ane ctdotal experience shows me more women as illustrators trying to break into , or currently working, in the kidlit industry than males. Often, for exped iency (putting food on the table) they are hired to illustrate books that a re traditionally not considered for awards (chapter books, educational book s, etc.)
Also, as I look at my own daughter's colleges (both world-r anked art programs) those universities have more women enrolled than men.&n bsp; So the tide is changing but despite the statistics for women in the wo rkforce. Because art and illustration have always been perfect cottage indu stries that allowed women to stay at home with children. Many illustrators I know are self-employed.
What I think we can't discount is that abs ent of data showing there are more "white males" illustrating trade b ooks total, there may be a bias against women and minorities among awards c ommittees. One way to combat that is to insist on more diversity on the com mittees. Or use the clout to highlight publishers who need to be pushed to acquire more female illustrators for Trade books.
I remember when Je rry Pinkney received a Caldecott, it came only after angry blog posts and a n essay in Horn Book Review lambasting ALSC for ignoring him and talented p eople of color. And yet equally talented women who had been commercially tr ained and equally skilled at a number of classical styles contend it is dif ficult to get work in the industry even if a prior book had been critically acclaimed.
The opposite was true when I was at Hallmark. I was adep t at reading statistics used at Hallmark to justify why they only marketed to women even as my own studies showed marketing to men and broadening the landscape would stem their significant sales losses. To no avail. So as I l ook at publishing - I'm struck that - like Hallmark, the primary purchaser of books for children may be females. But the industry does seem to favor w hite males, an odd concept given their representation in the overall popula tion.
Perhaps ALSC can do more to create a diverse body of judges fo r its committees. I have spoken to librarians who are interested but can't get funding or support to serve on committees, particularly those of color. Perhaps if we started there, we'd see a shift.
But mostly, th ose committees can't judge work if the publishers don't acquire it - choosi ng to use statistics to recreate models that have been successful for them. Although I do wonder if there are many females in Trade who fall vi ctim to the current landscape which is that publishers choose who to market from the point of acquisition and everyone else on the list is subject to the sink or swim mentality. Librarians can't judge work if no one knows it exists........Christine
Received on Thu 16 May 2013 12:08:08 PM CDT
