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RE multicultural lit - minus some?
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From: Audrey Maynard <audmaynard_at_Tilburyhouse.com>
Date: Fri, 14 Feb 2014 10:24:49 -0500
Dear fellow list servers…. Although I prefer to let Tilbury House books speak for themselves, as a children’s editor, I did want to make a few comments about the topics under discussion here. To state the obvious, it’s not easy to publish books that are both inclusive, and culturally sensitive. It takes commitment, an open mind, and a sense of humor. At Tilbury we believe that developing a list of books that features both “new voices” (for authors and illustrators) and reflects the changing demographics of American children is the right course to take. New authors and illustrators from different cultural, economic and geographic backgrounds will tell even “familiar” stories in different and nuanced ways. Editors must search out these voices. Flexibility is also key especially with first time authors or illustrators. A very good story may, for example, come as a submission in song form. This was the case with Allen Sockabasin’s story Thanks To the Animals. I have always enjoyed listening to other peoples stories, and I try to honor them, in different ways.
As I have read through these posts it seems worth remembering the individual differences & tastes of the readers of our books. What may seem like a wonderful way to recognize the increasingly diverse world to one reader may strike another as merely a “token” acknowledgement. This relates in particular to the term “casual diversity” that was mentioned last week. It’s easy to malign this trend in picture books, and to say it just a superficial “fix”. And yet just this week, one of our authors received the following message from a mother. I received permission to share it in full here: “Hello Peggy, I wanted to write a thank you note to you and Penny Weber for including a young Muslim girl wearing her hijab (head covering) in the book, "One of Us." Although young girls are not required to wear the hijab until they are older, it is nonetheless an expression of tolerance and inclusion that is very much appreciated. My 7 year old daughter and I enjoyed reading your book and were pleasantly surprised to see the Muslim girl featured on two pages in the book. Thank you! Please continue to include Muslim girls and boys in your books. “ Asma Jarad.
A mother who takes the time to write such a note about an illustration on just 2 pages underscores a very deep need indeed! Given the demographics in schools today, and the challenges we face as a society, it seems obvious that everyone in the children’s literary world has a responsibility to keep publishing, hand-selling, and lending out books that build empathy and awareness as well as stimulate curiosity. Mostly, as this discussion this month has made clear, we try to do our best.
Lastly I want to thank everyone for asking the difficult questions about the stories from the “literary” canon” of yore. On a personal note, as a child, I was a huge fan as a child on LHOP and Secret Garden. However, I could not give them to my own daughter 25 years later. Although my daughter railed at me for refusing to let her watch Disney shows, she now thanks me. The goal of building up critical thinking skills is key, but as I am in the book business, I believe my job is to publish contemporary and culturally appropriate books for children. Clearly this work is not about “niche” publishing, but something much bigger. This is what keeps me up at night, and coming to work everyday.
Audrey Maynard
Children's Books
Tilbury House Publishers http://www.tiburyhouse.com
Date: Fri, 14 Feb 2014 10:24:49 -0500
Dear fellow list servers…. Although I prefer to let Tilbury House books speak for themselves, as a children’s editor, I did want to make a few comments about the topics under discussion here. To state the obvious, it’s not easy to publish books that are both inclusive, and culturally sensitive. It takes commitment, an open mind, and a sense of humor. At Tilbury we believe that developing a list of books that features both “new voices” (for authors and illustrators) and reflects the changing demographics of American children is the right course to take. New authors and illustrators from different cultural, economic and geographic backgrounds will tell even “familiar” stories in different and nuanced ways. Editors must search out these voices. Flexibility is also key especially with first time authors or illustrators. A very good story may, for example, come as a submission in song form. This was the case with Allen Sockabasin’s story Thanks To the Animals. I have always enjoyed listening to other peoples stories, and I try to honor them, in different ways.
As I have read through these posts it seems worth remembering the individual differences & tastes of the readers of our books. What may seem like a wonderful way to recognize the increasingly diverse world to one reader may strike another as merely a “token” acknowledgement. This relates in particular to the term “casual diversity” that was mentioned last week. It’s easy to malign this trend in picture books, and to say it just a superficial “fix”. And yet just this week, one of our authors received the following message from a mother. I received permission to share it in full here: “Hello Peggy, I wanted to write a thank you note to you and Penny Weber for including a young Muslim girl wearing her hijab (head covering) in the book, "One of Us." Although young girls are not required to wear the hijab until they are older, it is nonetheless an expression of tolerance and inclusion that is very much appreciated. My 7 year old daughter and I enjoyed reading your book and were pleasantly surprised to see the Muslim girl featured on two pages in the book. Thank you! Please continue to include Muslim girls and boys in your books. “ Asma Jarad.
A mother who takes the time to write such a note about an illustration on just 2 pages underscores a very deep need indeed! Given the demographics in schools today, and the challenges we face as a society, it seems obvious that everyone in the children’s literary world has a responsibility to keep publishing, hand-selling, and lending out books that build empathy and awareness as well as stimulate curiosity. Mostly, as this discussion this month has made clear, we try to do our best.
Lastly I want to thank everyone for asking the difficult questions about the stories from the “literary” canon” of yore. On a personal note, as a child, I was a huge fan as a child on LHOP and Secret Garden. However, I could not give them to my own daughter 25 years later. Although my daughter railed at me for refusing to let her watch Disney shows, she now thanks me. The goal of building up critical thinking skills is key, but as I am in the book business, I believe my job is to publish contemporary and culturally appropriate books for children. Clearly this work is not about “niche” publishing, but something much bigger. This is what keeps me up at night, and coming to work everyday.
Audrey Maynard
Children's Books
Tilbury House Publishers http://www.tiburyhouse.com
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Received on Fri 14 Feb 2014 09:25:58 AM CST
