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RE: Bitterness and purity -- Mixing Apples and Oranges
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From: Jeanne Devlin <jmdevlin7_at_hotmail.com>
Date: Sun, 23 Feb 2014 10:20:09 -0600
Christine -- do hope if you know illustrators, be they Native American or African American or Hispanic, that you encourage them to at least reach out and contact me. We realize many have given up on submitting their work to publishing houses for all the reasons outlined here.
But we want to see what they are doing. We want to get to know their styles. Because without that, we can't pair the perfect illustrator with the perfect book ... be it novel or picture book.
Please send them our way. We are small. The compensation won't be great in the beginning. But we can at least do the work we love in the ideal way we dream of doing it and grow together!
Jeanne The RoadRunner Press
From: kansascitymom_at_earthlink.net Subject: Re: [ccbc-net] Bitterness and purity -- Mixing Apples and Oranges Date: Sat, 22 Feb 2014 20:58:56 -0600 To: ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu
I wonder if we aren't all mixing apples and oranges in this quest for the truth? I don't know of anyone on this list who suggested that those in the majority can't write outside their race. The discussion as rightfully centered around getting it right. Your example of Christopher Columbus (who continues to be celebrated for finding a nation he didn't find, and for being a hero) is a good example. The same is true of other cultures including African American culture where stories often skim the myth but gloss over the truth. And certainly most of us who are also authors in addition to our other professions, would prefer that there is diversity in voice because the flip side is that many authors of color feel pigeonholed and limited to ONLY writing about our race. In a sense, not only are we not the Nonfiction - well researched - can be transformative. Fiction, however, is more problematic as nuances and codes are not always visible to those using peripheral knowledge to inform the narrative and the voice. That is the problem in a nutshell. You can't know what you don't know if you're not privy to the private dealings of a family once the public door is closed. What I have personally asked for is:
1. More fiction in which children of different ethnicities are major (or central) characters but where race is not the source of the conflict. Race informs their voice, but is not the reason for the book's existence.
2. More fiction where the children are part of the "inner circle" and not tacked on for expediency or marketing purposes.
3. More fiction and nonfiction written by people of color at a rate more reflective of their numbers in the census.
4. Less emphasis on the same "tried and true" stereotypes which is turning students in urban areas off. No more black history around oppression and slavery. More success stories, please.
5. Marketing and visibility of those non-stereotypical titles. People won't buy what they don't know exists. They do gravitate to books getting all the "attention." Most of those who've been around for a few years know my position has never wavered -
a. that urban students do read when the RIGHT opportunity presents itself contrary to statistical studies that show they don't find it important.
b. that they defy stereotypes and read like other students do - from a diversity of interests not a homogeneity centered around race.
c. that wanting to read about kids like them does not always have to mean "set in poverty on a tree lined street filled with negative images and broken families".
d. that my own children have problems because they are girls not because they are a specific race and yet
e. that they ALSO carry a weight that white children don't carry because they can't remove their color even when doing "mainstream" things such as walk down the street or go to a job interview or ….
It is clear from the CCBC statistics that the bulk of books written ABOUT people of color (fiction and nonfiction) are being written by people who weren't of the culture. The numbers are glaring once you consider that many of the books received were written by the same stable of authors hence the percentages are worse than they seem on the surface. For quite a long time it was thought that a book written by someone who was white (about people of color) made it mainstream, but the same book written by a person of color made it "niche." For the record, many authors and illustrators of different ethnic backgrounds have tried to break through the publishing glass ceiling and have given up. These are competent, skilled, thoughtful artists. And the situation became worse as publishers made agents the gatekeepers. So yes - equal playing field is one major concern despite the success of a of skilled authors (waving affectionately to my brilliant friend Jane Yolen who was cited below) who get it right. More often than not they are exceptions, not the rule. The census shows a shifting demographic. People of color are quickly approaching a critical mass and more than 50% of the population in a number of states. Continuing to ignore their broad range of voices in books of all shapes and sizes and "flavors" seems to me like an outdated standard.
….Christine
On Feb 22, 2014, at 7:10 PM, Flores Claudia wrote: When talking about books with an ethnic theme, I believe it is absolutely possible for a non-ethnic author to “understand” and through some good research, to accomplish a book that is equally good than that of an author who has roots or experience in the topic….I wanted a book that would not honor Columbus the way most other books do. I wanted one that would be more legitimate to my roots, one that would speak about the other side of the coin, and this way remember, the many indigenous people (Aztecs, Incas, Tainos) that succumbed to the tyranny of the conquest. I thought a book like this would be a little unusual, but I was SO glad to find Encounter by Jane Yolen. This book nailed it, and it didn’t come from a Hispanic author. Would this have given it more authenticity? Of course not. ….I’m not sure we can strive for diversity when at the same time we are being so selective of race. There is a contradictory feeling about it. Just the humble opinion of a future librarian.
Claudia
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Date: Sun, 23 Feb 2014 10:20:09 -0600
Christine -- do hope if you know illustrators, be they Native American or African American or Hispanic, that you encourage them to at least reach out and contact me. We realize many have given up on submitting their work to publishing houses for all the reasons outlined here.
But we want to see what they are doing. We want to get to know their styles. Because without that, we can't pair the perfect illustrator with the perfect book ... be it novel or picture book.
Please send them our way. We are small. The compensation won't be great in the beginning. But we can at least do the work we love in the ideal way we dream of doing it and grow together!
Jeanne The RoadRunner Press
From: kansascitymom_at_earthlink.net Subject: Re: [ccbc-net] Bitterness and purity -- Mixing Apples and Oranges Date: Sat, 22 Feb 2014 20:58:56 -0600 To: ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu
I wonder if we aren't all mixing apples and oranges in this quest for the truth? I don't know of anyone on this list who suggested that those in the majority can't write outside their race. The discussion as rightfully centered around getting it right. Your example of Christopher Columbus (who continues to be celebrated for finding a nation he didn't find, and for being a hero) is a good example. The same is true of other cultures including African American culture where stories often skim the myth but gloss over the truth. And certainly most of us who are also authors in addition to our other professions, would prefer that there is diversity in voice because the flip side is that many authors of color feel pigeonholed and limited to ONLY writing about our race. In a sense, not only are we not the Nonfiction - well researched - can be transformative. Fiction, however, is more problematic as nuances and codes are not always visible to those using peripheral knowledge to inform the narrative and the voice. That is the problem in a nutshell. You can't know what you don't know if you're not privy to the private dealings of a family once the public door is closed. What I have personally asked for is:
1. More fiction in which children of different ethnicities are major (or central) characters but where race is not the source of the conflict. Race informs their voice, but is not the reason for the book's existence.
2. More fiction where the children are part of the "inner circle" and not tacked on for expediency or marketing purposes.
3. More fiction and nonfiction written by people of color at a rate more reflective of their numbers in the census.
4. Less emphasis on the same "tried and true" stereotypes which is turning students in urban areas off. No more black history around oppression and slavery. More success stories, please.
5. Marketing and visibility of those non-stereotypical titles. People won't buy what they don't know exists. They do gravitate to books getting all the "attention." Most of those who've been around for a few years know my position has never wavered -
a. that urban students do read when the RIGHT opportunity presents itself contrary to statistical studies that show they don't find it important.
b. that they defy stereotypes and read like other students do - from a diversity of interests not a homogeneity centered around race.
c. that wanting to read about kids like them does not always have to mean "set in poverty on a tree lined street filled with negative images and broken families".
d. that my own children have problems because they are girls not because they are a specific race and yet
e. that they ALSO carry a weight that white children don't carry because they can't remove their color even when doing "mainstream" things such as walk down the street or go to a job interview or ….
It is clear from the CCBC statistics that the bulk of books written ABOUT people of color (fiction and nonfiction) are being written by people who weren't of the culture. The numbers are glaring once you consider that many of the books received were written by the same stable of authors hence the percentages are worse than they seem on the surface. For quite a long time it was thought that a book written by someone who was white (about people of color) made it mainstream, but the same book written by a person of color made it "niche." For the record, many authors and illustrators of different ethnic backgrounds have tried to break through the publishing glass ceiling and have given up. These are competent, skilled, thoughtful artists. And the situation became worse as publishers made agents the gatekeepers. So yes - equal playing field is one major concern despite the success of a of skilled authors (waving affectionately to my brilliant friend Jane Yolen who was cited below) who get it right. More often than not they are exceptions, not the rule. The census shows a shifting demographic. People of color are quickly approaching a critical mass and more than 50% of the population in a number of states. Continuing to ignore their broad range of voices in books of all shapes and sizes and "flavors" seems to me like an outdated standard.
….Christine
On Feb 22, 2014, at 7:10 PM, Flores Claudia wrote: When talking about books with an ethnic theme, I believe it is absolutely possible for a non-ethnic author to “understand” and through some good research, to accomplish a book that is equally good than that of an author who has roots or experience in the topic….I wanted a book that would not honor Columbus the way most other books do. I wanted one that would be more legitimate to my roots, one that would speak about the other side of the coin, and this way remember, the many indigenous people (Aztecs, Incas, Tainos) that succumbed to the tyranny of the conquest. I thought a book like this would be a little unusual, but I was SO glad to find Encounter by Jane Yolen. This book nailed it, and it didn’t come from a Hispanic author. Would this have given it more authenticity? Of course not. ….I’m not sure we can strive for diversity when at the same time we are being so selective of race. There is a contradictory feeling about it. Just the humble opinion of a future librarian.
Claudia
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Received on Sun 23 Feb 2014 10:20:31 AM CST
