don’t let me be misunderstood

In my Book Smugglers guest post, I talked about the extra burden some writers of color bear when we decide to become author/activists.  Neesha Meminger recently articulated this form of privilege in relation to the rising Islamophobia in this country, making the point that choosing NOT to speak out is in and of itself an exercise of power.  If you haven’t read Shine, Coconut Moon YET, now’s the time—seriously.  I wish parents and educators and librarians understood that stories told from diverse perspectives can help to preempt at least some of the misunderstandings that lead to conflict in our society…

Doret shared this PW article with me: “Where the Boys Are Not.”  Is it a problem that “85% of employees with less than three years of experience in the industry are women”?  I don’t see gender as the (sole) problem here—it’s also that these women are generally the same race, class, and sexual orientation.  It’s also a problem that the remaining 15% are men who also aren’t an especially diverse group. What do you think?  Would more men in the industry produce more books for boys?  I think more publishing professionals with the same corporate/profit-first mentality will produce exactly the same results—regardless of their race, gender, class, or sexual orientation…we need people with diverse VALUES, not just a Benetton ad (different-looking people wearing the same darn clothes).  I always go back to my favorite Stuart Hall line: that’s “a kind of difference that doesn’t make a difference of any kind.”

This morning I wrote to the NYPL, which—I have to say—consistently responds to my concerns about diversity.  They’ve got an event featuring Julia Alvarez up in the Bronx this Thursday—you can find details here.  My concern was the Fall Teen Author Reading Nights, which I misnamed previously, but which nonetheless feature a racially homogeneous list of authors.  Here’s some of the rationale behind my complaint:

As you know, diversity in publishing is an important issue for me; the NEH is also tackling this problem, and in anticipation of their fall convention, I’m trying to think of ways to create “crossover appeal” for writers of color.  Generally, kids of color will pick up Twilight but I’m not sure how often white teens grab a book by/about a person of color.  Which leads me to the problem of “niche marketing”–having authors of color visit communities of color only, while white authors present in centralized venues.  It’s similar to the situation in bookstores: should there be a separate section for black-authored books (what Bernice McFadden calls “seg-book-gation”), or should they be displayed throughout the store according to genre, release date, etc.  My answer is BOTH…when an event lacks a theme and excludes writers of color…it does indeed feel like segregation…

If white teens will go see a film starring Will Smith, and if they’ll avidly consume music produced by black artists, what’s stopping them when it comes to black authors?  I’m hoping the NYPL can play a part in *shaping* new markets–and that means working to disrupt the status quo.  Writers of color face so many challenges on the path to publication–when they’re also excluded from public events, it makes it that much harder for their books to succeed.  Pairing authors of color with established and emerging white authors would help a lot, I think.  Rotating the venue for the Teen Author Night might also encourage a broader audience.

Every advocate knows that you’ve got to walk with solutions—because as soon as you point out a problem, YOU will be asked to solve it.  Never mind that that’s not YOUR job—you’ve got to give them a list of authors of color with upcoming releases or you run the risk of having your concerns swept aside with a shrug.  I knew Doret would know about upcoming releases so I went to her first—is there an author of color you would add to this list?  We’re looking for those who have books coming out during the fall (or spring) months.

Karen L. Simpson ~ ACT OF GRACE

Shelia P. Moses ~ JOSEPH’S GRACE

Derrick Barnes ~ WE COULD BE BROTHERS

Dia Reeves ~ SLICE OF CHERRY

B.A. Binns ~ PULL

Philana Marie Boles ~ GLITZ

Sarah Jamila Stevenson ~ THE LATTE REBELLION

Malindo Lo ~ HUNTRESS

Christopher Grant ~ TEENIE

Caridad Ferrer ~ WHEN THE STARS GO BLUE

Adeline Yen Mah ~ ALONG THE RIVER

Bettina Restrepo ~ ILLEGAL

LA Banks ~ SHADOW WALKER

Travis Hunter ~ AT THE CROSSROADS

Nnedi Okorafor ~ AKATA WITCH

Cindy Pon ~ FURY OF THE PHOENIX

Victoria Bond & TR Simon ~ ZORA & ME

Linda Sue Park ~ A LONG WALK TO WATER

Allison Whittenberg ~ TUTORED

(thanks to Gbemi for these upcoming MG titles)

Crystal Allen ~ HOW LAMAR’S BAD PRANK WON A BUBBA-SIZED TROPHY

Danette Vigilante ~ TROUBLE WITH HALF A MOON

Guadelupe Garcia McCall ~ UNDER THE MESQUITE TREE

Jerdine Nolen ~ ELIZA’S FREEDOM ROAD

Kekla Magoon ~ CAMO GIRL

At the end of the year I’m going to compile a list of YA titles released in 2010.  Think we’ll hit 20?  Twenty YA novels by writers of color?  I wonder…