Literary Discrimination and Censorship
Sep
14, 2010 |Filed in:
UncategorizedHere’s the story at http://www.hungermtn.org/color-me-perplexed/, but if you don’t want to read the whole thing, here’s the gist:
Author goes to a speaking event and is approached by a librarian who says: “I love your work! I only wish I had more African American students so that I could use your books.”
God help me if I have to wait for Asian readers before my books take off, but then, I didn’t wait to TURN Asian before I read “Romance of the Three Kingdoms.” (I’d still be waiting!) Half a million gamers didn’t wait to check their ethnicity before they turned on their phones, t.v.s and other such gadgets and role-played to their hearts’ content, either.
I KNOW I am not the only person out there bashing her head on her desk because of statements like this. I can’t imagine what Nikki Grimes felt like at the time, but I’m glad I wasn’t that librarian. Responses like hers frustrate the heck out of me. I think I will go look up something by Nikki. It sounds like her books are good reads and that’s really what it should be about.
That does suck. I've been reading about all the cover weirdness going on in YA sci-fi/fantasy lately with characters of color. I still don't get it.
Yeah, another friend of mine commented that she'd probably read a book like mine BECAUSE she wanted to experience a different culture. I keep hoping we can all learn to see beyond ourselves. It's kinda funny that we're our own biggest obstacle.
That is bad, Victoria. I would feel sad if I was told that. Stories have universal appeal and cut across genders and boundaries. Nothing should restrict us from reading a good story/book.