Is Jane Austen Only for White People?

Have you ever noticed how there are VERY FEW Jane Austen literary or film adaptations featuring people of color? (except for the Jane Austen Book Club movie in which one of the members was half Latina and a few others I list below). Have you ever noticed that in contemporary fiction only white main characters compare their lives to those of Jane Austen's characters? (Full Disclosure: I don't read THAT much modern day adult fiction so I could be totally wrong). The message seems to be Only White People Read Jane Austen. Is this true in your opinion? I know I'm generalizing here but this is something that has been bothering me for awhile. I want to discuss the topic of Jane Austen and I even attempt to talk about classics but mostly I throw out questions because I want some answers :)

My mother owns the book Emma by Jane Austen but she never read it. When my mom invites friends over to her house they never discuss 'classics' that they have read. In fact they rarely discuss books. She is not part of a book club. My mother has always told me that she loved to read as a kid and she still reads today but not as voraciously as I do. I work at a hair salon and some clients talk about books but rarely do they discuss the classics, if they do, Jane Austen never comes up. And yet this is an author BELOVED by millions of white women in America. White characters talk about her work in books, on TV, in the movies. But nary a peep from people of color. I don't think I've ever heard/read Alice Walker, Toni Morrison or Maya Angelou discuss her works as some of their favorites. Why do we not have Austen fever?

Do we not care about the woes of unmarried young women who think they have no prospects? Actually I think Jane Austen could eerily reflect certain truths of today as we face more and more Black women bemoaning 'where have all the good Black men gone?' , a problem not entirely alien to Jane Austen's characters. Granted they are not looking for Black men, but they are looking for good men, and love, in their own time without familial pressure to get married. I would guess that this is a scenario familiar to many Black women in their 30s (a bit older than Austen's characters but not by much). Personally I really liked all the Jane Austen books I have to read and I'm not even a romantic (or maybe that means I secretly am...), I think they are witty and provide great portraits of a specific time in history while remaining fun and still easy to relate to the present.

Is it because we are simply not interested in life in the 18th century in the English countryside for the upper middle class? Do teachers think students of color will not care so they attempt to 'cater' to the few of us they have in a class (or the majority-depending) by not teaching one of Austen's books? Most Americans take British literature and I know one English teacher at my school teaches Pride & Prejudice but most do not. I get the picture that it is like that in many schools across the nation. I think if one of Jane Austen's books is taught, it would be at a majority white school. I think teachers give us (students of color) too little in credit in thinking we can relate to these books. Maybe guys won't (that is a whole 'nother argument I do not want to get into at the moment) but I think most girls, regardless of ethnic background will if not adore, at least *like* Jane Austen. Most white teenage book bloggers I know LOVE Jane Austen as do my white friends. They love the books and movies. My Black and Latino friends do not read Jane Austen and have no interest because they think she's boring. Why do they think she's boring but my white friends do not? I do think it is in part race-based but I'm trying to understand why. Teachers may say that they want to pick books that we youth of color can relate to, and I applaud that effort. I really do. But I also think they need to push us and force us to go outside of our comfort zones. Perhaps by starting with books that we can easily relate to and then expanding our horizons by giving us a challenge, forcing us to relate to a book that at face value seems so far from our world. I say 'we' but I suppose I really mean working class youth of color but really I think it does apply to all youth of color because even 'privileged' teens of color resist reading Jane Austen. I read Jane Austen because I have always attended majority white schools and everyone always babbled on and on about her. Plus Jane Austen was always mentioned as a 'classic' author and I wanted (want) to be well read. But I have some friends who also attended majority white schools and they did not feel the desire I did to read these books that everyone always talked about.

Most girls seem to begin reading Jane Austen around 6th or 7th grade, often because of their mothers but not always. Regardless it seems that most white girls I know are mysteriously drawn to Jane Austen at this age and yet Black/Latina/Asian/Native American girls are not. Yes the dialogue can be a bit tricky at first or seem silly but I think if we (as in readers) could encourage more and more youth of color (especially girls) to pick up an Austen, perhaps they would be inspired to read more Austen and other classics. Perhaps they would learn that they should be able to be with someone who challenges them intellectually and emotionally as Mr. Darcy is with Elizabeth. Or that it's ok to believe in the chivarly of Captain Wentworth and envy his treatment of Anne. They can appreciate that love can be funny a la Elinor and Edward (Sense and Sensibility is actually the funniest Austen in my opinion and I think it would be a good intro to Austen. But I have not read Northanger Abbey yet so that could win the prize of 'funniest Austen'). Maybe they will realize that they have been as blind as Emma to their own Mr. Knightley (or that they should stop being instigators/matchmakers for all their friends unless asked!). Of course thanks to Fanny Price and Edmund they could also realize that they do not need to be drop-dead gorgeous or willing to sacrifice their morals in order to find love. And I could go on and on but ultimately I think it's important that Jane Austen be brought into more classrooms or youth centers, etc. If you have a book club for youth of color, challenge them with an Austen. I guarantee at least one of them will like it. Then pop in the movie adaptation and compare, bring treats, make it fun.

Please share your thoughts/recommendations. Do you teach Jane Austen to your students? Are you a person of color who loves Jane Austen? Do you hate Jane Austen? Why or why not?

I fully intend on rereading every single Austen before college because I'm sure I will inevitably run into quite a few classmates who love her work and I want to appreciate the books even more...

ETA 1/29 @SarahRettger shared some links with me by Ta-Nehisi Coates who writes for The Atlantic. I loved this one about the connection the author draws between Jane Austen and hip-hop. Who woulda thunk? Also check out this post that makes comparisons between the 18th century British gentry and the 19th century slave owners

Here's My List of Media with main characters of color that mention Jane Austen & co.

Worst Impressions by K. L. Brady (YA)-Pride & Prejudice adaptation

Such a Girl by Karen V. Siplin-Persuasion adaptation

Sass and Serendipity by Jennifer Ziegler (YA)-Sense & Sensibility adaptation

Bride and Prejudice (film)

I Have Found It/Kandukondain Kandukondain (film)-Sense & Sensibility adaptation

The Jane Austen Book Club (film-one character of color)

Aisha (film)-Emma adaptation

5 Historical Novels I Wish Someone Would Write

For the first time in my life I am not enjoying my history class (European History) so to cheer myself up and rekindle my love of history I have begun looking for historical fiction to read once college apps/finals are done. My search led me to start thinking about what books I wish would be written about certain time periods. Maybe they will inspire an aspiring author!

1. Harlem Renaissance era story about a dancer. Or aspiring author who visits all the literary hangouts. Luckily for me I recently discovered Persia Walker, I got one of her Harlem mystery books from the library this week. But I'm not a big mystery fan (I don't think haha) so I would like a more general historical fiction book set during this time.

2. Eighteenth Century Enlightenment Salonniere-Salons were hosted by women and they were brilliant. The salons were gathering places for the leading intellectuals of the day and the women steered the conversation. Thus they had to be knowledgeable about a variety of topics. Tres cool! I was astonished at the lack of fictional and non fictional books about these amazing women. Granted this could only be about a person of color if it was steampunk but that would persuade me to try that new genre!

3. Spain during the Golden Age (Siglo de Oro) 15th-17th centuries. I just want to read a book about life during these times, prefarbly for the nobility. Or a fictionalized story about the famous Diego Velaszquez painting, Las Meninas. For some reason that painting intruges me.

4. Life in Paris for Black people post WWI-pre WWII. Many soldiers stayed in France because of the equal treatment they received. Was life really better for them there? Did they all intermarry or stick to Black women from the American forces?

5. Japan's Golden Age (1568-1618 I believe). I would love to know more about life for women during this time as Japan started to reform and Westernize.

As you can see golden ages fascinate me. Mainly because I hope to one day be a "Renaissance woman", someone with basic knowledge about a variety of topics and this often leads back to golden ages of society. Next week will be my 5 Contemporary Novels I Want Someone to Write!

Do you agree with these? Or better yet do you know of any books that pertain to this topic? What are your five historical novels you want someone to write?

Borders is Having A Sale...BUY POC BOOKS!

There are quite a few things I want to discuss on this blog. People of color and Jane Austen. A case of whitewashing. How to get more kids of color to read. And well I'm not exactly sure what else just yet but there's always a whole lot on my mind and since I'm finding less and less time to read (and it's SUMMER! I cringe to think about how difficult it will be during school), I will be blathering on at least once a month. For now, I'd like to focus on Borders closing (why oh why did Books-A-Million not buy it)?

I'm devastated. I support indie bookstores all the way, but my own indie has a terrible selection of diverse YA books and while they are willing to order, I hate ordering books. I much prefer being able to enter a bookstore and browse and actually read the summaries on the back of a book (yes I am strange). I live about 10 minutes from Chicago so I can find another indie bookstore or a Barnes & Noble fairly easily but still. I have an avid love/hate relationship with Borders. I loved all the books it had, the atmosphere. I hated the poor selection of diverse books in the store and the expensive prices. But there was nothing I liked better than receiving a Borders giftcard for my birthday. The only 'good' thing about Borders closing (besides the potential for more indies to thrive) is that they are having a big sale. EVERYTHING MUST GO.

As soon as I arrived home from D.C. I went to Borders that very night. I was pleased (and a little irked-but mostly pleased) that the majority of the YA section was gone, even the few YA books about poc weren't there. But then again, there weren't many to begin with. Then I went upstairs to the African American section. Almost ALL the books are still there. WHY? WHY? WHY?????

I was absolutely shocked. It was 10% off which granted isn't much (in fact I'm fairly certain I got ripped off in the end. Ah well I'm done splurging) but c'mon people! I went on a Sunday night, a day when many people aren't working or running errands. So really there is no excuse for not finding time to visit Borders. Are there so many books left because we Black people really don't like to read? (Of course not). Do we just not know about the sale? Do we not care? It's absolutely bizarre, the shelves were overflowing and it almost broke my heart. There were so many books in that section that I wanted but couldn't afford after I made my purchases (I bought four books). Pearl Cleage, Octavia Butler, Toni Morrison, the books were all there, waiting to be picked up and brought home.

So I ask you when you are eagerly snatching up books at your local Borders, consider buying a book or two from the African American section. And if you have any guesses as to why this section still has so many books, leave me a comment/email me with your thoughts! Have you noticed this at your local Borders?

PS This is a must-read post on how mismangement killed Borders

Latinos Don't Fall in Love, Asians Don't Tell Jokes

Catchy title eh? We also don't have friendship or sibling drama. No instead people of color live intense lives of prejudice, drugs, alcoholism, abuse (but not mental illness because for some reason no one wants to talk about that particular topic. humph). We never have any fun. There are no wealthy people of color, and there are no people of color who happen to be middle class.

I'm so freakin tired of that message that is constantly echoed over and over again in YA contemporary. I can understand the appeal of fantasy, especially the lighter aspects of paranormals. Sometimes it's nice to just curl up with a good book that's FUN. What a novel concept. I've been blogging for about a year and a half and I'm never able to post about my favorite love stories that feature people of color because at most I can think of about ten (well ten that I think are of good quality). I want to post my top ten favorite YA romances but there aren't enough to choose from. Although I would be happy to be proven wrong.

Don't even get me started on the large number of YA contemporary romances that are published (probably ten a week!). I've said it before but I'll say it again, I don't like comparing books written about Native Americans/Latinos/Asians/Black people to books written about white people but where are our Gossip Girls? Who is our Sarah Dessen (no offense to Sarah Dessen but I've read three of her books and I don't recall any of the characters being from different cultural backgrounds)?

Honestly though, about half of this post isn't really about me. Yes I've always mourned the lack of funny YA books about poc, but I never would have noticed how few YA romances there were about poc if my younger sister hadn't pointed this fact out to me a little while ago. She loves to read and I'm always giving her books I receive that I don't have time to read right away. but she ALWAYS asks me if I have any romance YA books for her and the answer 99% of the time is no. Which is really upsetting to me. My sister loves to read, but in the genre she loves most, she can never read about a Blatina like her finding love. I don't normally curse but that infuriates me, WTF. She loves the Perfect Chemistry series. A biracial romance between a Latino and a white girl. I loved it too. The first romance book we've ever talked about. I gave her If You Come Softly, another biracial romance, she really liked it but wanted less of a sad ending. I gave her A Wish After Midnight, she needed more romance (and here I was just hoping she'd learn something ;) Other was pretty good, paranormal with some romance, but again, romance wasn't the main factor same with Silver Phoenix. Perfect Shot also hit the nail on the head, quick read and very cute. She adored the book. But she's still waiting for her Black/Latina Sarah Dessen. Obviously each writer has their own style and so she will (thank goodness) never find a carbon copy of Sarah Dessen. But there has to be an unpublished (or even published) writer out there whose writing smart, funny romances for girls like my sister. Sarah Dessen writes more than romances, her characters are nuanced and they go through some hard times but the hard times are a little easier for her, a middle class girl to relate to, than say the hard times a working class guy faces over whether or not to deal drugs because of the need for money. She swoons over plenty of guy characters in books (too much so for my liking) but is it selfish of me to hope that one day she will excitedly tell me about this really cute Black guy she fell in love with through a book and hey he didn't fall in love with a white girl (because while I'm all for interracial relationships it can be a blow to continuously see in real life and in books, guys only going for girls of the same race and/or body type)? Speaking of interracial relationships, can anyone think of a YA book where the guy is white and the girl is Black? Hmm.

By that same token, why are interracial (interracial meaning Black-white or Asian-white) relationships the main focus in YA books? I NEED more intercultural relationships a la Girl Overboard (Asian-Latino, well a sort-of relationship) or even Wait For Me (Asian-Latino) or even same cultural relationships. It's as if writers are afraid to now only write Asian-Asian relationships for fear of backlash saying that Asians don't only have to love Asians. Obviously that's true, but it's also realistic, that many Asians still fall in love with other Asians (and please realize you could replace Asian with any other ethnic group). Personally I'm still waiting for my Black-Latino/a relationship (Bleeding Violet satisfies me on that end because it's completely awesome but it didn't satisfy my sister on the romance. However it's the probably the only book besides Silver Phoenix that she didn't care as much about the romance). But I'm also tired of the biracial relationships between a white person and Black person being so controversial. I get why it's such a tough issue when it's a white person and another culture, but I think Black-White relationships have been talked about enough on TV that we should all be able to move. Feature the relationships, but race shouldn't be a huge issue anymore. There will of course still be subtle incidents, but it shouldn't be the main focus, in my opinion. Bicultural relationships should be explored too; there are tensions between Blacks and Latinos, there are even intercultural tensions because many cultures value light skin over dark skin. People have been forbidden to date based on the SHADE of skin color. Yea how many times does that come up in YA? Doesn't need to be mentioned a lot, but it's an issue many teens of color may have to face, that should be reflected in books written for us.

And how about the humor? I L-O-V-E sarcastic/snarky main characters. Maybe authors don't want to perpetuate stereotypes that Blacks and Latinas are sassy, but y'know what, I think our people are funny. You have to develop a sense of humor to deal with all the extra stupidity we get. Luckily Mitali Perkins compiled a list of funny books featuring multicultural protagonists, and I definitely recommend Whale Talk, The Absolutely True-Diary of a Part Time Indian, Does My Head Look Big in This? and the Making of Dr. Truelove. But even Mitali's list is rather paltry, I believe there's only 19 books on the YA part and 16 for MG (on that side I definitely recommend Operation Redwood, 8th Grade Superzero and Watsons Go to Birmingham). Not to be greedy, but I need some more. When you compare the number of humorous titles about white people to the humorous titles about poc OVER TIME the numbers of deplorable. My brother and I both have a really good sense of humor and I 100% believe my brother doesn't read a lot of books about poc is because they aren't funny enough for him. He needs a slightly modified poc version of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.

Publishers before you say no to yet ANOTHER chick lit (and not to get off topic but I have some thoughts on all things Jane Austen but that's for another post) with lots of romance, friendship and family dramas or a book with a snarky main character, re-consider saying no, if the main characters are protagonists of color, give that book a chance. Trust me, there are at least three kids in my household who want to read them.

I'm starting Daughter of Xanadu which sounds promising because I could use some good historical fiction and hey, it has romance. As for my sister, I'm giving her Jazz in Love and Fury of the Phoenix to read next. I think she'll really like them both.

Romance (might be a little, might be a lot, there's not enough to choose from to really distinguish)

His Own Where by June Jordan

If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson

Perfect Chemstry series by Simone Elkeles

Jazz in Love by Neesha Meminger

Wait for Me by An Na

The Agency series by Y.S. Lee

Silver Phoenix series by Cindy Pon

Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier

When the Stars Go Blue by Caridad Ferrer (my #1 favorite romance, regardless of race)

Billi SanGreal series by Sarwat Chadda

Secret Keeper by Mitali Perkins (if this book doesn't break your heart....)

Mismatch by Lensey Namioka

Perfect Shot by Debbie Riguad

Girl vs. Boy by Yvette Collins & Sally Rideout

Other by Karen Kincy

Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

She's So Money by Cherry Cheva

Duplikate by Cherry Cheva

Hotlanta series

It Chicks series

My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger

Jason & Kyra by Dana Davidson

Toads & Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson

A Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame by Brenda Woods

Daughter of Xanadu by Dori Jones Yang

Belle by Beverly Jenkins

Subway Girl by P.J. Converse (the only romance book I've ever been beyond excited for the release)

Please help me add on to this list. I want to have at least 30 books on here so I can eventually read them all and by the time Valentine's Day rolls around next year, I can list my top ten favorites.

PS Now that I'm done rambling, read the much more eloquent Neesha Meminger express what I tried to say.

PPSS Am I the only who always wondered why the S.A.S.S. series never had a book set in Africa or South America?

The Bis and the Mixies and the What Are Yous?

The following post is not really book-related, more race related so if you hate those kind of discussions, stop reading after my next sentence. There will be a return to bookish posts tomorrow. Stop reading. Still here? Yay! Be warned this post is full of abstract thoughts, ramblings and BUTs.

It would seem the universe is trying to tell me something. First I read the Latte Rebellion (I definitely recommend you read it!) which is all about mixed race kids, bicultural kids, multiracial, whatever you want to call us 'mutts' (which I say out of complete love). Then I'm in school working on an online college profile. My counselor wrote my ethnicity down as Latino. Which is a first because once people see me they automatically assume I'm Black (unless they themselves are Black and then they usually ask me what I'm 'mixed with'. I used to wonder how they knew and when I was in 8th grade or so someone explained to me it was because of my hair...), but if they just hear my last name they automatically assume I'm Latino. But then again, I'm not so sure my counselor had ever seen me before...Regardless I wanted to change the profile to reflect my bicultural status, especially since this was profile was used to find scholarship matches. But I couldn't. The application would not allow me to list more than one ethnicity, so I ended up picking 'multiracial'. But here's the thing I'm not multiracial. To me being multiracial is different from being bicultural. Multiracial=many races. For ex: someone like the main character in The Latte Rebellion who is half Indian, and a quarter Spanish and Irish. However her best friend Carey is half Chinese, half European/Caucasian/white. To me Carey would not be multiracial, she would be bi cultural. BUT she's also multicultural because I'm sure her European side is made up of every single European country (ok I'm slightly exaggerating but you know what I mean). Bicultural is what I am, made up of two cultures. Black and Latina. A Blatina. I asked my college counselor why I couldn't put two ethnic groups down and she said multiracial was the same thing. But it's not. And perhaps this is the dilemma multiracial kids face because by checking such a broad term, we do not get to acknowledge each side of our cultural heritages. I want the world to know that I'm Black and Panamanian because I'm still trying to reconcile both cultures and being able to show them both would make me happy. What's worse is that no multiracial scholarships popped up! So I'm going to have to change my ethnicity to Latino, write down all the scholarships listed and then switch to Black and write down all those scholarships.

THEN after the college incident, I was directed to the New York Times article, More Young Americans Identify as Mixed Race. This article gave me some good food for thought but this and a conversation on Twitter have left me thoroughly confused. Thus I wrote this blog post to try and write out my thoughts AND to get feedback. I'm even using bulletpoints to make it easier for myself (and others). Any thoughts you could give me/personal anecdotes would be greatly appreciated.

• Is Asian a race? I used to always think multiracial would be Asian, Black and white. But now I think multiracial could also mean Asian, Latino and Black. But Latino is not a race, it's an umbrella term for a culture. Hence the reason as to why I'm not BIRACIAL, I'm BICULTURAL. BUT biracial (I thought) only applies to half-Black, half-white? Someone who is half Asian, half white is usually not referred to as biracial, right? See how confusing it gets?

• Why don't people understand that multicultural does not just mean people of color? Multicultural means someone who has more than two cultural heritages. So you can be Irish, English and German and call yourself multicultural. Seriously I wouldn't care and other people shouldn't either.

• By that same token though, don't be one of those people who on cultural heritage days lists: "10% Irish, 2% Scottish, 50% German, 1% Cherokee, 10% Greek" etc. I HATE that. When you are less than 10% just stop. Unless you actively celebrate that culture.

• Why are people so quick to try and say that they are 3% Black and 5% Native American? Unless you've faced prejudice because of that, I really don't wanna hear it. One time one of my white friends came up to me all excited because she found out she was one eighth Black and Native American (I forgot the tribe). I just looked at her. She was never going to face prejudice because of that fact so I found it hard to get excited with her. BUT there's the 'one drop' rule too. See what a mess this is?
• Not to be stereotypical but anyone ever notice how Southern Black people always claim to be Native American (usually Cherokee)? I say this out of love because my mom is from the Sot uh (but she's never seriously made that claim, only as a joke).

• Am I one of the only people who see myself as bicultural? I've never really heard anyone else you that term but that's what my parents always say :)

Some days, I feel more Black than Latina (which is most of the time but I'm working on that). Other days it's the reverse (when I'm listening to Spanish music, salsa dancing, etc). Any bicultural/mixed race people feel the same way? (Awesome T-shirt from whatRugear, I WANT)

• I would be furious if President Obama called himself a white president because he is biracial. I wouldn't mind if he said he was the first biracial president but he is also the first Black president so everyone who got upset that he checked Black on the census needs to CALM DOWN. Again, it's the one drop rule, he looks Black, faces prejudice because he's Black so obviously he's going to acknowledge his Black heritage first. again, I wouldn't have minded thought if he checked biracial (is that even a census option?) but he is not multiracial.

Don't try and make us mixies and biculturals choose sides. It's annoying

• I don't understand the fuss about joining ethnic clubs? I'm a member of my high school Latino club and my high school African American club. That's what I didn't get about The Latte Rebellion, why couldn't Asha have joined the Latino and Asian clubs? Don't get me wrong, I love the idea behind the Latte Rebellion but still.
• All of you people who want 'Caucasian' clubs and a 'Caucasian history month' (yes more than one person has said that to me)..I don't even know what to say. NO
• O.M.G. stop complaining when someone from a different race/culture dates someone outside their race/culture. It's the 21st century, deal with it
• Most importantly: I'm tired of hearing that race and ethnicity does not matter. I want it to matter. Being Blatina does not DEFINE me, but it's part of what makes me who I am today. I don't want a color blind society, I want a society that embraces ALL colors, without question.

Whew. I'm sure I left out some important questions and facts so fill me in. What do you agree or disagree with?

My Issues with the Coretta Scott King Awards

No one seems to ever talk about the Coretta Scott King Awards. Well today I not only want to talk about them but I want to criticize (out of love), highlight and make predictions for 2011.

I admire the goal of the Coretta Scott King Awards. The CSK awards are given to African American authors and illustrators who make "outstanding inspirational and educational contributions." I do think the John Steptoe Award is run slightly better because no author can win more than once and the list of winners is far more diverse, but, there should be separate categories for this award. I have a problem with the way the books are chosen and how all children's books about African Americans are thrown together. I have a problem with the same group of authors winning the awards and receiving the honors (Walter Dean Myers, Jacqueline Woodson, Angela Johnson, Nikki Grimes). I have a problem with most of the books being historical fiction (I'm focused solely on the author awards because I'm not familiar enough with picture books to state my opinion on how they are judged).

Walter Dean Myers (for example) has won or been honored ten times. I'm not saying Walter Dean Myers doesn't deserve it, but that's just not fair. Yes I know life isn't fair but the way I see it is like this: there are so few books being written by African Americans for children and teens, that we need to spotlight as many of those authors as we can. Obviously they aren't all going to be good, but I refuse to believe that in 2010 the only good African American authors are Walter Dean Myers, Jacqueline Woodson, Angela Johnson, Mildred Taylor, Sharon Draper, Christopher Paul Curtis and Nikki Grimes. In fact, I know that's not true. I've reviewed enough books by African Americans to know that we have some absolutely brilliant authors who are not getting spotlighted. There's Zetta Elliott, Derrick Barnes, Dia Reeves, Olugbemisola Rhuday Perkovich, Rita Williams Garcia (I admit I was very surprised that only one of her books has won a CSK honor), Varian Johnson, Sherri Smith, Coe Booth, Ebony Joy Wilkins, Debbie Riguad, Charles R. Smith and many more. Each of those writers offers a different perspective on the Black experience, as in, the main character happens to be Black but it's not always about the racism. Those books also detail everyday life, first crush, first love, social justice, questions of faith, family issues, friendship, etc. These issues are not solely ones that Black people face but that doesn't make these authors any less talented, in my opinion, they are still contributing educational and inspirational stories simply by portraying us as teenagers first, Black people second. In the 21st century, I don't think I'm alone in saying that I want more of that. True most of the authors I mentioned above haven't published 20 something books like a Walter Dean Myers or even 5-7 like Sharon Draper, but like Christopher Paul Curtis some of them have published two or three books.

What I want to know is, can you only be treated as a serious contender if you write historical fiction? Does the CSK awards committee do more than glance at your book if it's not historical? Not since 2004 (The First Part Last which I LOVE) has a non-historical fiction book won. And if you don't write historical fiction, do you only stand a chance of winning after publishing 5 or more books? I'm thrilled Tanita Davis won a CSK 2010 honor (for Mare's War) and that Kekla Magoon won the John Steptoe New Talent Award (for The Rock & The River). They both deserved it and it's nice to have some new faces receiving recognition, both won for historical fiction titles.

I have a problem with a picture book for competing against a young adult book (note: If it's a picture book written for an older audience like Bad News for Outlaws, that's different and I don't mind). That's just not right. No other major award does that. Not the Newberry, Caledcott, Morris, or Schneider. Those awards are all dedicated to one group. The Pura Belpre throws all books written by Latino authors as well, which begs the question, why do the ethnic awards not distinguish between age groups? There should be a Coretta Scott King Picture Book Award, Middle Grade Award and Young Adult award. After all, how can you compare a picture book to a book written for teenagers? Or even a picture book to one written for junior high students? The writing and storylines are usually quite different. I hope I don't sound too harsh but maybe that's why no one pays as much attention to the CSK awards. They aren't run the way other awards are, something is missing, almost like a competitive quality.

I don't expect the CSK awards commitee to read this post. Regardless I think the CSK awards would be much better if they did the following;

1. Separated into three categories; picture book, middle grade and young adult. Same thing for the Steptoe Award.

2. Promote more books that go beyond historical fiction. Or historical fiction books that portray a lesser-known historical event (examples: Black soldiers/nurses in world wars, 1863 Draft Riots, 1919 race riots, Black Panthers, Black WESTERN pioneers). If another slavery or civil rights book wins, I might throw something.


Those are two basic suggestions that would be fairly easy to implement. I'd even settle just for the first one being done. Bottom line: YA, MG and picture books deserve their own categories. If there are 4-5 books in each category that gives widespread recognition to many more authors and isn't that the whole point of the awards? We want to promote our amazing African American authors. We can't do that with the current way the awards are run.

A post that was hands down the most valuable resource was Kyra's post about who wins the CSK awards. She has charts! I got most of my statistical data from her post or the ALA website.

Predictions*

2011 Coretta Scott King Award

Who Will Win: It's a tie for me between Out of My Mind or One Crazy Summer. I haven't read Out of My Mind but Sharon Draper seems to always win or recieve an honors and people rave about this book. But One Crazy Summer (which I have read and adored) is historical fiction. Actually Lockdown by Walter Dean Myers has a really good chance too.

Who I Want to Win: Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes

2011 Coretta Scott King Honor: Whichever of the book that should win but doesn't (i.e. if One Crazy Summer wins, Out of My Mind will get an honor or vice versa). Zora and Me by Victoria Bond and T. R. Simon (haven't read it yet but it's historical fiction about Zora Neale Hurston, what more could they want?). What Momma Left Me by Renee Watson, Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Who I Want Honored: Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves. Because it's so DIFFERENT and that's what makes it stunning. I

2011 John Steptoe Award

Who Will Win: Good Fortune by Noni Carter because she's a young writer who goes to Harvard and she wrote historical fiction about slavery. eh

Who I Want to Win: 8th Grade Superzero by Olugbemisola Rhuday Perkovich (I want this SO, SO, badly)

*Since I don't read picture books I can't say if they would win. I focused on YA/MG.

Below is how the awards would look if they were in seperate categories, again I left out picture books.

(Imaginary) 2011 YA Coretta Scott King Award

Who Would Win: Lockdown by Walter Dean Myers

Who I Want to Win: A Wish After Midnight by Zetta Elliott. I'm not actually sure if it's eligible since it was self-published first in 2009, but since Amazon re-published it in 2010, it could be? Plus it's lesser-known historical fiction. If not, I would root for Saving Maddie by Varian Johnson. Sadly based on how the awards and their history, I don't think this book would stand a chance unless it was in the YA category. Which is unfortunate

YA Honors

Saving Maddie by Varian Johnson

Finding My Place by Traci L. Jones (not my favorite but again, it's historical fiction)

Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

You Don't Even Know Me by Sharon Flake (haven't read yet but I know she's won or been honored before)

A Girl Named Mister by Nikki Grimes (because she always wins or is honored)

2011 MG Coretta Scott King Awards

Who Would Win: One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams Garcia

Who I Want to Win: I would be happy with One Crazy Summer but I'm rooting for Ninth Ward.

MG Honors

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper

The Other Half of My Heart by Sundee Frazier (haven't read it yet but she's won the Steptoe so I could see her winning the CSK or at least being honored)

Cruisers by Walter Dean Myers (haven't read it yet but I'm convinced Walter Dean Myers is a CSK necessity)

What Momma Left Me by Renee Watson (very very good. I would be happy if this book won)

Zora and Me by Victoria Bond & T. R. Simon

2011 YA John Steptoe Award

Who Would Win: Good Fortune by Noni Carter

Who Should Win: Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves. No contest, this was my favorite YA debut of the year.

2011 MG John Steptoe Award

Who Would Win: Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Who Should Win: I LOVE Ninth Ward but I don't want it to win the Steptoe. This award belongs to Olugbemisola Rhuday Perkovich and 8th Grade Superzero, hands down.

So who do you think will win the 2011 CSK awards? Do you agree with my post? Disagree? And let me know what picture books would be strong contenders too.

To see a list of all YA/MG books that are technically eligible go here

Go West young minority!

A short while ago, I completed a fantabulous five meme, in which I talked about five books I recently read, planned to read, etc. I also added my own category, 'five things I want to see more of in YA poc lit'. After I made my list (need more paranormal, boarding school, athletes, inter cultural romance and cowgirls/cowboys/Westerns), I decided to make a list of the few books out there that fit my criteria. You can find my list of YA paranormals about poc here and my list of boarding schools books in which race is not the main issue here. The latest addition is a list of poc athletes. My goal is to list at least 10 suggestions. This week I'm listting Westerns about people of color. Originally I was just going to list historical fiction but maybe we can open it up a bit to the modern day (as long as it has a 'western' feel to it. Y'know? haha. What I mean is, the book can't just be set in the west, it should take involve farms/ranches/history/cobwboys/cowgirls/pioneers/anything else YA/MG Western). I could only come up with 5 so please help me out!

1. Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World by Mildred Walter (I read this book as a kid and had forgot all about until I recently found it in my house. Really cute and it talks about Black cowboys past and present!)

2. Valley of the Moon: the Diary of Maria Rosalia de Milagros (1846) by Sherry Garland

3. The Journal of Jesse Smoke: A Cherokee Boy, Trail of Tears, 1838 (My Name is America) by Joseph Bruchac

4. Blessing's Bead by Debby Dahl Edwardson

5. Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

6. The Righteous Revenge of Artemis Bonner by Walter Dean Myers

7. Black Storm Comin' by Diane Lee Wilson

8. Wrango by Brian Burks

9. The Legend of Bass Reeves by Gary Paulsen

10. Geronimo by Joseph Bruchac

11. The Big Burn by Jeanette Ingold

12. Adventerous Deeds of Deadwood Jones by Helen Hemphill

13. Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson

To Be Young, Athletic and a Poc

A short while ago, I completed a fantabulous five meme, in which I talked about five books I recently read, planned to read, etc. I also added my own category, 'five things I want to see more of in YA poc lit'. After I made my list (need more paranormal, boarding school, athletes, inter cultural romance and cowgirls/cowboys/Westerns), I decided to make a list of the few books out there that fit my criteria. You can find my list of YA paranormals about poc here and my list of boarding schools books in which race is not the main issue here. My goal is to list at least 10 suggestions. This week, I'm spotlighting YA/MG books by/about poc in which the main characters play sports.

1. Girl Overboard by Justina Chen Headley (YA-snowboarding)

2. Surf Mules by G. Neri (YA-surfing) ETA: I didn't fully do my research, Doret has informed that the two main characters in this novel are white.

2. The Ring by Bobbie Pyron (YA-boxing). The main character and author is white, but there are strong supporting poc characters.

3. Haters by Alisa Valdes Rodriguez (YA-motocross)

4. How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbaelstier (YA-basketball)

5. Tortilla Sun by Jennifer Cervantes (MG-baseball)

6. Samurai Shortstop by Alan Gratz (YA-baseball)

7. The Contender by Robert Lipsyte (YA-boxing)

8. The Warriors by Joseph Bruchac (MG-lacrosse)

9. The Necessary Hunger by Nina Revoyr (YA-basketball)

10. Under the Blood-Red Sun by Graham Salisbury (MG-baseball)

11. Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher (YA-swimming)

12. Double Dutch by Sharon Draper (MG-Double Dutch)

13. Ball Don't Lie by Matt de La Pena (YA-basketball)

14. Necessary Roughness by Marie G. Lee (YA-football)

15. Soul Enchilada by David Macinnis Gill (YA-basketball)

16. Slam by Walter Dean Myers (YA-basketball)

17. Black and White by Paul Volponi (YA-basketball)

18. Mexican White Boy by Matt De La Pena (YA-baseball)

19. I Wanna Be Your Shoebox by Cristina Garcia (MG-surfing)

20. Perfect Shot by Debbie Riguad (YA-volleyball)

21. The Hoopster by Alan Lawrence Sitomer (YA-basketball)

Upcoming Sports Release

1. Skate Fate by Juan Felipe Herrera (YA-skateboarding) Release Date: February 22, 2011

2. How Lamar's Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy by Crystal Allen (MG-bowling) Release Date: February 22, 2011

3. Tall Story by Candy Gourlay (YA-basketball) Release Date: February 22, 2011

*Please note that I tried to avoid featuring too many books in which the African American main character plays basketball. If you recommend them, I would be happy to add them, but I wanted to try and feature more diverse sports and characters.

Supernaturally Brown

Due to a bookish meme that I gave a new twist, I have begun to think of specific YA sub genres in which poc are ignored. I listed 5 sub genres and I hope to have five posts with recommendations of books in this genre that fit my criteria. If you missed last week's post, it was a list of YA book set in/near boarding schools with poc as the main or very important secondary characters. Feel free to add on recommendations to that list as well!

I'm not entirely clear as to the difference between paranormal and supernatural so I decided to include both. I would love it if someone clued me in on the difference though :) Some of these titles do come from recommendations left at the original post so stop by there to see who recommended what (and thank you so much for all who left recommendations!)

1. Devil's Kiss by Sarwat Chadda (and its sequel The Dark Goddess). I LOVE these books. There are no friendly paranormal creatures in this book, they all want to kill you. Bringing scary back (but not nightmare scary). Seriously READ THEM.

2. Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves. Another book that I become a fangirl over. MUST READ. One of my favorite books of 2010.

3. Daughters of the Moon series by Lynne Ewing

4. Betwixt by Tara Bray Smith

5. Dead Gorgeous by Malorie Blackman

6. Manifest by Artist Arthur

7. City of Ghosts by Bali Rai

8. Invisible Touch by Kelly Parra

9. Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

10. Half World by Hiromi Goto

11. Unleashed by Kristopher Reisz

12. Other by Karen Kincy

13. Sisters of Isis series by Lynne Ewing

14. Ruined by Paula Morris

OK I won't make myself mad by thinking about all the white YA paranormal titles I could list.....

Please leave recommendations!

ETA: It's hard sometimes to distinguish between paranormal and fantasy (for example Half World could probably go either way) so I'm using my discretion when it comes to adding to the list. If it has the usual suspects of vampires, werewolves, ghosts, zombies, it will definitely make the list. For less-popular creatures (at the moment), it's harder to tell but I'll do my best! I don't want fantasy recs yet, solely paranormal.

B.W.B. (Boarding While Brown)

After I mentioned in a random bookish meme, that I wanted to see more YA/MG about poc in boarding schools with some humor, I received some recommendations via Twitter and I did some research of my own. So I've decided for the next five weeks, I will ask for recommendations of books that fit the criteria listed in that meme. This week is poc at boarding school YA/MG that are not completely unhappy and about being the "only" (fill in blank).

So please Please PLEASE help me make this list longer. The list was so tiny as is that I decided to just include all YA/MG about a poc at a boarding school. One day I will be able to differentiate the categories into 'humorous' and 'why so serious?'

1. The Fall of Rome by Martha Southgate (not YA but I think I've heard that it has crossover appeal?)

2. Maizon at Blue Hill by Jacqueline Woodson (MG/YA. Very good)

3. New Boy by Julian Houston (YA. Have yet to review, need to re-read but I remember really liking it)

4. The Poison Apples by Lily Archer (YA. I THINK one of the girls is Asian. and I think it might actually be funny)

5. Samurai Shortstop by Alan Gratz (YA. Funny)

6. Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey (YA. I think it's supposed to be humorous and I'm not sure if the main character is a poc but let me know if it needs to be taken off the list). ETA: See comments. Staying on list because boarding school is the backdrop and the cast is diverse.

7. Hidden Talents by David Lubar (YA. I actually own this book. I've read it. and yet I only remember that it was funny and that the guys were "delinquents")

8. The School For Dangerous Girls by Eliot Schrefer (YA. I think it's a plot spoiler if I say who is a poc so just take my word for it?)

9. The Tequila Worm by Viola Canales (YA. I believe half of it is set at boarding school and the other half at home)

10. Sweetgrass Basket by Marlene Carvell (MG/YA)

11. Black Mirror by Nancy Werlin (YA)

12. It's All About Us series by Shelley Adina (YA)

And I just threw this one in because I want to read it...

Black Ice by Lorene Carey (Memoir of her teenage years at boarding school)

Not bad huh? But I bet I could name more than 10 about white teens in boarding school. So help me out, leave recommendations! I will add on to this list as recommendations come in.

Step It Up

This is a guest post I wrote that originally ran at Genre Reviews: OCD, Vampires and Rants, oh my! Thank you ladies for asking me to guest post and letting me share my ideas with new (and long time) readers :)

I’m terrible at coming up with guest posts when I don’t have a prompt. I asked my family, I asked Twitter. But ultimately, Bernice McFadden and Cheri P. Edwards helped me decide after I read their respective articles, without my asking them for advice. Go read them. I’ll wait. Are you back? Good. Weren’t they interesting? Both articles talk about how the publishing industry needs to change because in its current state, it’s extremely difficult for writers of color to get published. However, it’s not solely the publishing industry’s fault. We also need the agents, writers and consumers to step it up. We need more people of color in the publishing industry. I’m going to focus mostly on agents and writers because many articles have already talked about what the publishing industry needs to do and what editors need to.

I’ve said this many times before; if not for blogging I would have kept on thinking that people of color simply weren’t writing. Now I know otherwise. We need the publishing industry to invest in urban communities; we need them to not only encourage future writers of color, but to talk about other jobs in the publishing industry. We need them and other organizations to sponsor writing contests and actively promote them to students. I didn’t know much about jobs in the publishing industry aside from CEO, editors, writers and the people who made covers. I absolutely recommend that anyone who wants to go into publishing read Moonrat’s Guide to Getting Into Publishing Personally, after I finished reading that post, my eyes were opened to so many new job ideas. Maybe I will be an agent, or marketing manager or actual Publisher. The possibilities are endless and yet I didn’t know about many of them. Why is that publishing industries don’t actively promote jobs to youth? On Career days we got doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, movie critics, etc. These are all important jobs. But what about those kids who don’t want to have those jobs, they want to work with books but they can’t write (or just don’t want to)? They probably think the only way they can join the publishing industry is by writing books or becoming an editor (if that, since I didn’t know about editors before blogging. I swear, I would have kept thinking that authors write books and they are magically put together in a pretty package by anonymous people). We need internships, scholarships and any other way you can think of to help get people of color interested in working in the publishing industry. Writers can only do so much. It’s up to us, the consumers to step up as well. Let’s get some people of color working in sales, being publicist, contracts managers, and lawyers in the publishing industry, book designers and more.

Now let’s say publishers do everything right. They hire POC, and are actively seeking manuscripts written by authors of color but they just can’t find any. Then we need agents to step it up. Editors can’t find those amazing writers of color if their books aren’t being shopped around. We can’t have agents having some self-imposed quota of only supporting one or two writers of color. That’s just wrong. I understand if you only want to take authors of a certain genre, that’s fair. But you CAN NOT only support white authors of color. Maybe you do this sub consciously. Agents, look at your client list. How many authors of color do you represent? If you only represent 2, that’s a problem (the numbers may vary depending on how many clients you have. The point is a close to equal ratio of white and POC writers represented would be nice). Also, if you have an equal ratio of white to POC writers but all your POC writers write street lit or erotica, that’s a problem too (since there is no white equivalent of street lit, that just won’t do. This does not apply if you only represent authors of erotic fiction) If you represent writers across genres, you need to make sure you represent a diverse number of writers (diverse meaning not just cultural background but story wise). I would like to hear about more agents representing POC who write contemporary fiction, sci fi, etc.

Alright so publishers are doing what needs to be done and agents are looking to represent more authors of color. Authors of color I cannot stress how important it is to have an INTERNET PRESENCE. I understand, many writers have a day job and don’t have time to read all their fan mail and blog every day. But if you want to be a published author, you need to be prepared to interact with your fans. This means you need to at least have an updated WEBSITE (don’t get me started on some authors that are near impossible to find online because they don’t have a website. Or haven’t updated their websites in years. Grrr). It’s even better if you have a Twitter account and blog at least twice a month. Not only will this help your fans feel like they are in the know, but it will help you gain new fans. I’ve picked up quite a few books because of an author’s Internet presence. Social networking is an amazing tool that the 21^st century is blessed to have; it can really help established authors and aspiring authors. It’s also important for aspiring authors to have an active Internet presence. Have a website/blog, join online critique groups, and get a Twitter account (seriously I got a Twitter account about 6 months ago and it’s fantastic. I’ve “met” so many established authors as well as aspiring authors that I need to watch out for). Promote your book online (especially if you are a debut author); enlist the help of a publicist if your publishing company cannot or will not help you promote your book (often the case for writers of color). A great example of this is the Manifest campaign. Manifest is by Artist Arthur, an established author in adult fiction who is making her YA debut. I have seen that book popping up in so many blogger’s In My Mailbox posts (even before I got my ARC). On the back cover, it lists the marketing campaign which includes; sending out ARCS, doing interviews, appearing at BEA and ALA, etc. These are all GREAT ideas because as a result of this enormous marketing campaign, I have seen this book everywhere. If you don’t have the money, try and do it yourself, if you have the money but not the time, hire your own publicist to do it for you (or make time since this is the career you chose). Blog tours really work, make yours creative and fun (Fantastic example is Y.S. Lee’s. Each blog stop was either an interview or a guest post. The guest posts were all about little known facts about Victorian England, which ties into her book. It was brilliant and a lot of fun to follow and I’m not just saying that because I participated). Basically get your name out there. I have a very close friend that I met through blogging, she now has a book deal (and a gorgeous cover), but when I met here, she had yet to sell her manuscript. If an aspiring author is constantly Tweeting, leaving comments on blogs, writing awesome posts, etc. I guarantee that your name will be noticed by book lovers (plus I bet agents or editors might notice this as well) and when you share the news that YOU GOT A BOOK DEAL, you will have fans already in place. Established and aspiring authors of color need to step it up.

I realize that the title of this post sounds rather mean (or you might have seen the title and thought I was about to talk about the movie, which was pretty good. Alas that is not what this particular post is about, sorry to disappoint), but its tough love. I so desperately want to see quality books by POC being published in all genres for people of all ages. I think that’s happening in picture books and early chapter books, we just need more writers of color being published in MG/YA and up. Obviously consumers need to help too. BUY books by POC (it’s no longer enough to buy books about POC not written by POC. I don’t have a problem with those books, but I do have a problem with editors thinking that “we publish books about POC therefore we are diverse”, never mind the fact that the books are not being written by POC. WOC and white writers have different perspectives, both are perspectives that need to be shared, but sadly, we usually just hear the white perspective (best example: The Help. I love this book, but the question most POC are asking is: would it have done as well if it was written by a POC? I don’t know the definite answer to that, but my guess is no.) If you can’t afford to buy books by POC (believe me, I understand) then go to your library and check them out. If they don’t have any, REQUEST them.

Everyone in the publishing industry needs to step it up to promote diversity from editors to agents, to publicists, writers and consumers. Once people start taking those steps and rise to the challenge, we will see change in the publishing industry.

I'm Writing A Letter (ETA)

The Silver Phoenix cover change has made me realize something; we can't just target the publishers, it's time to contact the bookstores.

Unbeknownst to me, only a few white men are in charge of buying books for large chains like Borders and Barnes and Noble. Granted I don't have any links to that information so if you know where I can find it, please share that information in the comments. This is a HUGE problem. I'm sorry, I just don't have as much faith in white men being committed to featuring diverse reads. Publishers can publish as many books about POC as they want but if large bookstores refuse to buy them, it becomes harder for publishers to 'take a chance' on books by/about POC, especially if they are debuts. I realize that publishing is first and foremost a business, but I would think it is business savvy to reach out to as many customers as you can. Why risk alienating African Americans, Asians, Latinos, and Native Americans?

Silver Phoenix was passed
on by borders and carried in only limited quantities
in select barnes and noble stores. she simply wasn’t
being picked up by readers as much as we’d have liked

From Cindy Pon's blog post about the cover change
(emphasis mine)

Borders didn't even give the book a chance and it's not good enough when only a limited number of Barnes and Noble stores pick up the books. I also know that Neesha Meminger's Shine, Coconut Moon is not carried in Borders or Barnes and Noble. I don't think Mitali Perkins' books are carried in either chain as well (correct me if I'm wrong). That is unacceptable and needs to change. Change is slow but we've been fighting this for almost a year and we've seen two covers changed and more posts popping up about the lack of diversity in children's books. We are making progress. Maybe not fast enough for my liking, but it is there.

A great post about this can be found at megwrites: Attack of the Whitewashing

I would like to start a letter writing campaign. I'm asking everyone to write to Borders or Barnes and Noble. Personally I think it would be most effective to contact Borders due to the fact that Barnes and Noble is the largest chain bookstore in the U.S (Borders is #2). Therefore, should Borders pay attention to all letters and emails being sent to them, it might help them get ahead. If Barnes and Noble ignores our demands for more diversity in publishing, we can take our business elsewhere and we should tell Borders that in our letters.

I invite everyone to write a letter/email to Borders or Barnes and Noble (or your local chain bookstore) and post it on their blog. Then come back to this post and leave the link in the comments. I would love to be able to have a long list of links to letters. If you don't have a blog, leave your letter in the comments.

Contact Borders Contact Barnes and Noble ETA: I've been told that we should contact the CEO of the bookstore divisions. Bloggers count as media so contact the CEO of Borders boosktore divions, Michael Edwards here For Barnes and Noble if you are a blogger (I consider us reporters in a way) go here to request contact information for Jamie Carey, chief merchandising officer.

I will update this post with my own letter as well. However we can't just stop with letter writing, we need to commit to buying books about POC. The worst thing that could happen would be for us to work so hard to get POC books in stores and then have consumers not buy them. That can not (will not!) happen. I would love to see in each and every In My Mailbox post, New Crayons, etc. one book by/about a POC. One purchase a month (I know we bookaholics buy more than one book a month!), a seemingly small step but you never know. It could make a big difference.

We should also shine a light on chain bookstores that are committed to diversity. I think indie bookstores are already doing a great job of it, they are definitely more receptive.

Other ideas? Share in the comments!

Amy's (from My Friend Amy) letter to Borders and Barnes and Noble

My letter

Najela's Letter

Mardel's Letter

Tricia's Letter

Borders response to my letter

Dear Ari,

Thanks for writing Borders regarding Borders Youth selection.

We welcome your comments, as we rely on feedback from customers to improve on the services and products we provide. It is our objective to keep a wide variety of authors and titles on our shelves at all times.

Online there is an even more broad selection. If you are unable to locate the item you are looking for a store associate will happily assist you in a search online. I've also forwarded your comments on to the Borders Customer Care team for their consideration. While I cannot guarantee that a change will be made, we do appreciate that you've taken the time to send us your ideas.

If you have any other questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely,

Reading in Color Note: Apparently my letter got cut off a bit, which may have something to do with the short response. It sounds like a form letter. I'm going to re-send it via email customercare@bordersstore.com. I have also decided to MAIL a copy of my letter to Borders headquarters. I will keep everyone updated.

Guess What This Post is About?

Hardcover (top left) Paperback (middle) Hardcover sequel (immediate left)

I've been getting a ton of emails asking for my thoughts on Cindy Pon's new covers (I'll respond soon). I saw them last night (well technically today because I saw them around midnight) and many people have already posted about the whitewashing of the covers. I've been silent. Why? Because this feels more personal. I became friends with Justine Larbalestier during the Liar controversy and before I read her book. I still haven't read Magic Under Glass (I promise it will be soon!) but I've been in contact with Jaclyn Dolamore and she's very sweet. However, we only started talking during the MUG cover fail. This time it's different. Cindy Pon has been a huge supporter of Reading in Color from the very beginning. She donated 3 ARCs of Silver Phoenix for me to give away, along with sending me an autographed ARC (I'm pretty sure it was my first one). Yet another book I have that I will treasure always. She's a wonderful person and so nice (I am especially in awe of her kindness in light of my cringe-worthy review of Silver Phoenix, which I really liked but it's not the most eloquent of reviews. Good thing I'm re-reviewing it). Therefore I didn't really want to post about this. However, I'm also drained. But I realized that whitewashing controversies don't hurt the authors (who knows, they might even help) and this is too important not to post about.

The beautiful Silver Phoenix cover has been changed drastically. The paperback version is coming out in February and it is a complete whitewash. I don't like it. The girl on the cover definitely looks white and I think it's rather plain. I did send a Tweet to Cindy Pon that I LOVE the Silver Phoenix hardcover and Fury of the Phoenix has a cool cover. I stand by that. I think the dagger gives it a very cool touch and I'm ambivalent about the half covered face. I don't hate it or love it, I would probably care more if the model on the cover was Asian. Maybe the model is Asian (anyone know?). However, it is most UNCOOL that the publisher feels it has to change the cover for the book to reach more readers. It is UNCOOL that Borders refuses to sell it and that only a few Barnes and Noble stores sell it. I HATE knowing that some readers probably do see the beautiful hardcover Silver Phoenix and walk right on by because they are turned off by 'pretty pink/Asian inspired fantasy'. I do wish the original hardcover showed how action packed the book is (hence the reason why I like the dagger) because I think that could draw in more readers. I HATE that Silver Phoenix and Fury of the Phoenix look similar to other YA covers.

Silver Phoenix has a cover that readers could be proud of, especially Asian girls. It's a unique cover that contains a great story. I'm not going to boycott the sequel. I NEED to know what happens next and I don't want anyone else to boycott the book, especially since the publisher did try to have an accurate cover (but then again that could be just as bad since the cover is still being changed). I want Silver Phoenix to find new readers, but I don't want it to alienate its original readers.

Here's what Cindy had to say

i feel so blessed to have gotten the original cover
so wonderfully created by chris borgman. it will
always hold a special place in my heart.
alas, despite its gorgeousness, Silver Phoenix was passed
on by borders and carried in only limited quantities
in select barnes and noble stores. she simply wasn’t
being picked up by readers as much as we’d have liked.

the truth is, Silver Phoenix looks like nothing else
that is being offered on the young adult bookshelves.
on top of that, my story is also “different”. it’s fantasy, which
is very popular right now. but asian-inspired and reads
more like a historical than the more familiar urban.
for every reader that told me s/he’s been waiting so long
for a book like mine to come along, i’ve had another tell
me, i never thought i’d like asian-inspired fantasy, but
really loved Silver Phoenix. (this always makes me so happy!)

i can’t help but wonder how many readers took one
look at my cover, made assumptions (it’s too *this*
or obviously not enough *that*) and decided it
wasn’t for them. i won’t lie. it breaks my heart a little.
the reason that i love fantasy so much is because despite
the fact that an author can take me to an entirely
different world or time, weave epic stories of good
against evil, astound me with mythical creatures, etc, the
fantastic is always grounded in the human experience. [....]

i’m very well aware of recent discussions
about whitewashing young adult covers as well as
#racefail debates, especially within the speculative
fiction genres. most of you know by now that the
author gets very little say in cover design. i was fortunate
enough to be consulted on many aspects for the original
cover. my debut cover couldn’t have been more fierce
or asian! and i’m so grateful to greenwillow books for spending
the time, money and effort to repackage my books.
with the hopes that it will be carried more widely and
perhaps draw a new audience that my original cover didn’t.

because what matters to me the most has always been
the story. i spent two years writing and revising
Silver Phoenix, went through the gut wrenching heartache of
querying 121 agents so ai ling’s tale could be read. and it’s a
dream come true to be published. i never did it for the money,
fame or glory (i laugh at the thought!). but on a personal level,
i want my stories to be read and on a professional level, read
widely enough that more xia fantasy books in the future is
a possibility. i do have other xia tales in me! =)

i would love to see more diversity in all ways being
published in children’s and young adult genres.
i think progress is happening, even if it may seem painfully slow.
especially when we feel passionate about it. but change doesn’t
happen instantly. i believe success can be achieved through many
small triumphs. and it can start simply with a story…

You can read the rest of her post here

So what am I going to do? Well I already had a giveaway planned that will be announced on Sunday, I'll be giving away a hardcover copy of Silver Phoenix. I wish I could afford to give more away. I'm going to make sure my library has it. When I buy the book I'll be giving away, I'll head to Borders and ask for it, just to be difficult ;) I am torn over whether or not I should email the publishing company. Thoughts?

What else is there to say? I've been ranting about this (whitewashing), discussing it and trying to find a solution for months. I honestly feel like I have nothing new to say about this issue. Instead I'll update this page with links to people talking about Silver Phoenix's covers. I still want to discuss this so I'll be visiting as many posts as I can, leaving comments and replying to comments left here. Don't be shy, if you don't think this is a whitewashed cover, say so! I promise I won't bite your head off :) If you think this is horrible beyond belief, share your anger! Tell me what YOU are going to do and link to your posts.

I'm tired of being tired.

Inkstone: I guess I still have one post in me

BookGazing: That Makes Six-Whitewashing Reappears

Jeanette Lin: Sad

Writers of Color 50 Book Challenge: Cindy Pon's Silver Phoenix

Asia in the Heart, World on the Mind: Dear Greenwillow Books

Babbling About Books, and More: Special Edition WTFckery

Say It Isn't So: Whitewashing. Who's to blame?

The Rejectionist: Insert Animated .gift of The Rejectionist Jumping Up And Down And Screaming Obscenities ( Short, not at all sweet and expresses my own feelings perfectly)

The Book Smugglers: Smugglers' Stash & News

My Words Ate Me: Racism on Covers

The Compulsive Reader: Reading Rants: Of Historical Fiction, Sarah Dessen and Strong Asian Heroines

PS I also admit that I don't always report on whitewashed covers. I comment on posts that talk about them but honestly it can get really depressing to talk about all the time. For the record, I don't think White Cat was whitewashed, I do think the Mariposa Club was whitewashed. However, I haven't read either book (yet!) so my opinion could change.

Apples, Bananas, Coconuts, and Oreos (An Apology)

Apples, bananas, coconuts and oreos. To most white people those are simply the names of food,but to people of color, those are names you get called for "acting white" or "not being (fill in the minority) enough". "Acting white" means you don't use slang when you talk, you want to get an education/get ahead in life and basically you don't fit in with the stereotype people have about your culture. Some examples: An African American who likes metal music, a Latino who doesn't speak Spanish, etc. These are all examples of people who would be accused of "acting white."



An apple is what Native Americans are called when they "act white", "red "on the outside, white on the inside. Banana is what Chinese people are called, "yellow on the outside, white on the inside." Coconut is the similar term for South Asians (I think it's only South Asians, correct me if I'm wrong) and Oreo is the term used for African Americans. I don't know what the name is for a Latino who "acts white". Besides the fact that the terms red and yellow being used to describe people's skin color can be seen as offensive, these terms all essentially mean that you are a sellout, someone who does not embrace their culture. Let me make myself clear, I'm no expert on these words and the meaning behind them. I am basing this off of my own experience as well as things I've read/heard/seen. I don't want anyone to think I'm an expert on this subject, but I do want to help readers understand these terms and why we shouldn't use them.



There's nothing wrong with being white. But it is an insult to be accused of acting white if you aren't white because it means you aren't proud of your culture. Not only that, it implies that only white people can be educated, listen to certain music, watch certain things, etc. Why is a Native American child called an apple simply because he or she wants to make something of themselves? It's ridiculous to accuse people of "acting white" who want to get ahead and lift up themselves and their people. Why is a South Asian who doesn't speak Bangla, Urdu, Hindi, etc. considered a coconut? Why can't an African American not like rap music without being called an oreo? Furthermore, why is wanting to better yourself considered something that only white people can do? At the end of the day, that's what's really troubling. The fact that POC seem to think that when you do well in school, volunteer, get a job, etc. you are "acting white" and not "acting black/Latino/Asian/Native American". What a low standard. Based on that thinking, there's no point in ever trying to get ahead because if we want to become presidents, CEOs, doctors, lawyers, nurses and have success in our careers, then we have to give up our culture. Well I refuse to accept that. Isn't it obvious that a POC with a strong work ethic is not "acting white", they just have a strong work ethic. Honestly, the naysayers who say that successful minorities are "acting white" are just trying to hold their race/culture back, they may not know it, but it's true. In fact, wouldn't you say that the successful minorities are making our race PROUD?! Regardless of how you feel about him politically, you have to admit that President Obama is a smart guy. I bet he was called an oreo when he was younger (I read his autobiography a really long time ago so I don't remember for sure) because he got good grades and went to college and then law school. Now look at him, PRESIDENT. Do you hear anyone calling him an oreo? (if people are still calling him an oreo, they are just dense). Instead people are expressing pride in how far he (and we) have come. There are many more examples of people like him, leave some names in the comments :)




I've been called an oreo before. As a former dancer I can hold my own, but I have a diverse taste in music. I love hip hop and some rap, but I also like some old school rock and I love salsa and merengue. I also listen to reggaeton, jazz and during my dance years I listened to classical a lot. I was called an oreo for knowing the song "Living on a Prayer", not only that but apparently, my singing along with the song with my white friends meant that I wasn't "black enough." *eye roll* I know people who have been called oreos for not using slang. Being a minority in this country forces you to learn two languages of sorts. As a Black American teenager (I'm also half Latino but I don't speak Spanish that well), I've learned that I can relax and use slang with my friends. We can talk about the subtle racism occurring in our school and laugh at the ignorant comments people ask ("why do you wear wigs everyday?", "why don't you talk black?"). Then you have to learn the language that everyone else speaks, proper English. When I'm not with my Black or Latino friends, I lose the slang especially when you are talking to an adult, but I don't use slang with my white friends either. I don't use a lot of slang to begin with, coming out of my mouth "finna" sounds ridiculous. I also don't know all the slang, once my friend called me a cluck. I had no idea what that was. Apparently, a cluck is someone who is clumsy. No idea where that comes from. I strongly disagree with the notion that not using words like "finna" and "cluck" means you don't know or respect your Black culture. It means you speak proper English.

I'm writing this post to explain and (lamely) apologize. The fear of being called an oreo is what holds me back from telling my friends about my blog. My friends don't even know that I like to read. It's why, though I may accept your friend request on Facebook, I will not talk about books or book blogs on my account. My Facebook account is basically for my friends that I see face-to-face. So I apologize for not joining your book group or becoming a fan of your blog, etc. on Facebook but I'm tired. Tired of being called an oreo simply because I refuse to let a stereotype box me in. I'm not perfect, I have thought the word oreo in my head when I meet Black people who don't want to associate with other Black people. I'm working on not thinking like that, it's not easy but it's necessary. "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me", I can handle being called a nerd and a bookworm, those terms don't hurt me as much. But accuse me of not being Black or Latina, of not respecting or making my culture proud? That hurts more that you will ever know. I may laugh it off but believe me, "oreo" is deeply branded into my mind and it has left scars.


I'm half Black and half Latina and I don't fit in with either. I don't speak Spanish so I'm never fully accepted by Latinos and Black people don't always accept me because of my class and the way I talk and the music I like, etc. I was once told by a Black person that the reason I couldn't get Double Dutch was because of my "Hispanic blood" (I think it just comes from me being clumsy), so I shouldn't "worry about it." So I'm not "Black enough" or "Latina enough" (it doesn't help that I don't have an hourglass figure), I can't win. But the trials of being mixed-race, biracial and multiracial are for another post on another day.



PS I wasn't born knowing most of these terms! I learned about apples from The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie and coconut from Shine, Coconut Moon by Nessha Meminger (and banana from the comments).


PPSS Never call a POC an apple, banana, coconut or oreo if you are not of that race. Obviously, you shouldn't use it in general but believe me, if a white person calls a Black person an oreo (or a Native American person an apple, etc.), they will beat you down (verbally or physically). Seriously people, how can someone who is not of that culture tell someone else that they are not "Black (or any other minority) enough"? Doesn't even make any sense and yet I know some white kids at school who talk about Black people being oreos (we don't have enough Asians or Native Americans for them to comment on), as if they even have a clue as to what being Black means. Oh please.