I received a very intriguing email from author Bernice L. McFadden and I thought I would share it with everyone. Because I am a true lover of books I feel compel to share her letter. In order to demand books of substance, we have to be willing to fight for the authors that offer us sustenance.
You may not know me, or my novels, because I am a member of a growing band of African-American writers of literary fiction who are slowly disappearing. And not because I am lacking in talent and credentials; in fact I have already published a number of books with major publishing houses and have been reviewed by national newspapers and well-respected literary journals, and have received critical acclaim and awards for my efforts. My work has been hailed as vivid, thought provoking and brilliant. I have been compared to Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Zora Neale Hurston and Gloria Naylor.
The fact that my novels may disappear is not due to the downward spiral of the economy or the pound of flesh it has taken from the book-publishing industry. No, my demise began long before the floor of the housing market began to rot away and the stock market crashed through.
Why?
I don't rightly know why publisher's market fiction written by African-Americans ONLY TO African-Americans - but it has become common practice. And by doing this, they've placed all AA authors in one box forcing them to compete for the attention of ONE audience.
The word that has been coined to describe what is happening to AA writers is: Seg-Book-Gation
Segregation is an abominable practice no matter how you slice it - but when you apply it to art -- it becomes a sin. Art of any medium should transcend color, race, class, religion and ethnicity, but alas, that is not the case in the publishing world.
AA literary writers like myself are being pushed out of the industry all together as we are no longer able to secure book deals, because publisher claim that AA readers are only interested in buying books about sex, street-life and drugs. We know that this is not the case. We are a diverse people, interested in a variety of subjects.
On January 9th, 2010, my debut novel, SUGAR will celebrate its 10th anniversary. In order to commemorate this occasion It is my great hope that this moving story of friendship and acceptance will sell 10,000 copies between now and the anniversary date.
It is my dream that the surge in sales for this decade old novel, will send a message to the publishers that we readers desire ...crave and DEMAND a variety of literature from our AA writers because their stories are just as riveting, thought-provoking and universally appealing as the stories coming from their non-African-American counterparts.
***STOP PUBLISHING FROM RACIALIZING LITERATURE***
Please purchase at least one copy of SUGAR for yourself, a friend or family member and spread the word as far and wide as you can.
Peace & Light,
Bernice L. McFadden
www.bernicemcfadden.com
www.firstborngirl.blogspot.com
1 comments:
I just voiced this concern to my sister a couple of weeks ago when we hit up Borders to find some books. I wanted to get a couple by the intellectual Italian genius Umberto Eco, and also pick up the book Push, by the phenomenal poet Sapphire. I was so discouraged at how easily I could find the works by Eco, but not Sapphire. There was one book case with about 5 shelves on each side dedicated not just to AA literature but to "ethnic" lit in total. It's sickening. I believe it pigeonholes us all - because AA lit books are placed in their own section, mainstream consumers are led to believe that the subject matter is only relatable to other African-Americans; some African-American consumers may feel that these are the only books that can "speak" to them, and so do not wander outside of that section; and the writers of AA lit cannot reach a broader consumer base.
I try to avoid those books that are supposed to be so appealing to the African-American consumer base, those that are solely focused on drugs, sex, and violence. I love thought-provoking, intelligent writing, like that from a Zora Neale Hurston, Octavia Butler, and Gloria Naylor. I don't understand why their offerings cannot be seen as universally relatable, accessible to the entire public. Certainly their stories speak to my soul especially, but I'm sure readers of all cultures would enjoy quality writing, regardless of the color of the author.
Who do we write angry letters to to try to put an end to this practice?
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