Author, Thelonious “Monk” Ellison is peeved because his latest offering hasn’t caught fire with publishers, while a tome called We’s Lives in Da Ghetto by Sintara Golden hits the bestseller lists, leaving Monk seething.
American Fiction nails hypocrisy and bias within the publishing industry. Many publishers have PR campaigns devoted to “diversity” and “marginalized people” yet still continue to publish and promote books with reductive stereotypes.
I recall walking into a Barnes and Noble bookstore and the “Black Voices” section was chock full of B-grade paperbacks all focusing on street, gang, and ghetto life. Even the required reading within schools and universities primarily have black characters that speak “broken English.”
The publishing industry is tricky to navigate for a Black author. On the outside, companies claim they want new voices and perspectives but once inside many Black authors get forced into a box. Judging by the creativity and wit we’ve seen from the new wave of Black writers, actors, and filmmakers– the contemporary Black audience is highly sophisticated. It’s time for the literature we promote to reflect that sophistication.
0 Commentaires