Comments on: In which I get frustrated and plead with authors http://bookavore.com/2009/11/30/in-which-i-get-frustrated-and-plead-with-authors/ Voracious reader with a certain verbal attitude Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:45:01 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Marian Schembari http://bookavore.com/2009/11/30/in-which-i-get-frustrated-and-plead-with-authors/#comment-1075 Marian Schembari Thu, 21 Jan 2010 05:26:39 +0000 http://bookavore.com/?p=340#comment-1075 Oh my goodness, I've been sitting here for at least 10 minutes trying to come up with an appropriate argument to the race thing. But Jill just totally hit it on the head so I haven't nothing more of interest to say. Just that whatever the character's race is, is - in fact - their default race. Bear with me on this, but if you think of race as just another appearance thing (rather than a biological characteristic) then there's nothing wrong with pointing it out. Just like an author describes a character's hair color or fashion choices. Whether or not they're being racist by actively diversifying their characters is entirely up for debate. My point is we're at this point in history where we're so PC we don't point out the obvious. There's absolutely nothing wrong with describing a person's race only if they're not white IF the main character is white. The racism comes in when you categorize someone only by their race. I realize I'm rambling here, so apologies. The real problem lies in the fact that there are just way to many "white" YA books. Let's fix that problem first. Oh my goodness, I’ve been sitting here for at least 10 minutes trying to come up with an appropriate argument to the race thing. But Jill just totally hit it on the head so I haven’t nothing more of interest to say. Just that whatever the character’s race is, is – in fact – their default race.

Bear with me on this, but if you think of race as just another appearance thing (rather than a biological characteristic) then there’s nothing wrong with pointing it out. Just like an author describes a character’s hair color or fashion choices. Whether or not they’re being racist by actively diversifying their characters is entirely up for debate. My point is we’re at this point in history where we’re so PC we don’t point out the obvious. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with describing a person’s race only if they’re not white IF the main character is white. The racism comes in when you categorize someone only by their race. I realize I’m rambling here, so apologies. The real problem lies in the fact that there are just way to many “white” YA books. Let’s fix that problem first.

]]> By: Paula http://bookavore.com/2009/11/30/in-which-i-get-frustrated-and-plead-with-authors/#comment-1056 Paula Sat, 09 Jan 2010 03:49:35 +0000 http://bookavore.com/?p=340#comment-1056 And another thing... has anyone else noticed an abundance of dead parents in YA? Or parents who appear to be living but who exhibit no brain activity when dealing with their teen protagonist children? Parents who are conveniently never at home, or who never notice anything or who are actually the children in the family? And then there are all of the parents who are writers or artists or musicians. Oh, don't forget the rich, pretty, spoiled, snotty antagonist-girls who turn out to be okay--in a superior, snarky sort of way. They fit right in with Impossible Boyfriends, awesomesauce redheads and quarterback stars. "Sigh." Enough with the cliches, already! And another thing… has anyone else noticed an abundance of dead parents in YA? Or parents who appear to be living but who exhibit no brain activity when dealing with their teen protagonist children? Parents who are conveniently never at home, or who never notice anything or who are actually the children in the family? And then there are all of the parents who are writers or artists or musicians. Oh, don’t forget the rich, pretty, spoiled, snotty antagonist-girls who turn out to be okay–in a superior, snarky sort of way. They fit right in with Impossible Boyfriends, awesomesauce redheads and quarterback stars. “Sigh.” Enough with the cliches, already!

]]> By: Kim Wells http://bookavore.com/2009/11/30/in-which-i-get-frustrated-and-plead-with-authors/#comment-1027 Kim Wells Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:16:18 +0000 http://bookavore.com/?p=340#comment-1027 All for the secret cabal, but if we let just anyone in, it won't be a "secret" anymore. Duh! :) What do you all think of just describing them (say, she "has red hair & fair skin w/ freckles" he has blonde/blue eyes, she "has brown hair hazel eyes" and is named Amelinda...) sort of and letting people guess the race? Saying "and Amelinda was a young Latina" or "and Joe was a black guy" or "Pete was a Germanic Norseman of a cowboy" or some such seems awkward to me. (Even aside from my deliberate awkwardness for effect added in the phrasing...) All for the secret cabal, but if we let just anyone in, it won’t be a “secret” anymore. Duh! :)

What do you all think of just describing them (say, she “has red hair & fair skin w/ freckles” he has blonde/blue eyes, she “has brown hair hazel eyes” and is named Amelinda…) sort of and letting people guess the race?

Saying “and Amelinda was a young Latina” or “and Joe was a black guy” or “Pete was a Germanic Norseman of a cowboy” or some such seems awkward to me. (Even aside from my deliberate awkwardness for effect added in the phrasing…)

]]> By: Venus Vaughn http://bookavore.com/2009/11/30/in-which-i-get-frustrated-and-plead-with-authors/#comment-1025 Venus Vaughn Tue, 08 Dec 2009 04:23:17 +0000 http://bookavore.com/?p=340#comment-1025 Oy! Thank you for saying this. I just read a book that I will refuse to acknowledge here. When I started the book I thought the author was going to be all inclusive-n-shit. Yes, she mentioned the race of the non-whites without mentioning the race of the whites, but hey, at least there was more than one color in her book. But what happened by the end just pissed me off. See, by my count she had, 3.5 fully realized white characters and 3.5 fully realized black characters. And guess what? Every white character was good. Every black character was bad. I wrote a letter to the author via her publisher because I HOPE that eventually the editorial staff will catch on to the real world. Oy! Thank you for saying this. I just read a book that I will refuse to acknowledge here. When I started the book I thought the author was going to be all inclusive-n-shit. Yes, she mentioned the race of the non-whites without mentioning the race of the whites, but hey, at least there was more than one color in her book. But what happened by the end just pissed me off.

See, by my count she had, 3.5 fully realized white characters and 3.5 fully realized black characters. And guess what? Every white character was good. Every black character was bad.

I wrote a letter to the author via her publisher because I HOPE that eventually the editorial staff will catch on to the real world.

]]> By: Kathryn http://bookavore.com/2009/11/30/in-which-i-get-frustrated-and-plead-with-authors/#comment-1024 Kathryn Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:03:19 +0000 http://bookavore.com/?p=340#comment-1024 I LOVED this post. It reminded me of a conversation I had almost ten years ago now when the fourth Harry Potter books came out and my friends and I realized Hermione wasn't black. Seriously, we ALL thought Hermione was black for like two years and all of a sudden had to change our view of her. Why we thought an English dentist's daughter would be anything but white, I'll never know. I LOVED this post. It reminded me of a conversation I had almost ten years ago now when the fourth Harry Potter books came out and my friends and I realized Hermione wasn’t black. Seriously, we ALL thought Hermione was black for like two years and all of a sudden had to change our view of her. Why we thought an English dentist’s daughter would be anything but white, I’ll never know.

]]> By: Miranda http://bookavore.com/2009/11/30/in-which-i-get-frustrated-and-plead-with-authors/#comment-1022 Miranda Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:02:47 +0000 http://bookavore.com/?p=340#comment-1022 please do. :) I need one bad. XD please do. :) I need one bad. XD

]]> By: Miranda http://bookavore.com/2009/11/30/in-which-i-get-frustrated-and-plead-with-authors/#comment-1021 Miranda Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:01:51 +0000 http://bookavore.com/?p=340#comment-1021 Thank you. lol. I agree whole-heartedly. I've been writing since I was little, and I have a knack for it, but I just can't ever seem to finish anything I start! I get other ideas and get distracted. lol. :) I totally agree with you. I'm a redhead, naturally. And I only get annoyed when I see other redheads who have dyed it red. It looks like crap on most people. :) This was a funny read, and I agree with you on all arguements. :) Thank you. lol. I agree whole-heartedly. I’ve been writing since I was little, and I have a knack for it, but I just can’t ever seem to finish anything I start! I get other ideas and get distracted. lol. :) I totally agree with you.

I’m a redhead, naturally. And I only get annoyed when I see other redheads who have dyed it red. It looks like crap on most people. :) This was a funny read, and I agree with you on all arguements. :)

]]> By: Larry Mike http://bookavore.com/2009/11/30/in-which-i-get-frustrated-and-plead-with-authors/#comment-1020 Larry Mike Mon, 07 Dec 2009 06:24:21 +0000 http://bookavore.com/?p=340#comment-1020 And we will now have to suffer through a slough of YA Vampire 90210 type stories or "No one understands me 'cause I'm a teenage blood sucker" angst nonsense. I've tossed books in which it seemed the author was trying to celebrate diversity rather than just tell a good story. When PC-ness trumps story, then we have indoctrination rather than a good tale. And we will now have to suffer through a slough of YA Vampire 90210 type stories or “No one understands me ’cause I’m a teenage blood sucker” angst nonsense.

I’ve tossed books in which it seemed the author was trying to celebrate diversity rather than just tell a good story.

When PC-ness trumps story, then we have indoctrination rather than a good tale.

]]> By: Jaime Adoff http://bookavore.com/2009/11/30/in-which-i-get-frustrated-and-plead-with-authors/#comment-1019 Jaime Adoff Sun, 06 Dec 2009 21:51:32 +0000 http://bookavore.com/?p=340#comment-1019 Excellent post, but I think we need to ask the question which is why are all of these books being published and marketed so heavily? This is the America that many in the business view as the true America. (Or at least the America that they feel they can sell.) Good writing and realistic representations of actual teens really don't matter as long as they can sell it to the masses. Most publishers and book sellers (large chain) for that matter are still operating on the old stereotype models of decades past. But the sad thing is most don't want to change. It's still a largely segregated field. You either write YA novels, or you write "Black" YA novels, or you write hispanic YA novels etc... Why don't reviewers mention the race of the white protagonist? It's always the 16 year old African-American . . or in the case of Jason Porter- Biracial. How about 16 year old caucasian- Bobby . . .? The lack of understanding of actual diversity is a systemic problem that continues from season to season starting from the top down. As long as these books continue to be published, people will continue to write them. Excellent post, but I think we need to ask the question which is why are all of these books being published and marketed so heavily? This is the America that many in the business view as the true America. (Or at least the America that they feel they can sell.) Good writing and realistic representations of actual teens really don’t matter as long as they can sell it to the masses. Most publishers and book sellers (large chain) for that matter are still operating on the old stereotype models of decades past. But the sad thing is most don’t want to change. It’s still a largely segregated field. You either write YA novels, or you write “Black” YA novels, or you write hispanic YA novels etc… Why don’t reviewers mention the race of the white protagonist? It’s always the 16 year old African-American . . or in the case of Jason Porter- Biracial. How about 16 year old caucasian- Bobby . . .? The lack of understanding of actual diversity is a systemic problem that continues from season to season starting from the top down. As long as these books continue to be published, people will continue to write them.

]]> By: Lindsay http://bookavore.com/2009/11/30/in-which-i-get-frustrated-and-plead-with-authors/#comment-1018 Lindsay Sun, 06 Dec 2009 18:10:03 +0000 http://bookavore.com/?p=340#comment-1018 Thank you for posting this. I have all these thoughts and more, but have always been nervous to post them because a) I'm not published yet and b) I try to play nice But sometimes you can't play nice, especially when the last ten YA books I've read have nearly the exact same plot line and characters. Seriously, where is the mad lib people are using? Thank you for posting this. I have all these thoughts and more, but have always been nervous to post them because
a) I’m not published yet and
b) I try to play nice

But sometimes you can’t play nice, especially when the last ten YA books I’ve read have nearly the exact same plot line and characters. Seriously, where is the mad lib people are using?

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