JA Konrath is talking over at his site about segregation on the shelves. The conversation stems from another post by Bestselling Author about his/her own (sorry, not sure because the author is anonymous) experience as an African-American author. Sad to say, but it seems as if AA authors get shelved in the AA section whether they want to be there or not. I never thought of this before, which shames me. I assumed there was an AA section because folks wanted it. I never stopped to think which folks. Can it be possible that African-Americans weren't clamoring for their own section in the bookstore? Is it merely a publishing/bookselling decision that leaves the people most affected out of the process? Why aren't there Irish-American sections? Or Jewish-American sections? Or Catholic-American sections? Has white America become so sensitive to the issue of race that we think having a section devoted to black literature makes us enlightened and supportive? Are we afraid that if we don't have it, we'll be accused of being racist?
I'm just asking the questions. I have no answers. For myself, I believe everyone should be taken as an individual. I don't want to be thought of as a racist because I'm white any more than a black person wants to be thought of as inferior because he or she is black. I am me, and I try my damndest to understand everyone. I know I have the privilege of race in my corner. On the other hand, I live in a state in which I am the minority. They call us haoles here. It means, basically, without breath. It also means I am white, not Hawaiian, not a local. This doesn't mean that I suddenly know what it's like to be a minority in a world where white images of power and beauty are still the norm (read THE BLUEST EYE for an idea what those images can do to someone who doesn't have a prayer of possessing them).
So, it was with some interest I went to the bookstore today. I know that at least one of the Borders here segregates literature. Today, I happened to be in Barnes & Noble, Ala Moana (Honolulu). What I found pleasantly surprised me.
The AA section was one shelving unit, and it contained non-fiction and some classic autobiographical narratives like Harriet Jacobs's INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF A SLAVE GIRL. Then I went into the “Fiction/Literature” section. There, on the shelves with everyone else, were the AA authors. They BELONG there, just like any other book. I expected to find Toni Morrison there. I also expected Terry McMillan and Eric Jerome Dickey. But finding Kimberla Lawson Roby and Brenda Jackson was nice too. (See Brenda Jackson shelved under John Irving.)
How about Mary Monroe under Rohinton Mistry? The purple-spined book next to Mistry was AA too, but I can't read it in the pic or remember the name.
A few other pics, just for the heck of it. I got some strange looks snapping these, but what the heck. 🙂 There were several Kayla Perrin books here….
Here are Kimberla Lawson Roby's….
And, finally, the queen of gorgeous language, Zora Neale Hurston shelved next to Stephen Hunter. We should all be so lucky as to write like Hurston.
I know it's not a lot, but it's a start. At least one store in one state has got it right. Now if we can just get the rest of them to shelve accordingly. I've never been afraid to shop the AA section for books, but it never occurred to me what I might be missing because those books weren't marketed to me (ads, reviews, displays, etc). I'd have never known about Hurst
on if not for an AA Lit class. I'd have never branched out on my own without that class, which means I'd have never read Alice Walker's POSSESSING THE SECRET OF JOY (should be required for all women–I even made my husband read it).
A good book is a good book, dammit. And it's not just AA authors we should seek out. Leslie Marmon Silko and Yasunari Kawabata should not be missed either, for example. They are Native American and Japanese accordingly. Kawabata is a Nobel winner.
Okay, just my thoughts, such as they are. I'll read anything that's good, I'll try any book (other than horror). Don't segregate the literature for me. If you want to market AA authors to an AA audience, fine. But don't leave the rest of us out of the loop once you've done so. A hundred years ago, it was women authors trying to make inroads into men's stranglehold on serious literature. The fight now is no less important. A good book is a good book. So, got any recommendations for me? I have the TBR pile from hades, but I'm always buying more books (and sneaking them in too–oops. Honey, ignore that.) 🙂
>>Has white America become so sensitive to the issue of race that we think having a section devoted to black literature makes us enlightened and supportive? Are we afraid that if we don’t have it, we’ll be accused of being racist?<< Maybe this is the case? It certainly is in many other facets of life. I have lived with racism, but I don’t run around blaring about the injustice of it. Quite frankly, no one cares. You cannot change how people see you; you can only look your best when you do. Am I for book segregation? Absolutely not. But when in the hell did I become part Afro-American? Cripes, as far back as we can figure my family is from Memphis. I am colored! That is how my father, and his father, and his father, and so on lived it. Now, somewhere, someone decided that we were not colored anymore, we are black, and African-American is politically correct. Who decided this? I’d be curious to know. If you don’t want to be segregated, the first step is to stop bringing attention to yourself in that light. I have read tons of books where I am fairly, but not 100% certain, the characters were black, but there was no blatant description. Just general that could have gone either way. If you don’t want to be classified with the AA authors then don’t call yourself one. You are an AUTHOR! You don’t write AA books. You write BOOKS! I feel like I am being a hypocrite, but I think that there is a good possibility that somewhere in the beginning of this story, some black person said, “Someone can’t find my book, how we don’t get our own section?” We need to find them, and smack the crud out of them. One thing that will get me smacked around is my feelings on the music industry. Look at the way many rappers (no disrespect intended) dress. The flash, the bling, all the other catch words that are currently hip. They are very out there in their fashion. They choose it. Okay, they don’t want to be segregated and that is fine, but just the other day I was watching some show on cable and these two black guys were all decked out, hardwear on their teeth, the huge gold chains with their names on them, etc. Along comes this white guy dressed the same and the two black guys criticize him, they want to know who he thinks he is dressing like that, “Somebody forget to tell you that you white?” HELLO!!! If they don’t want to be segregated and looked at differently why do they insist on making themselves different and then drawing attention to it? I know that not everyone does this, but perhaps before it becomes the white guys fault, we need to look at who keeps the bias alive. It is much the same with AA authors. I vaguely recall some time ago being approached about starting an AA RWA chapter. I don’t think it ever happened, but who would want it to? I’ve said it before, if you don’t want to be the center of attention, then don’t go out of your way to bring attention to your differences. Too many people don’t care about the color of skin, and they are being treated badly because of those who are ignorant. Bring attention to your talent and let that speak for itself. Don’t use racism as crutch and then beat those around you with it.
Great report, Agent Harris. 😉
Yes – all bookstores ought to shelve like this. I’ve always said that the AA section is a legitimate one. It’s all about appropriate classification.
While booksellers have a hand in the problem, I firmly believe the root of the problem lay in the publisher’s hands. They have to stop dressing and labeling books incorrectly before we can expect booksellers to shelve them accordingly.
Wow, thanks Karen for the thoughtful comments. You know, I do think white people are afraid sometimes of getting it wrong, or of offending when it’s the last thing they want to do. Of course there are insensitive idiots out there, and racists, but not every ignorant white person means harm. Doesn’t mean they don’t need an education about what ignorance does and implies, though. I think of myself as fair and enlightened, and then someone points out that AA authors don’t get the same treatment as whites and I’m shocked. Never occurred to me. I see someone hit the bestseller list and I cheer because I think there’s always hope for me. I never ask myself what color they are. And perhaps I should. I’m sure I will from now on.
I’m thinking of book covers too. Those AA novels in the pics were easy to spot because of the covers. But Stephen Carter, who did hit the bestseller list right away, was marketed with a very generic sort of cover that gave NO hint to the characters’ race. Also, he had buzz. Why? I remember wanting to read the book as soon as it came out. The author’s pic was on the book, and I knew the characters were black, but that didn’t matter to me. It didn’t seem to matter to a lot of folks, since the book hit the mainstream bestseller lists. So I guess the publishers can’t use a race argument to justify marketing AA authors strictly to AA people when they’ve proven that marketing widely and creating buzz can catapult a good story onto the lists.
I have a critique partner who is black. She says “Don’t call me AA, I’m black.” I remember the word was colored when I was growing up, too. And then it was Afro-American, and now it’s African-American. I don’t want to offend, so I’ll use whatever identifier I’m told to use. My gay friend once told me not to call him homosexual. It’s gay, he said. If I don’t refer to myself as hetero, I shouldn’t refer to him as homo. Gay and straight. Got it. 🙂
Thanks again for commenting. I appreciate your thoughts.
Hi, Millenia! (I always want to type one “l” and two “n’s”. I don’t know why.) I think you’re right about the publishers, of course. It occurred to me in typing my comments to Karen that THE EMPEROR OF OCEAN PARK was never obfuscated in any way. SC’s photo was on the book and people knew the characters were black. Didn’t stop people from buying and reading in droves.
I am truly curious about this bookstore thing now, though I realize the shelving is not the beginning of the problem. It’s merely the end of the line that began in New York when someone somewhere figured they could make more money by marketing to a specific niche. I’m going to check out one Borders this week when I meet with my critique group. 🙂 My next step will be to ask the managers why they shelve the way they do. I am truly curious.
Thanks for the comments! I appreciate the chance to think about this more in depth than I have in the past.
Hello, Lynn. I did a posting at my own blog on this, which I invite you to read. I’ve a slightly different take on this. At the end of my comment trail are the results from my own foray into Borders. Am I understanding you correctly? The books were cross-shelved – in two places?
The husband and I are checking out another Borders tomorrow, different part of town. I’ll report in a post tomorrow what I find.
Thanks for coming by, Lynn and for your thoughtful comment. Agreed on a lot of it. That’s what left me cold about BSA’s blog. There’s a lot of lashing out happening, things that I doubt she’d say if she had her name attached. It occurred to me that a nice letter to Borders and Barnes and Noble or whoever might be more effective than lots of spear rattling and petitions and angry proclamations.
It’ll be interesting to see how it all comes out and what BSA decides to do. Thanks for the comments, M.G. 🙂