Let’s Talk Literature: Write Black

Invisible Woman and many other top bloggers include brilliant interviews with other bloggers and I am going to give it a go! Anika of Write Black discusses book publishing. Since the demise of Niggerati Manor, I was searching for another top black literary blog and hers is excellent. Here is a Q&A with Anika with talking points such as the validity of Oprah’s bookclub, whether the ”black” section on bookstores is good or not and publishing in general. This is a long post full of detailed views so Enjoy!

1) What genre of literature do you like ? Do you think literature should
be categorised ?

I’ll read pretty much anything at least once. My actual reading time
probably tilts more to nonfiction than fiction, but I mostly write about
fiction at WriteBlack. That’s in part because the books that have stayed
in my memory longest and were most enjoyable to read have been fiction.

When it comes to nonfiction, I like to read patristics, biographies of
historical figures and books about government, business and odd science
(one of the best nonfiction books I read in 2007 was The Earth Moved, by
Amy Stewart, which was about earthworms).

My fiction tastes run wide. I read romances, mysteries and sci-fi with a
zeal I’d never try to conceal. To a lesser extent, I also dig paranormal,
fantasy and horror. I don’t think those kinds of genre books are trashy.
They’re fun to read, which is important to me. I also have plenty of love
for so-called “literary” novels (the highfalutin’ paperbacks with fancy
covers that cost more than they really should) – when the literary novels
aren’t overly precious and pretentious.

I think it’s fine if fiction’s categorized by genre, but it drives me
crackers to walk into a bookstore and find books by black authors
sectioned off in a silly “African-American interest” or “black fiction”
section. “African-American/black interest” especially enrages me, because
I want black authors’ works to be near similar works of by nonblack
authors – and because I’m still not sure who decides what interests black
people. Did I miss the official African diaspora meeting wherein we voted
on what we as a people find interesting? Somebody should let me know when
the next meeting is, and I’ll put it on my calendar…

Of course, there are a few black authors who are deemed “worthy” of the honor of having their books near books by nonblack authors. For the most part, they tend to be authors whose works are considered part of the grand literary canon (Zora Neale Hurston, Toni Morrison), with a few not-yet-canon exceptions such as Walter Mosley or Zadie Smith made here and there.

I think it’s a real shame that the vast majority of books by black authorsin this country are cordoned in “black interest” sections. It’s silly. It reeks of snobbery. And it robs black authors of the opportunity to reach a wider group of “just browsing” or “shelf-shopping” readers who theoretically might pick up the authors’ books on impulse.

2) Do you have any favourite writers ? Please explain which writers you
like and why.

Tons of ‘em.

To name just a few:

I’m a drooling, irrational fangirl about the late Octavia E. Butler’s
books, and will not hear bad words said about her. She had a quiet,
understated writing style that nevertheless had the same impact as a
heavyweight boxer’s punch to the gut. She always created ways to connect
people leading disparate ethnic, religious and sexual lives.

A few months before she died, I met Butler at a book signing in Harlem,
and stuttered trying to explain how much her work meant to me. I did
finally manage to get a few words out (and I think I said I wanted to name
my firstborn daughter after her or one of her characters). She was
incredibly gracious. I wish we could’ve had her longer, but the books she
left behind are treasures and I’m so glad she was able to gift us with
them during her short time on Earth.

I am also an unrepentant fan of the romance novelist Beverly Jenkins. She
was the first author I’d ever seen who wrote straight-up historical
romances about black Americans (she also writes contemporary romances, but
I much prefer her historicals). I’m something of a history nerd, so I’m
impressed by the amount of research she does for her books. For those of
us who are part of the African diaspora in the Americas and have little
knowledge of most of our ancestors, it is a wonderful exercise to imagine
our forebears finding their way in the world, creating lives for
themselves, courting and falling in love. The durability of familial and
romantic love despite living in adverse circumstances is the primary theme
of her books, and I always walk away from them with my heart full. For me
or anybody to feel that way about a romance novel is remarkable.

I’m such a fan of Jenkins that I was giddy for a whole week the first time
she commented at WriteBlack.

Jennifer Crusie is another romance novelist whose books I absolutely
adore. She brings the funny, which most romance novelists don’t – or can’t
– do. She’s currently co-writing a romance-action-adventure series with
adventure-thriller writer Bob Mayer. So far the series has been
OK-to-merely-good, but they’ve been getting progressively better. I expect
the next one to be really good. I can’t wait until there’s a black romance
novelist who does funny, sexy romance the way she does.

I like Malcolm Gladwell too, but I actually prefer his magazine work to
his books. He’s also probably the most high-profile black magazine
journalist in the country. My husband teases me about my not-so-secret
crush on him. Gladwell’s insatiably curious, and it invariably turns out
that he writes about subjects that also have been on my mind.

Carl Hiaasen’s books are always on my must-buy list, too. He always
captures beautifully the absurdity and humor of my home state, Florida.

And Jane Austen. I don’t think I could call myself a romance novel fan if
I didn’t have mad love for Austen’s books, since she largely invented – or
if you prefer, refined – the genre.

3) Your blog, WriteBlack, is focused on black writers. How important is it or black writers and ‘black literature’ to be given more recognition?

I don’t know if it’s a question of more recognition for most black writers
so much as it’s a question of recognition, full stop. Barrels of ink will
always be spilled on the crème de la crème of the so-called “literary”
writers when they deign to release new books, even when they’re long past
the height of their writing skills (see Walker, Alice) or what they put
out is boring or nigh incomprehensible (see Morrison, Toni).

Of course, since literary writers of all races have a hard time getting
reviewed and selling large numbers of copies of their books, I don’t
really see a lot of use in whining about it. Of course, I’d like to see,
um, The Known World fall in love with Edward P. Jones’ books, and I think
Tayari Jones, Z.Z. Packer and Martha Southgate, also are brilliant.

But for black genre novelists, getting that recognition is even more
difficult than it is for literary writers. For example, Valerie Wilson
Wesley’s mysteries are just as good as Janet Evanovich’s, and way better
than Lilian Jackson Braun’s, but she doesn’t get the kind of press they
do. And I won’t even get into sci-fi, fantasy, paranormal and horror.
There are some really amazing writers out there doing some fantastic work,
and they’re not nearly as well known as they should be.

That’s not to say that I think every book by a black author deserves
recognition. I hope history will show that people like me who are
vehemently opposed to 99 percent of so-called “street literature” are on
the side of the angels. Call me crazy, but I like plots, generally decent
grammar and characters who aren’t reprehensible even in my genre novels –
and if a writer wants to throw in a sex scene, it shouldn’t be vile.

I started WriteBlack because I was disappointed at the treatment novels by
black authors – especially genre novels – seem to receive. When they’re
not ignored, they’re patronized, which is almost worse.

Now that I think about it, I probably was a bit inspired by what the women
who run the Smart Bitches Trashy Books Web site have done. They’ve found a
way to acknowledge the good and snark on the bad when it comes to romance
novels, all from the vantage of devoted readers of the genre. That’s a
little bit of what I’d like to do.

There are several Web sites online that write about books by black
authors, but they’re mostly promotional sites. They don’t do much real
analysis, and they certainly don’t point out when books by black authors
are silly, or even inarguably bad. They don’t put the books in context.
You get the distinct sense that if it’s not “street lit” – and sometimes
even if it is – these sites will never put up anything but a positive
review.

That bothers me. It has to be said that there are some black genre
novelists, like nonblack genre novelists, whose work is just plain bad,
but you’d never know it from those sites. That’s not fair to the people
who go to those sites looking for reviews, and it’s not fair to the
writers, who should be getting better, more comprehensive feedback from
their readers.

Even major magazines such as Ebony and Essence that target black American
audiences give books short shrift.

Shockingly, Ebony just laid off its books editor for financial reasons, so
I’m not sure what will happen on that front in the coming months. Even
when there was books coverage, it was…not good. While books get a full two
or three pages of coverage in each month’s Essence, that coverage is
largely cursory, promotional and of no real consequence.

4) Do you think a new version of the Harlem Renaissance where black
writers are at the forefront of thought will happen again?

Oh boy. That would be cool, wouldn’t it? Off the top of my head, I can’t
think of anyplace in the U.S. where there’s a critical mass of black
writers working and bouncing ideas off each other. Brooklyn or Atlanta,
maybe?

I’m not sure it’ll happen again, and if it does, I’d be willing to bet
good money that it won’t happen in the U.S. Who knows, maybe the
Renaissance of black writers we’re looking for is bubbling up and ready to
boil over in Brixton or Havana or Dakar or Brasilia. If there’s a movement
out there that I don’t know about, let me know.

5) Do you think that black writers have a responsibility to discuss race?

I think race is often a subtext in black writers’ work, but I don’t think
they have a responsibility to address it directly. For many years, there
weren’t many books treating black characters as complex beings with
complex motivations, so in some respects books doing that are still
revolutionary in and of themselves without an overt focus on race.

6) What do you think of the growing trend of celebrity biographies ?

They’re so rarely interesting, right? If I ran the publishing industry,
nobody would ever publish a bio of a living celebrity younger than 40.
She’s largely unknown here in the U.S., but I’m deeply amused by the fact
that Jordan has written two memoirs. What’s that about? Victoria Beckham
“wrote” one too. I love silly pop music as much as anyone else, but who
really cares about her like that?

I think someone should be actually interesting or have led an interesting
life before anyone gives him or her a contract to write an autobiography.

Most celebrities just aren’t that interesting to me. There are some
exceptions, though. I’ve been meaning to read Rupert Everett’s memoir for
a while, and I will read any and all unauthorized bios of Diana Ross
because she fascinates me. At WriteBlack, I’ve also mentioned the new
memoir by Slash of Guns ‘n’ Roses several times, and I fully intend to
read that. He’s someone I’d say has led an interesting life. Sex + drugs +
rock ‘n’ roll = probably a good read.

But would I read a bio or memoir of your average singer or starlet –
Beyonce Knowles or Naomie Harris or Gabrielle Union or somebody like that?
Probably not.

7) Do bookclubs like Oprah Winfrey’s matter in the USA ?

They matter a heck of a lot. Modern life is so fragmented that people keep
searching for ways to connect with others during activities that normally
would be solitary. Bookclubs are an easy way to do that, and when you add
Her Royal Oprahness to the mix…well, that just makes them even hotter.

Bookclubs existed long before she started hers, but they’ve skyrocketed in
popularity since then. Entire cities are reading books (I was in
Philadelphia a few weeks ago and saw “Philadelphia Is Reading What Is The
What” signs), and newspapers, radio programs and churches have instituted
bookclubs.

I admit that I’m not terribly fond of the books Winfrey chooses, though.
When she’s not shrinking in the face of controversy and falling back on
unassailable classics, she seems to choose joyless fiction, questionable
memoirs or execrable self-help garbage. That disappoints me, because
anything with the Oprah imprimatur sells millions of copies, and I wish
she’d use her bully pulpit to introduce the world to something good.

Could you give us some background on your views on book publishing in
the US ? (As someone who lives in England, book publishing always seems to be very posh and stuffy here and the only books that seem to ‘matter’ are the ones that win the Booker prize etc)

The books that get the most attention from official, published book
reviewers here are also the posh books, but those books sometimes sell
only hundreds or a few thousand copies, and aren’t the ones that keep the
publishing industry afloat. I’d be willing to bet that most avid readers
in the U.S. can’t name any of the books that have won National Book Awards
or Pulitzers in the past five years, but they probably could do a good job
of naming a few John Grisham or Stephen King novels.

If the book-publishing industry had to depend on “literary” novels to stay
in business, they’d have to shut down by the middle of next week. It’s the
genre novels at which the critics turn up their noses that make all the
money for the industry.

–Please check out Anika’s blog for more posts on literature. It’s great. And discuss more in the comment section! I hope to get more writers involved in Q&As.