5.18.2009

Dem's fightin' words!

Want an interesting discussion on race and the Coretta Scott King awards? Go over to Editorial Anonymous now.

The idea is that, as a middle-class Caucasian woman, I could not win a Coretta Scott King award. My skin color has altered my life experiences - which I don't deny - and, thus, does not give me the insight to write a book about the black experience.

Commenter "Chris" caught my attention:

"CSK has become almost a ghetto of its own. It seems as if AA authors are bypassed for major awards because they have a category of their own."

"Instead - [the CSK] is what it is - an attempt to rectify a problem but which may have - in fact - created an even bigger one. A way to deflect real discussion on the racism in publishing and reduce the range of work available for AA authors at the same time."

Compelling stuff going on over there...and commenters are all being refreshingly civil. Go check it out.

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