Tayari's Blog: Makes Me Wanna Holler Links

Posted by TayariJones on November 6, 2009 09:22 AM
Filed under Links

I actually have a lot of links to share, but I noticed a cluster on a particular theme. Many writers, mostly women, are speaking out against the ways that systems of power and opression are affecting artists and their art. These trends are very disturbing, but I am not sure what can be done about it...

  • Victoria Chang points out what everybody noticed, but no one wanted to say: Black women and Asian-Americans hardly EVER get the Whiting Award. (Leave her a comment on her site for being so brave to speak the truth.)
  • Women writers are up in arms about the all-male best of 2009 list released by Publisher's Weekly. (But everyone should be alarmed, not just us!)
  • Bernice MacFadden posts a little known essay by Zora Neale Hurston."The fact that there is no demand for incisive and full-dress stories around Negroes above the servant class is indicative of something of vast importance to this nation." Did ZNH get hold of a time machine and bring back a copy of The Help?
  • This brings us around to Precious, which Armond White says is "the con job of the year."
  • Celeste Ng says she's not "the next Amy Tan."


    Sorry for posting such an intense set of links. I try to keep this blog very upbeat as my goal is to provide everyone with info, but to also motivate everyone to write. (You'll notice I haven't been linking to a million Publishing Is Over articles. I just don't see how it is helpful.) But the issues I am posting about today are important and something that we all need to think about.

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    There are 3 comments on "Makes Me Wanna Holler Links". If you'd like to leave a comment, click here to jump down to the comments entry form.

    Comment #1, by Jackie [TypeKey Profile Page]

    OK so I read the review of Precious. Damn. I still want to see the movie though. I enjoyed the book when it came out, what 10 years ago? It was sort of like reading James Frey's Million Little Pieces in that the life it describes is horrific, yet to get through the book you have to suspend disbelief, just accept that it's a story and go with that. It wasn't released here in Baltimore this week and if I want to experience it in a black audience, I will have to wait for it to come to town.

    I am sure I would be uncomfortable viewing it with a white audience. Will the movie just confirm what they secretly believe about us anyway? Nah, I need my sistahs and brothas in the audience for this one. Kind of like the movie Good Hair. I saw in DC with mostly black women and we all laughed at the same places and amen'ed when it was called for.

    For those who are planning to see the movie, I suggest reading the book first to understand what Sapphire wrote versus how the story has been interpreted for commercial purposes.

    November 6, 2009 06:48 PM

    November 9, 2009 07:31 AM

    Comment #3, by persistence [TypeKey Profile Page]

    I thought I wanted to see this movie, but with all the negative hype, I'm wondering if I should even read the book. "Not since The Birth of a Nation has a mainstream movie demeaned the idea of black American life as much as Precious". Wow, that's serious.

    Course, then he went and said "Norbit" and "First Sunday" were "Excellent recent films with black themes"...makes me wonder about his judgement and general taste in film.

    November 9, 2009 09:14 PM

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