Can a White Author Write Black Characters?

When a man routinely hailed as one of America’s “greatest living writers” publishes a new novel, one hardly expects it to draw reviews posing questions along the lines of “Can he do it? Can he actually pull it off?” Because when you’re Michael Chabon, Pulitzer Prize winner, the act of writing a decent novel ought to be taken as something of a given. But Chabon’s newest book, Telegraph Avenue, out last week, is set against the backdrop of race, and its author undertakes the task of inhabiting and giving life to characters whose skin color is different from his own. The book is a sprawling narrative about the intertwined lives of Archy Stallings and Nat Jaffe, two proprietors, one black and one white, and a used vinyl store trying to survive on the shifting, gentrifying frontier between hippie-dippy Berkeley and its neighbor, the historically black enclave of Oakland. Or, as Chabon neatly puts it, “the ragged fault line where the urban plates of Berkeley and Oakland subducted.” Continue reading at 'Slate'

[ Slate | 2012-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Can a White Author Write Black Characters?'

Can a White Author Write Black Characters?

When a man routinely hailed as one of America’s “greatest living writers” publishes a new novel, one hardly expects it to draw reviews posing questions along the lines of “Can he do it? Can he actually pull it off?” Because when you’re Michael Chabon, Pulitzer Prize winner, the act of writing a... Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2012-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Melvin Burgess | 'Like a lot of white folks, I’ve been wary of writing Black characters'

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[ The Guardian | 2015-12-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How an acclaimed author decided to write fiction for Black women like her

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Anthony Horowitz's claim he was told not to write black characters sparks row

Other writers have reacted with scepticism to the Alex Rider author’s claim that he was discouraged from ‘artificial and possibly patronising’ writingA furore has broken out in the children’s books world around claims by Alex Rider creator Anthony Horowitz that he was “warned off” creating a... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-05-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Horowitz's UK publisher says it did not warn author off creating black character

Anthony Horowitz children's publisher at Walker has said it would not instruct authors on whether or not to include characters of a different race or background in their books. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-05-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Cleary Wolters, the basis for an 'Orange Is the New Black' character, will write a memoir

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Don’t write what you know, write what you feel: bestselling authors offer tips on World Book Day

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Struggling as an author? Stop writing only what you want to write

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Everyone’s Reading Books About Hot Faeries Now. This Bestselling Author Has Been Writing Them for Decades.

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[ HuffPost | 2024-03-04 10:45:07 UTC ]
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3 New Debut Novels by Black Women Authors

Three Black women novelists make their debut with tales of inheritance, friendship, and alternate futures. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

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Black Romance Authors and Editors Share Their Passion for Love Stories

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How Does a Best-Selling Author Name Her Characters?

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This Bestselling Author Says Publishers Rejected His New Thriller Because He’s White. I Read It, and I’m Not So Sure.

If you believe that the role of a novel is to instruct readers on correct moral positions, then Trial is a masterpiece. Continue reading at Slate

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