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 news 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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Majority of UK children’s books with Black main characters written by white authors, study finds

Report finds that books with main characters from minority ethnicities or who are disabled or neurodivergent are written by those who do not share the protagonist’s identityMore than half of children’s books with marginalised main characters are by writers and illustrators who do not share their... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2024-10-03 17:10:48 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 Bookseller | 2021-02-11 21:15:24 UTC ]
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Black authors don’t write only for white women | Dreda Say Mitchell

Yes, book publishers have a problem with writers of colour – it’s just not the one Man Booker prizewinner Marlon James describesThere are so few ethnic minority voices in publishing and the media that when one criticises another it has come to be regarded as a form of strike-breaking. Knowing... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ 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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[ Los Angeles Times | 2021-04-06 16:30:19 UTC ]
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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

The character of Alex Vause, portrayed by actress Laura Prepon on the show, is based on Wolters. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-08-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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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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[ The Guardian | 2023-03-02 15:43:52 UTC ]
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Incredible Books By Black Authors, According To Black Bookstore Owners

Works by writers like bell hooks, Damon Young and James Baldwin that will educate and make an impact on everyone. Continue reading at HuffPost

[ HuffPost | 2022-01-31 16:37:38 UTC ]
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Read Harder: An Own Voices YA Book With a Black Main Character That Isn’t About Black Pain

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

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[ The Guardian | 2016-01-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New Historical Fiction by Black Authors

Get into the life of a Civil Rights icon when she's still a girl, learn about Nigerian women protesting, and more. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2024-09-04 15:35:00 UTC ]
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Author of WHITE FRAGILITY Accused of Plagiarism

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[ Book Riot | 2024-08-28 21:45:13 UTC ]
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Two Authors, One Subject: Zoë Eisenberg and Rhaina Cohen on Writing Intimate Friendships

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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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[ Slate | 2024-03-18 21:31:31 UTC ]
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7 Books By Black Authors That Might Not Be On Your Reading List, But Should Be

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

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Black Romance Authors and Editors Share Their Passion for Love Stories

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-17 05:00:00 UTC ]
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How Does a Best-Selling Author Name Her Characters?

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[ The New York Times | 2023-09-07 09:02:29 UTC ]
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