Since 2011, all my book editors have been white. Why wouldn’t I want another perspective on the characters I invent?Until a few years ago, only publishing industry insiders would have understood the role of the sensitivity reader. Then came American Dirt. The Jeanine Cummins novel sold to a US publisher for a seven-figure advance, was chosen for Oprah’s Book Club, and was touted as “the new Grapes of Wrath”. On release in 2020, early readers noted that the white author’s depiction of Mexican people was, at best, flawed, inaccurate, and riddled with stereotypes and, at worst, simply racist.A sensitivity reader is an additional editor who works alongside the publishing house staffer who acquired the rights to your book. This individual will conduct a very specific read of the manuscript, and offer notes on characters from marginalised groups, or elements which may cause offence. The argument goes that if American Dirt had been sufficiently scrutinised by a reader of Mexican heritage, some of the furore could have been avoided. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2022-03-08 09:00:06 UTC ]
There’s no bigger global news story right now than the slow but intractable spread of coronavirus, which has been hobbling the normal ebb and flow of everything from the stock market to cruises, theme parks and tourism. The virus has affected the publishing industry as well, and there’s perhaps... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-02-26 17:39:37 UTC ]
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Among this week’s notable deals is the seven-figure sale of a debut novel titled The Other Black Girl. The send-up of the publishing industry, by a former Knopf assistant editor, was pitched as Get Out meets Younger. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-02-21 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Below is a collection of articles that respond to American Dirt, consider the injustices of the publishing industry’s Big Five, and highlight books by Chicanx and Latinx writers. ¤ A reading list assembled from these articles: The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo Heart Like a Window, Mouth Like a... Continue reading at Los Angeles Review of Books
[ Los Angeles Review of Books | 2020-02-14 19:23:11 UTC ]
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Boris Johnson | Marmalade years | US publishing industry | Quick crossword | Roysters crispsIt’s all very well Labour demanding an inquiry into who paid for Boris Johnson’s Caribbean holiday (Report, 14 February), but what I should really like to know is when will the Independent Office for... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-02-14 17:21:53 UTC ]
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Critics of "American Dirt" invited Oprah Winfrey on Wednesday to discuss "#DignidadLiteraria and other Latinx groups and the publishing industry that has systematically erased us." Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-02-13 04:43:13 UTC ]
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The "American Dirt" uproar is prompting the book industry to review, reenforce, and revamp plans to become more diverse and inclusive. The publishing industry is predominantly run by white women, according to a new study. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2020-02-12 17:29:22 UTC ]
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The "American Dirt" uproar is prompting the book industry to review, reenforce, and revamp plans to become more diverse and inclusive. The publishing industry is predominantly run by white women, according to a new study. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2020-02-12 17:29:22 UTC ]
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Inside a packed room in Culver City on Thursday, Myriam Gurba, Roxane Gay and other writers of color talked about "American Dirt," Macmillan and the "crisis" in U.S. publishing. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-02-07 21:39:43 UTC ]
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THE CONTRETEMPS OVER Jeanine Cummins’s American Dirt revolves around a narrative of a publishing industry eager for blockbusters, white authors who inhabit the stories of marginalized people, and embarrassment when the multiple flaws and tone-deaf passages of the hyped-up book are exposed.... Continue reading at Los Angeles Review of Books
[ Los Angeles Review of Books | 2020-02-05 18:00:58 UTC ]
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The publisher of Jeanine Cummins’ novel “American Dirt” canceled her book tour Wednesday, saying she has received death threats. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2020-01-30 19:02:00 UTC ]
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If you’ve been distracted lately by the presidential impeachment trial, you may have missed this tertiary symptom of the collapse of our democracy. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-01-30 17:52:10 UTC ]
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The 13 events left to promote the highly anticipated -- and then, highly-condemned -- novel will instead be replaced by town hall-style discussions between the author, Jeanine Cummins, and critics of the book. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-01-30 12:25:04 UTC ]
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Children’s book publisher Lee & Low Books, a minority-owned company that focuses on multicultural literature, recently released the results of a survey geared towards finding out one thing: What do the numbers say about the widely perceived lack of diversity in the publishing world? The... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-01-29 21:40:46 UTC ]
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The latest Oprah's Book Club pick by Jeanine Cummins, a white woman, has been widely criticized for stereotypical depictions of Mexicans and migration. Continue reading at HuffPost
[ HuffPost | 2020-01-29 21:08:32 UTC ]
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'American Dirt' publisher Flatiron Books announced on Wednesday that it was canceling its book tour with Jeanine Cummins. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-01-29 20:47:11 UTC ]
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Oprah Winfrey is finally addressing the controversy surrounding her latest book club pick, "American Dirt," and promising to take its critics seriously. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-01-27 23:16:21 UTC ]
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Jeanine Cummins’s novel, acclaimed by Oprah Winfrey, Stephen King and others, also faces scathing criticism from Latinx writersJeanine Cummins’s British publisher, Headline, is standing shoulder to shoulder with the American press that published her divisive thriller, declaring that it is proud... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-01-24 14:53:36 UTC ]
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Today, Jeanine Cummins appeared at Winter Institute in Baltimore, and as Michael Calder reports for PubishersLunch, commented on the ongoing controversy over her new novel, American Dirt. Bookseller Javier Ramirez, who introduced Cummins, brought up the topic at the end of the formal interview:... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-01-22 18:16:31 UTC ]
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“I wished someone slightly browner than me would write it,” said Jeanine Cummins, the author of the highly anticipated book. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-01-22 12:23:18 UTC ]
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Jeanine Cummins' book has been lauded by Stephen King and Lauren Groff, but also lambasted as "problematic," "harmful" and "brownfacing." Continue reading at HuffPost
[ HuffPost | 2020-01-21 23:31:13 UTC ]
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