This Year, Santa Claus Is Black and Gay–Thanks To This “Colbert” Writer

Christmas is coming early for progressives this year, and it’s coming with a sense of humor. Santa’s Husband, out in bookstores this fall, offers an unusual take on the holiday’s central representative. In this fresh reinvention, Late Show with Stephen Colbert writer Daniel Kibblesmith renders Santa as a black, gay man in an interracial relationship with a white Mr. Claus. Among other selling points for its existence, the book is sure to spur some heated cable news conversations about why exactly we hold our national beliefs about Santa–in essence, the mascot of Christmas–so, well, religiously. Like many other hallowed projects before it, this one started off as a joke. After observing the online uproar about Minneapolis’ Mall of America hiring a black Santa, Kibblesmith tweeted about a facetious child-rearing decision he and his fiancé, author Jennifer Wright, had just made: Their hypothetical baby would only know a black Santa, and this one wouldn’t be straight, either. Me & @JenAshleyWright have decided our future child will only know about Black Santa. If they see a white one we'll say "That's his husband" — Daniel "Kibblesmith" (@kibblesmith) December 3, 2016 The ensuing rapturous retweets convinced Kibblesmith the idea could be something more. It inspired the writer, who pens books and graphic novels when he’s not on the Colbert clock, to try out a children’s book. Artist A.P. Quach quickly came on board, and so did Harper Design. Suddenly, it looked as though... Continue reading at 'Fast Company'

[ Fast Company | 2017-04-20 00:00:00 UTC ]

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UK: The Sunday Times Young Writer 2024 Shortlist

Praising 'their attentiveness to the world,' the 2024 Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year jury names four authors to its shortlist. The post UK: The Sunday Times Young Writer 2024 Shortlist appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-02-27 17:20:22 UTC ]
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U.K. Publishing Spotlight: DK Celebrates 50 Years

The British illustrated reference publisher continues to reinvent itself a half-century on—and has used the milestone of the anniversary as catalyst for examining new opportunities. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-23 05:00:00 UTC ]
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3 New Biographies of Visionary Writers

Probing the lives and work Barbara Comyns, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Carson McCullers, these literary biographies, out this week, take a fresh look at three of our most visionary writers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-22 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Asian American Book Club Launches with Lunar New Year Party

The organization held its soft launch party last night in Brooklyn, N.Y., which event coproduced by Hachette Book Group and Kundiman and featured six authors, including Curtis Chin and Kat Chow. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-16 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Starting this year, the National Book Awards will be open to non-citizens.

Today, the National Book Foundation announced a change in the eligibility criteria for the annual National Book Awards for Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Young People’s Literature. Beginning with the 75th National Book Awards, submissions for which open on March 13 of this year, the prizes... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-02-15 15:30:03 UTC ]
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GLAAD's first annual gaming report is here to tell us how gay games are

“The game industry is out of step with contemporary media in terms of LGBTQ representation, and it is failing its LGBTQ customers.” This sentiment has felt true for years, and now the statistics in GLAAD’s first annual gaming report prove it. The media watchdog and LGBTQ advocacy group today... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-02-13 14:00:21 UTC ]
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From the Stage to the Page: 10 Years In, Z2 Comics Rocks On

For nearly a decade, Z2 Comics has worked to merge the twin fandoms, collaborating with musicians to produce titles that coexist with their musical work. The result: books that act as bridges between mediums. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-13 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Panel Mania: 'Shook! A Black Horror Anthology,' Edited by Second Sight Publishing

Published by Dark Horse Books in collaboration with the African American horror publisher Second Sight Publishing, 'Shook! A Black Horror Anthology' collects a dozen tales of hair-raising terror, monsters, and gore grounded in America’s grim racial history and enlivened by humor and hip-hop culture. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-13 05:00:00 UTC ]
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These books were challenged at Ottawa's libraries last year

Challenges cited allegations of racism and hatred, as well as supposedly inaccurate or age-inappropriate content, but all were rejected. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2024-02-10 09:00:00 UTC ]
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Toronto breaks 86-year temperature record as unseasonable warmth hits

Temperatures are soaring across Ontario, with Toronto breaking a daily record and other cities poised to follow suit. The temperature cracked 11 C by 10 a.m. Friday at Toronto Pearson International Airport, busting a daily record set on the same day in 1938. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2024-02-09 17:27:50 UTC ]
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The Netherlands in Taiwan: 400 Years of Shared History

The 2024 Taipei International Book Exhibition’s Guest of Honor Netherlands reviews ‘400 year-long connections’ between the cultures. The post The Netherlands in Taiwan: 400 Years of Shared History appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-02-08 22:24:46 UTC ]
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130-Year-Old California Bookstore Seeks Buyer

Vroman’s is a community landmark in Pasadena, Calif. Now, its longtime owner says he’s ready to turn over the reins. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2024-02-08 14:22:44 UTC ]
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Roxane Gay on Marguerite Duras and Kaveh Akbar on Amos Tutuola

Two writers known for their bold explorations of personal experience on two of the authors that have shaped their work. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-08 05:00:00 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

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-08 05:00:00 UTC ]
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The 23-Year-Old Publishing Satire That is Still Painfully Relevant

Black publishing industry figures weigh in on ERASURE and AMERICAN FICTION, Becky Chambers gets a Folio edition, and more, today in books. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2024-02-06 15:31:08 UTC ]
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The Book Behind ‘American Fiction’ Came Out 23 Years Ago. It’s Still Current.

The movie, with its handful of Oscar nominations, has refocused attention on “Erasure,” a satire of the literary world and its racial biases. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2024-02-03 10:02:42 UTC ]
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How many people die each year in jails and prisons? No one knows

As Jay D. Aronson and Dr. Roger A. Mitchell explore in their recent book 'Death in Custody,' that lack of data is a national problem. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2024-02-02 20:19:44 UTC ]
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Palestinian-American writer Randa Jarrar was dragged out of a PEN event.

Despite mounting objections from within the American literary community (as well as public condemnation from two prominent novelists who recently cut ties with the organization), on Wednesday evening PEN America’s Los Angeles branch went ahead with its hosting of a conversation between stand-up... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-02-02 19:14:45 UTC ]
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5 New Books to Read for Black History Month

These books by Black authors include moving explorations of the past, bold visions of the future, and sage advice for the present. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-01 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Simon & Schuster Opens Its 100th Anniversary Year

Simon & Schuster kicks off its centenary year with a curated selection of 100 books from its 100 years and special programming ahead. The post Simon & Schuster Opens Its 100th Anniversary Year appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-01-31 17:56:56 UTC ]
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