Answering the Call for Diversity

Within the last decade, the impetus for equal representation in art, politics, and education has grown from a quiet murmur in the back of the room to a charging battle cry. Publishers, critics, and readers now demand representation from all genres. 

How is your current project answering the call for diversity?

Are you proudly aboard the “diversity ship” as it sails forward into battle? Is your pen, your proverbial sword, drawn and poised to write your characters into a deliciously crafted and equitably represented battle?

Or are you on the opposing ship? Are you itching to release the diversity Kraken? Are you aiming your cannons to blast through the censorship of the “PC police” and so-called social justice warriors that threaten to derail your story with their politics?

Maybe you are standing on the shore, in the middle with most of us, wringing your hands, watching this frenzied mess play out while clutching your characters to your chest, unsure of if, or how to navigate it all. If you are nodding your head yes, maybe we can figure this out together.

“Walk The Plank!”

If you feel deeply opposed, bordering on rage, to being asked to consider diversity in your writing, this series may not be for you. I understand: free speech, down with censorship, end culture wars, etc. I gently release you back to your writing.

Additionally, if you are a “social justice warrior” looking for a righteous diversity sermon that will “convert” others, I release you as well. I’m not interested in talking at writers to showcase my vocabulary and “wokeness.” I wish productive writing to you as well.

“It’s Messy In The Middle”

This series is dedicated to the authors standing on the shores of uncertainty, lost in the messy middle of humanity while making attempts at answering the call for diversity. Together we will consider how to craft complex characters and build dynamic worlds with which readers with marginalized identities can connect.

You will not find an instructional laundry list of do’s and don’ts here; just an invitation to reflect on and explore underrepresented identities in your writing. If we are to answer the call for inclusion from our readers and publishers, we must be specific, honest, and intentional with our writing.

“Be Specific.”

What does it mean to write diversity? In the US, the word is often used as a more palatable way to refer to visible differences, often nonwhite racial and ethnic identities. However, diversity encompasses much more. 

From the moment we are born, gender, ability, sexuality, ethnicity, socio-economic status, and race combine to shape the way we see the world. These identities serve as a roadmap of humanity that guides us through the complexity of human existence.

We need to shift our writing beyond surface-level differences and begin incorporating more equitable representations of marginalized communities. Critics, publishers, and readers want to read books that center on these experiences because they exist, we exist, and we read books.

To build dynamic worlds with complex characters, we must be specific in illustrating the intricate humanity of underrepresented and marginalized identities. We cannot write the marginalized experience, but we can connect to universal truths that exist. But before we can do this, we need to be honest with ourselves.

Reflection #1: Reflect On Your Roadmap.

Examine your identity roadmap. Set a timer for 10-15 minutes and complete these questions. Try not to overthink your responses.

1. List as many parts of your identity that you can think of that are public or visible to others.

2. List as many parts of your identity that you can think of that are private or hidden from others.

“Be Honest.”

Why do you feel compelled to include diversity in this project? Hopefully, your answer involves more than “because that’s what publishers are requiring.” Shoving characters into your work for the sake of checking it off a list is bound to self-destruct.

Writing identities outside of our own experience requires us to be willing to listen, learn, and grow as authors. Be aware that holding a majority perspective can create limitations in our understanding. I don’t believe you have to identify as a member of a group to write about them, but at the very least you should understand that difference and bias exist. 

“Difference Exists.”

As a society, it’s time to remove our “color blind” bumper stickers. Recognizing difference is not the problem; it is when we discriminate against others because of their differences. Our previous three presidential races alone have made it abundantly clear that most of us in the US are in fact seeing and responding to color.

We see and hear difference every day. Hair, accent, clothing, gender expression, and physical abilities are more noticeable when they are different from our own. Although it’s uncomfortable to admit, we can make negative judgments about groups based on these factors. 

Instead of shying away from this truth, let’s be honest. Where and when did we learn to assign value to difference? As authors, we need to get curious about our reactions and how they impact our writing. Exploring our biases can be messy, but it is integral to answering the call for diversity in our writing.

A Majority Perspective

When we are writing from a majority perspective, it is essential to understand that our perceptions of marginalized communities may not always be accurate. I say this with love and understanding as an imperfect human being, just like you. Widening our perceptions requires us to shift the focus away from ourselves in order to understand others. We will examine this more throughout the series.

Reflection #2: Look Deeper

Use your responses from reflection #1 and go deeper. Spend 10-15 minutes answering the questions below. Again, try not to overthink or judge your responses.

1. Which identities are you most proud to share or be recognized as a part of?

2. Are there identities that you hesitate to be associated with or tell people about?

“Be Intentional.”

As authors, the worlds we weave have the power to impact individuals and communities for years to come. Your story can provide perspectives that move us forward or backward as a society. Therefore, we must be intentional in the ways we portray our characters.

We must strive to portray complete human beings instead of polarizing and fetishizing our characters. We can do this by exploring the complexities of identity through meaningful research and seeking culturally sensitive feedback. 

There are numerous resources available to gain perspective, but we must be careful not to invade safe spaces without consent, especially when members are not compensated.

“Roll Up Your Sleeves and Start Writing!”

Inclusive writing takes patience and courage. But when we are specific, honest, and intentional we can craft complex characters and build dynamic worlds that readers with marginalized identities can connect with. We can authentically answer the call for diversity while staying true to ourselves. Get started by completing the three reflection questions in this blog.

Reflection #3: Get Messy

Use your responses from reflections #1 and #2 to write a one-page description of how your collective identities have led you to become the person you are today. Focus on identity. Be specific and honest. 

Tell us in the comments: How are you answering the call for diversity in your writing?

Colice Sanders is a blogger and motivational speaker.  Colice writes YA, poetry, and memoir. Her blog areasontorise.com chronicles her journey of radical self-acceptance through the lens of childhood trauma. You can reach her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

The post It’s Messy in the Middle: Answering the Call for Diversity appeared first on DIY MFA.

Traci is the author of the critically acclaimed book We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga. She is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation and lives in northeastern Oklahoma, where her tribe is located. Today we’re talking about her picture book Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer (Illustrated by Natasha Donovan).

Carole is the author of numerous award-winning books including the Newbery Honor book Box: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom (illustrated by Michele Wood), and R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul (illustrated by Frank Morrison). Today we’re discussing her picture book Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre (Illustrated by Floyd Cooper).

When she’s not traveling or visiting museums, Carole is mining the past for family stories, fading traditions, and forgotten struggles. She lives in North Carolina.

In this episode Traci, Carole, and I discuss:

• Why they each decided to tell these forgotten stories as middle grade picture books.
• The deliberate and unique choices they made in structuring their narratives.
• How they created a distinct sense of time and place to ground their books.

Plus, their #1 tip for writers.

About Traci Sorell 

Traci Sorell is the author of Sibert, Orbis Pictus, AILA American Indian Youth Literature Award, and Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor Book We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga. She is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation and lives in northeastern Oklahoma, where her tribe is located.

You can find Traci on her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads.

Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer

Mary Golda Ross designed classified airplanes and spacecraft as Lockheed Aircraft Corporation’s first female engineer. Find out how her passion for math and the Cherokee values she was raised with shaped her life and work.

Cherokee author Traci Sorell and Métis illustrator Natasha Donovan trace Ross’s journey from being the only girl in a high school math class to becoming a teacher to pursuing an engineering degree, joining the top-secret Skunk Works division of Lockheed, and being a mentor for Native Americans and young women interested in engineering. In addition, the narrative highlights Cherokee values including education, working cooperatively, remaining humble, and helping ensure equal opportunity and education for all.

About Carole Weatherford

Carole Boston Weatherford is the author of numerous award-winning books including and Box: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom, illustrated by Michele Wood which received a Newbery Honor; R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, The Queen of Soul, illustrated by Frank Morrison which won the 2021 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Book Award. When she’s not traveling or visiting museums, Carole is mining the past for family stories, fading traditions, and forgotten struggles. She lives in North Carolina.

You can find Carole on her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre

Celebrated author Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrator Floyd Cooper provide a powerful look at the Tulsa Race Massacre, one of the worst incidents of racial violence in our nation’s history. The book traces the history of African Americans in Tulsa’s Greenwood district and chronicles the devastation that occurred in 1921 when a white mob attacked the Black community.

News of what happened was largely suppressed, and no official investigation occurred for seventy-five years. This picture book sensitively introduces young readers to this tragedy and concludes with a call for a better future.

If you decide to check out these books, we hope you’ll do so via these Amazon affiliate links for Classified and Unspeakable where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

(Right-click to download.)

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Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 375: Bringing Omitted BIPOC History to Light through Middle Grade Picture Books – Interview with Traci Sorell and Carole Boston Weatherford appeared first on DIY MFA.

Ken Liu

Ken Liu is author of the Dandelion Dynasty silkpunk series and the translator behind Liu Cixin’s Three Body Problem and Death’s End. He’s written a Star War, too, but the book I’ll direct you to is his short fiction collection, The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories. The titular story is about a boy whose mother makes him origami animals that appear to come to life when she breathes on them. “The Paper Menagerie” was the first piece of short fiction to win the triple crown of science fiction and fantasy awards, the Hugo, the Nebula, and the World Fantasy Award.

Nghi Vo

The Chosen and the Beautiful is Nghi Vo’s debut novel (published June 1, 2021), but she’s had great success with her novellas, The Empress of Salt and Fortune (Hugo, Locus, and Ignyte Award finalist, winner of the Reddit Stabby and IAFA’s Crawford Awards) and When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain.

She’s also published a lot of short fiction. Read her at any length you choose; Nghi Vo’s one to watch.

Aliette de Bodard

Aliette de Bodard has won three Nebula Awards, a Locus Award, a European Science Fiction Society award, a British Fantasy Award and four British Science Fiction Association Awards for her short fiction, novellas, and novels. She is of French and Vietnamese descent and though her first language is French, she writes in English.

Last year the sapphic romantic fantasy Fireheart Tiger was released, in which a diplomat princess faces her former lover and must decide both her future as well as that of her country.

Isabel Yap

Isabel Yap is a Filipino writer of speculative fiction and poetry. Her first collection of short fiction, Never Have I Ever, contains 13 stories that entwine fantasy, horror, and science fiction to explore monsters, Filipino folklore, immigration, and queerness.

In “A Cup of Salt Tears,” Makino’s mother warns her of the dangers of making deals with kappas even though a kappa saved Makino as a child. When Makino’s husband becomes ill, she seeks out her savior. In “Hurricane Heels (We Go Down Dancing),” a group of five girls befriend one another at a summer camp when a goddess charges them with protecting the world from darkness.

Yap admits to liking ambiguous endings, so be prepared for a few of those when you pick this collection up.

Yoon Ha Lee

Yoon Ha Lee’s space opera trilogy, The Machineries of Empire, is comprised of Ninefox Gambit (2016; Locus Award for best first novel, Hugo and Nebula finalist), Raven Stratagem (2017; Hugo finalist), and Revenant Gun (2018; Hugo finalist).

Phoenix Extravagant is a standalone fantasy set in a world reminiscent of Korea during the Japanese occupation of the early 1900s. Jebi is a nonbinary artist hired by the Ministry of Armour to paint magical sigils onto masks for the conquering government’s automata. Jebi doesn’t consider themselves political, but after befriending a pacifist dragon automata (as one does), Jebi decides they’ll do whatever it takes to keep the dragon from becoming a weapon of war used to kill and subdue their people. Unfortunately, Jebi discovers that sometimes you have to choose a side.

Ted Chiang

Ted Chiang’s work has won four Nebula awards, four Hugo awards, the John W. Campbell Award (now the Amazing) for Best New Writer, and four Locus awards. His short story “Story of Your Life” was the basis of the film Arrival (2016).

In Exhalation, Chiang examines technology’s effect on humanity. The opening story, “The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate,” a portal leads people 20 years into the future or 20 years into the past. Time-travel shenanigans of the best kind.

Fonda Lee

Fonda Lee’s debut young-adult novel, Zeroboxer, was nominated for the 2016 Andre Norton Award. Her second novel for young-adults, Exo, was nominated for the 2018 Andre Norton Award. Her debut novel for adults, Jade City, was a finalist for the 2018 Nebula Award for Best Novel and won the 2018 World Fantasy Award.

Jade City, the thrilling first book in the Green Bone trilogy takes place on the gangster-controlled island of Kekon, where magical jade grants superhuman powers to those who can wear it. The Kaul family is one of two major crime syndicates that control the city. When a rival syndicate threatens their authority, the three Kaul siblings must band together to protect their power. Jade War was published in 2019, and the third novel, Jade Legacy, will be published in November of 2021.

Gabriela interviewed Fonda Lee about world building for DIY MFA radio.

Shveta Thakrar

Shveta Thakrar characterizes herself as a part-time nagini and full-time believer in magic. Her work has appeared in magazines and anthologies including Enchanted Living, Uncanny Magazine, A Thousand Beginnings and Endings, and Toil & Trouble. Her debut young adult fantasy novel, Star Daughter, is a finalist for the 2021 Andre Norton Nebula Award.

In Star Daughter, Sheetal Mistry is (surprise!) the daughter of a star, but she manages to live a mostly normal life until her nascent abilities surface and will not be denied. When, through a surge of uncontrolled magic, Sheetal’s father ends up in a coma, she and her friend embark on a journey to the stars to seek her mother’s help. What Sheetal finds when she arrives is political turmoil and … a magical music competition.

Roshani Chokshi

Roshani Chokshi’s New York Times bestselling series include The Star-Touched Queen duology, The Gilded Wolves, and Aru Shah and The End of Time, which was recently optioned for film by Paramount Pictures. Her work has been nominated for the Locus and Nebula awards.

In The Star-Touched Queen, a YA fantasy rich in world building and Indian mythology, Maya lives a relative life of freedom thanks to a cursed horoscope that predicts death and destruction following her marriage. Then her father marries her off and she becomes the queen of Arkan. Romance and hijinx (preventing the aforementioned death and destruction) ensue.

Renée Ahdieh

Renée Ahdieh is an American-Korean author, best known for her New York Times best-selling duology The Wrath & the Dawn. Imagine Entertainment optioned the film rights to the duology in 2017. Ahdieh says she loves to wreak havoc on the lives of her characters.

In the first novel of the duology, The Wrath & the Dawn, Ahdieh reimagines The Arabian Nights. The evil Caliph, Khalid, marries a new woman every night and murders her in the morning. When 16-year-old Shahrzad’s best friend becomes one of his victims, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to become his next bride. Every night she spins tales to her husband to postpone her execution but, as night follows night, Shahrzad fails to find the monster she expected in Khalid.

Read with Purpose

One of the core tenets of the DIY MFA philosophy is to read with purpose. In reading the works of AAPI authors, you may encounter plot structures or storytelling techniques that are different from, but equally effective to, the western ones you’ve become familiar with. The core myths and legends from which these stories derive may also be unfamiliar. Expand your writerly horizons and dig in.

These authors and their stories deserve both your reader brain (enjoyment) and your writer brain (analysis).

Until next time, keep speculating, and see where it leads you!

Melanie is an instructional designer by day, SF&F author-in-progress and ink alchemist by night. She is the third generation of Marttilas to live in her little house on the street that bears her family name. She blogs at https://www.melaniemarttila.ca and you can find her on Facebook and
Twitter.

The post Ten AAPI Sci-Fi/Fantasy Authors to Read Right Now appeared first on DIY MFA.

Cynthia is a New York Times bestselling author known for her award-winning children’s and YA books. She writes both realistic contemporary stories and fantastical narratives, and most recently, she won the American Indian Youth Literature YA Award for Hearts Unbroken published by Candlewick.

Today we’ll be discussing one of her most recent projects: Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for kids, a Middle Grade anthology published by Heartdrum, a Native-focused imprint at HarperChildren’s where Cynthia is the author-curator. In addition to her work in publishing, she is also on the faculty of the MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is a citizen of Mvskoke Nation and makes her home in Austin, Texas.

In this episode Cynthia and I discuss:

• How the lack of Native representation in Middle Grade books inspired Cynthia’s writing and the impetus for Heartdrum.
• What elements are important to include when writing specifically for Middle Graders and how MG is distinct from YA.
• Why it’s important to create an inclusive feeling  of a “we” not “me” book within diverse literature.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About Cynthia Leitich Smith

New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Leitich Smith is known for her award-winning children’s and YA realistic contemporary and fantastical books. Most recently, she won the American Indian Youth Literature YA Award for Hearts Unbroken, published by Candlewick, and she looks forward to the release of Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids, a Middle Grade anthology published by Heartdrum.

Cynthia is the author-curator of Heartdrum, a Native-focused imprint at HarperChildren’s and on the faculty of the MFA program in Writing for Children’s and Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts. She’s a citizen of Mvskoke Nation and makes her home in Austin, Texas.

You can find Cynthia on her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn. 

Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids

A collection of intersecting stories set at a powwow that bursts with hope, joy, resilience, the strength of community, and Native pride.

In a high school gym full of color and song, Native families from Nations within the borders of the U.S. and Canada dance, sell beadwork and books, and celebrate friendship and heritage. They are the heroes of their own stories.

Featured contributors: Joseph Bruchac, Art Coulson, Christine Day, Eric Gansworth, Dawn Quigley, Carole Lindstrom, Rebecca Roanhorse, David A. Robertson, Andrea L. Rogers, Kim Rogers, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Monique Gray Smith, Traci Sorell, Tim Tingle, Erika T. Wurth, and Brian Young.

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 346: Curating a Middle Grade Anthology of Intertribal Stories – Interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith appeared first on DIY MFA.

About Ausma Zehanat Khan

Ausma Zehanat Khan is the author of The Unquiet Dead, published by St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books, and winner of the Barry Award, the Arthur Ellis Award and the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for Best First Novel. Works in her critically acclaimed Esa Khattak/Rachel Getty mystery series include The Language of Secrets,  A Death in Sarajevo, Among the Ruins, and A Dangerous Crossing. In A Deadly Divide, the fifth and latest book in the series, Detectives Khattak and Getty investigate a mosque shooting in Quebec, and explore the after-effects of a rising tide of Islamophobia in both the province and the nation.  CrimeReads named Khan one of the Rising Stars of Crime Fiction in the 2010s, and both CrimeReads and Library Journal named A Deadly Divide one of the best crime novels of 2019.

Khan has been featured in a Shondaland profile of Muslim Women Authors Everyone Should Know, and as Ms. Chatelaine in Chatelaine magazine. Most recently, she was profiled on Public Radio International. She frequently appears on CBC Radio, and has been interviewed by the BBC World Service and BBC Radio Woman’s Hour, as well as appearing on CTV Your Morning, CBS and The Agenda. 

The Bloodprint, Ausma Zehanat Khan’s fantasy debut, has been hailed as “one of the year’s finest fantasy debuts”. Published by Harper Voyager US & UK, The Bloodprint is Book One of The Khorasan Archives, a four-book epic fantasy series, that was followed by The Black Khan in October 2018, and The Blue Eye in 2019. In 2019, Khan was a Sirens Guest of Honor. The Bladebone, the epic conclusion of The Khorasan Archives will be published in October 2020.

Khan’s non-fiction book, Ramadan, for middle-grade students, was published by Orca Books as part of the Origins series in Spring 2018.  It was selected as a Children’s Book Council Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People 2019, and as the Children’s Literature Roundtable of Canada’s 2019 Information Book Award Honour Book.  Ramadan has also been nominated for a Hackmatack Children’s Choice Award.

Khan’s nonfiction essay, “Origins and Destinations”, was published by Seal Press in the crime writers’ anthology, Private Investigations, edited by Victoria Zackheim, in 2020. She also has the short story, “The Once and Future Qadi”, forthcoming in the Sword Stone Table anthology.

​

A frequent lecturer and commentator, Khan holds a Ph.D. in international human rights law with a research specialization in military intervention and war crimes in the Balkans, from Osgoode Hall Law School. She completed her LL.B. and LL.M. at the University of Ottawa, and her B.A. in English literature & sociology at the University of Toronto.

Formerly, she served as Editor in Chief of Muslim Girl magazine. The first magazine to address a target audience of young Muslim women, Muslim Girl re-shaped the conversation about Muslim women in North America. The magazine was the subject of two documentaries, and hundreds of national and international profiles and interviews, including CNN International, Current TV, and Al Jazeera “Everywoman”. 

Khan practiced immigration law in Toronto and has taught international human rights law at Northwestern University, as well as human rights and business law at York University. She is a long-time community activist and writer, and currently lives in Colorado with her husband.

You can find Ausma on her website, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Sara Farmer: Before reading the first Esa Khattak and Rachel Getty book, The Unquiet Dead, I didn’t know the depth of the atrocities in Bosnia in the 90s. I was a teenager and heard about it at the time, but for one reason or another I never got the details or they never sunk in. I’ve noticed the power of historical fiction, including mysteries, to bring events to life and cement them in the reader’s mind. Was that part of your intention for the books in this series? I have learned so much from them and it’s been fascinating.

Ausma Zehanat Khan: Thank you so much. Yes, very much so. Historical events tend to lose their power and significance over time and with the dissolution of Yugoslavia and the Bosnian genocide, in particular, not many of us now know the scope of the crimes that took place in the early to mid-90s. Often, events as tragic and large-scale as a genocide are too overwhelming to comprehend. So, telling an intimate story through the lens of characters readers can connect with gives real-life tragedies an immediate personal resonance. And I hope that makes both the story and event it is inspired by truly matter, particularly as human rights crises continue to emerge all around the globe. I could point to the cultural genocide of the Uyghur people in China or the Rohingya genocide in Myanmar. Or the equally pressing Syrian refugee crisis, whose urgency has not abated in all these years. I haven’t written about all these subjects, but I think fiction is a beautiful means by which we can broaden our understanding and deepen our empathy.

Sara: I love the layers of historical and cultural details in all of the books and how they are worked into the mysteries, especially the poetry in The Language of Secrets. And Khattak and Getty are great characters and a wonderful pair. How do you research and write such intricate plots and complex characters?

Ausma: Thank you so much for these kind words! I’m trying to think where I should begin. I will say that The Unquiet Dead and The Language of Secrets were different from my other books in terms of my research process. The Unquiet Dead was both easier and harder for me to write in some ways than the following books in the series. This is because it was based on a decade of academic research that I had pursued in my graduate studies. My dissertation on military intervention and the Bosnian genocide was also entitled “The Unquiet Dead.” So, I had a solid foundation of research to build on in writing my debut novel, though I did have to refresh my knowledge. 

I also found it painful because those memories and voices that represent the victims of a genocide never really leave you and I wanted to do justice to my ambition in telling a small part of that story. The Language of Secrets, again, was an easier book for me to write, because I only needed to do short-term research on radicalization and terrorism, the subjects of the book. But in terms of the cultural aspects – the language, poetry and traditions involved – they are all part of my own upbringing and are as natural to me as breathing. So, the themes of Secrets have been ever-present in my life and development—they shaped me as a human being, and in some ways the writing was a natural extension of that.

With the subsequent books, the research has been very intense! Sometimes I’m fortunate enough to be able to travel to the places I’m writing about, but usually I read for about six months on the subject that interests me. I view documentaries and interviews, read hundreds of news articles, and then I conduct personal interviews with experts on the subjects I write about. I try to incorporate a wide range of perspectives on something like the Syrian refugee crisis, for example, which is the subject of A Dangerous Crossing. And then I leave the reader to come to their own conclusions. 

To answer your question about characterization, I write the kind of characters I love to read. Interesting, many-layered, complicated, flawed, but always determined to do better and to make a difference in the world. I love characters who demonstrate genuine warmth, even if it’s a journey to peel back the layers of the characters to get to the heart of that warmth. Esa Khattak, my lead detective, is a bit cerebral, but as the series progresses, I do my best to unwrap him so you get to the compassionate heart of him. Rachel Getty, his partner, is brasher and less certain of herself, so I focus on building her competence and her self-confidence. Characters like these are truly a joy to write.

Sara: Do you find that your academic and legal background helped prepare you for writing fiction? Have you always been interested in writing fiction?

Ausma: Yes, absolutely. Because of that training, I’m able to sift through research very quickly to determine what’s of real consequence and find information that is central to my storytelling. Legal training is also logic-driven, which is so useful in writing crime fiction, because your clues have to add up and your ending has to make sense to readers. It’s almost like presenting the evidence in a criminal case to secure a conviction. 

Also, academia and legal practice involve a huge amount of thinking, reading, and writing—which is exactly the same process a novelist goes through. Of greater significance for me, though, is that my novels are essentially a continuation of my legal work. My work has always centered on human rights and writing crime novels is just another way of telling those stories—I hope with immediacy and relevance.

I’ve been writing fiction all my life—stories, songs, plays, poems. I was the newspaper editor at my high school and wrote columns for the local paper, as well as articles for my undergraduate newspaper. For a while, I thought I might end up more on the nonfiction side as a journalist and I do still continue to write nonfiction essays, but invention is my true passion. I love all forms of storytelling, so I’m hoping to find ways to expand my range.

Sara: The theme of the lasting effects of violence in war and in families runs through the series. One example of this ripple effect is the tension in the immigrant communities between those out for revenge and those opposed to violent extremism. This is beautifully rendered both between opponents and as an inner struggle for some characters. It seems that Khattak understands the forces that drive some to murder and extremism, but he does not condone violence from terrorists or the countries whose brutality helped spark this desperate anger. You depict the typical Muslim community as full of so much love and steadfast faith. I really felt their frustration at the perversion of their religion, being blamed for what a small group does, and the radicalization of vulnerable young people. What kind of feedback have you gotten from readers about this aspect of the Muslim community? Have you ever experienced pressure to move away from these topics or to simplify them?

Ausma: This is an excellent question—I’ll try to do it justice. Most of my readers are not Muslim—a surprise to me, too. But from my Muslim audience I’ve had such honest and positive feedback that it humbles me. So many people were simply hungry to see a character like Detective Esa Khattak in fiction—decent, compassionate, full of integrity, relatable, charismatic. That hunger exists because the Muslim male typically depicted in popular culture—including in a whole slew of political thrillers—is so often a woman-hating terrorist with nihilist convictions. Faith is an ugly thing for characters written in that mold. And to our communities, those kinds of depictions read as wholly inauthentic—they’re cruel and dehumanizing and they cause untold pain. So, I haven’t had any requests to move away from these subjects from the Muslim community, quite the opposite. People suggest other topics that they’ve been wanting to see either accurate representation on or any representation on. My one detective can’t be all things to all people, but I hope he’s a good start and that many more will follow.

On the whole, my non-Muslim audience has also been incredibly generous—responding to my books with interest and warmth and a genuine desire to dig deeper. That’s been really heartening for me to see as a writer who spends a lot of time in very dark places, researching and writing about the worst of the human experience. So, my readers have been a blessing for me—holding out a hand, offering me encouragement when I need it.

But in terms of simplifying the things I write about, there are always people who want you to simplify complex issues, those who engage in “what-about-ism,” so they don’t have to grapple with the issue or themes I am writing about with any kind of honesty. Those whose view of the world is a binary black or white. When Secrets came out, some readers insisted on knowing where I was from, as if identity is ever so simple or easily reducible. If I was American, I might have been acceptable to those readers, but most likely not. If I wasn’t American/Canadian, etc., then I had an agenda and therefore no right to write this book or to speak about its themes. 

Sometimes, if you respond with gentleness and patience, you can reach people who hold these kinds of opinions and engage in a discussion that ends with them not entirely discounting your humanity. But, regrettably, I’m not always patient and gentle and I often have much more important battles to fight or more important subjects on my mind. Just because I write about the politicization and demonization of Muslim identity, that doesn’t mean I’m always on call to explain it or defend it—the notion of me having to do so encapsulates everything that is wrong with our politics. 

So, I refuse to simplify complex subjects, themes, or characters. Just as I refuse to reduce my own identity, which is very much entwined with my fiction. I come from a multilingual, multicultural home, history, and heritage. Simplifying any part of that is inauthentic and reductive and if there’s one thing that matters to me in my work, it’s my own integrity. I have a responsibility to myself, my family, and the communities I come from to represent our full humanity and complexity in the stories I tell. 

You’ll see from the length of this answer that I’ve dealt with a lot of criticism, negativity, coded reviews, and outright hate on this subject. Social media can be a negative experience for me if I don’t carefully monitor and control my expression in those spaces. 

I will tell you that because its subject is terrorism, The Language of Secrets is my most hated book. (I’m shaking my head at myself here.) Why so hated? Because the book looks at the root causes of historical grievances, as well as the continued political engagement between what I will loosely call the West and the Muslim world, engagement that has been devastating for the citizens of many Muslim-majority societies. You won’t find language like, “They hate us for our values,” in my books because that presumes an irrational, unknowable enemy who strikes without reason or cause. You will find out the historical causes of legitimate protest. You will also find Esa Khattak, my practicing Muslim detective, saying that violence against innocents is never justifiable—and that includes all the innocents on both sides of a divide. It would be impossible to simplify any part of that, so The Language of Secrets is a speaking back to the facile, often racist, association between Muslims and terrorism—racist because it assumes and assigns collective guilt. These are assumptions we would never make about any other community.

I’m glad, though, that Secrets provoked these kinds of conversations and forced some people to examine their own assumptions, but I’m even more grateful for the community of readers and writers who don’t make assumptions like these. They have been a source of solace through my writing journey.

Sara: I like to ask all my interviewees – how long did it take you to write your first book? Do you have drawer novels?

Ausma: I like to say The Unquiet Dead took a decade of research and a year to write, lol. And I definitely have drawer novels—half-written or abandoned. But I also wrote a prequel to The Unquiet Dead, where Esa and Rachel first meet, which hasn’t been published. These days though, I’m consciously trying to work on things I’m fiercely committed to, in the hopes they’ll see the light of day.

Sara Farmer lives in Austin, TX, with her husband, three kids, and two cats. When she’s not chasing kids and cats, she reads and writes mysteries. You can find her at www.kittymomma.com and on Twitter @avonlea79.

The post Interview with Ausma Zehanat Khan appeared first on DIY MFA.

This problem is not unique to kidlit. Traditional publishing is an inherently political industry. It amplifies certain voices and narratives, and not others, which is a political choice. You’re chosen, or you’re not. Your perspective is valued and shared widely, or it’s not. 

As this column has discussed before, young readers are particularly sensitive and vulnerable to negative depictions of themselves and others in books. It’s imperative that books for kids be welcoming and inclusive. That’s why we need to talk about DEI in kidlit publishing.

You may be under the impression that these issues are better in kidlit than in other areas of publishing. You may be aware of data like The Ripped Bodice’s survey of diversity in romance publishing, which shows dismal numbers, and contrast it with the existence of organizations like We Need Diverse Books, which specializes in children’s’ publishing and advocates for wider inclusion. You might want to pat kidlit on the back and say, “Great job being better than those other genres and categories!”

Here’s the thing… better does not mean good.

More and more visible work has been done to broaden kidlit. There have been slight improvements, but still way, way too far left to go. 

Where We Stand

The Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has been assessing diversity statistics in children’s books since 1985. Each year they “receive most but not all trade books published by the ‘Big 5,’ as well as books from some smaller trade houses, smaller independent presses, and self-published books.” The books are primarily from the US, but they do receive some from other English-speaking nations. The CCBC determines if a book was by a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) author, and if the major characters featured in the book are BIPOC. 

The CCBC survey primarily focuses on race every year, but has done some work around LGBTQ+ books and authors. It’s also important to note that how they defined BIPOC varied over the years. For instance, there are statistics for Black authors going back to 1985, but Latinx statistics only go back to 1994. They continue to expand the categories over time. 

You can find raw numbers here. Also, here is a more detailed analysis of 2019, which is the most recent data available.

The infographics below illustrate the proportionate distribution of books depicting BIPOC characters in a given year. 

2012 – Only 7% BIPOC

Original Graphic via CCBC illustrating 2012 Statistics || Tina Kügler, Illustrator, https://tinakugler.squarespace.com/

Of the 3,600 books CCBC received in 2012, 3,329 were primarily about white characters.

Houston, we have a major problem.

2015 – Slightly More BIPOC than Animals

In 2015, BIPOC made up 14.2% of the 3,400 books CCBC received. To quote the infographic, “About a quarter of the total children’s books published in 2015 were picture books, and about half of those depict non-human characters like animals & trucks. … The remainder depict white characters.” 

Houston, I smell smoke. Like a lot of smoke.

2018 – More Animals than BIPOC

In 2018 CCBC received 3,653 books, half of which were about white characters. That’s quite a decrease from 2012, no? But: across these three graphics we can see that when the percentage of white characters decreases they are primarily replaced by animals and other non-human characters–not by BIPOC characters. 

Houston, the wing is on fire.

2019 – “Alternatives” Continue

Data from 2019 was released in June 2020 and there’s no infographic for this year (thanks, COVID!). This year’s data drew from 3,716 books, and was broken down into a few extra categories, most notably “Brown Skin.”

From the blog post: “‘Brown skin’ indicates books in which the primary character clearly has brown skin (indicated by illustrations or text), but there are no specific racial or cultural signifiers in the illustrations or text.” This is problematic because it lumps all brown-skinned characters into an undifferentiated mass. 

The decrease in white characters between 2018 and 2019 is 8.2%. Which is handily exceeded by the “Brown Skin” category at 9.2%. As with the Animal/Non-Human trend, we see between 2018 and 2019 that published books would rather give space to vaguely “Brown Skin” characters than give BIPOC characters actual identities. 

Mayday, Houston, mayday! 

The Lost Books

Reflection Press is a small publisher focused on diversifying children’s lit. They used CCBC’s 2017 data to do their own infographics and analysis, which you can read in full here.

Their work compares the character breakdowns to the US population’s racial makeup. For instance, African Americans make up 13% of the US population, but were only 3.3% of characters that year. 

Then they calculated how many books would have to be published featuring African American characters to fill that gap between the population and the represented characters. In 2017 it would’ve taken 524 books to bring about parity! 

They ran these numbers using CCBC’s data for the last 12 years, and reckon we’re missing some 6,000 books that should have featured African American major characters.

Who’s Writing Whom?

But it’s not enough to look at the characters. We also need to look at the authors. 

In 2019, CCBC determined that 11.9% of books featured African American major characters. But of the 3,716 books received, only 5.8% were written by African Americans. Less than half of all books featuring Black characters are written by Black authors. 

The characters are fictional. The authors are real people. These authors have a tiny fraction of the publishing landscape, and as we saw with #PublishingPaidMe, they aren’t treated fairly even when included. 

What do we do now, Houston?

A recent academic study titled “Rethinking ‘Diversity’ in Publishing”, which focused on kidlit, genre, and literary fiction in the UK (which has its own diversity problems!) assessed how diverse authors and books are handled throughout the publishing process. They interviewed everyone: authors, agents, editors, publishers, book sellers, and so on. And they had some recommendations about how to support these books and authors. 

Publishing professionals need to question their biases, reckon with the privileges they have within the industry, and not only open up space but truly provide support by giving institutional resources–especially money–to the people doing this work. The system needs to demonstrate where its values lie through resources.

We need to build a more fair industry through anti-racist work. It’s especially important that we do this within kidlit where our readers are having formative experiences through books. 

Bronwen Fleetwood writes fiction for young adults, and nonfiction for writers. Bronwen studied creative writing at Eugene Lang,The New School for Liberal Arts, has acted as leader of the Princeton Writing Group, and as a Municipal Liaison for National Novel Writing Month. Bronwen currently lives on the Whale Coast of South Africa, between the mountains, the sea, and a lake. You can connect with her at bronwenfleetwood.com.

The post Diversity in Kidlit: Better Isn’t Enough appeared first on DIY MFA.

Today I have the absolute pleasure of speaking with co-authors Anita Sarkeesian and Ebony Adams on the show!

Anita is an award-winning media critic and the creator and executive director of Feminist Frequency, an educational nonprofit that explores the representations of women in pop culture narratives. She is best known as the creator and host of the highly influential video series Tropes vs. Women in Video Games, and she dreams of owning a life-size replica of Buffy’s scythe.

Ebony Adams is an author, activist, and former college educator whose work foregrounds the lives and work of black women in the diaspora. She writes widely on film criticism, social justice, and pop culture, and lives with a steadily-increasing collection of Doctor Who memorabilia.

On top of all this these ladies are now co-authors of the YA nonfiction book History vs. Women: The Defiant Lives that They Don’t Want You to Know, which is a fascinating (and aesthetically beautiful) book highlighting the lives of women who made an impact on the world.

I couldn’t help but fall in love with this book! First off, with its gorgeous illustrations, my inner graphic design geek went off the charts. Then there is the subject matter, which is something I feel super-passionate about, and the fact that it’s YA makes this book even better. When we share the stories of strong, impactful women throughout history with the young women of today, we’re not just empowering the young generation. We’re empowering everybody to help make our culture and our society better.

So listen in as Anita, Ebony, and I chat about this truly awesome book, and the importance of challenging our own perspectives through what we read and what we write.

In this episode Anita, Ebony and I discuss:

• The research technique of “insistent archaeology”.
• How to translate scholarly texts into exciting stories.
• The dangers of passive reading.
• Advantages of the YA genre to get unknown stories out there.
• Why stories about women should be shared with young children of all genders.

Plus, both of these lovely ladies’ #1 tip for writers.

About Anita Sarkeesian

Anita Sarkeesian is an award-winning media critic and the creator and executive director of Feminist Frequency, an educational nonprofit that explores the representations of women in pop culture narratives. Best known as the creator and host of Feminist Frequency’s highly influential video series Tropes vs. Women in Video Games, Anita lectures at universities, conferences and game development studios around the world.

Anita dreams of owning a life-size replica of Buffy’s scythe, and she is the co-author along with Ebony Adams of History vs Women which is available now.

To connect with Anita check out her website at www.anitasarkeesian.com or hit her up on Twitter at @anitasarkeesian.

About Ebony Adams

Ebony Adams, Ph.D. is an author, activist, and former college educator whose work foregrounds the lives and work of black women in the diaspora. She lives in Los Angeles with a steadily-increasing collection of Doctor Who memorabilia.

She writes widely on film criticism, social justice, and pop culture, and along with Anita Sarkeesian is the co-author of History vs Women.

To connect with Ebony hit her up on Twitter at @ebonyaster.

To learn more about Anita and Ebony’s organization Feminist Frequency, head over to feministfrequency.com.

And don’t forget to check out Anita and Ebony, along with their co-host Carolyn Petit, on their podcast Feminist Frequency Radio.

History vs Women: The Defiant Lives that They Don’t Want You to Know

Rebels, rulers, scientists, artists, warriors and villains, women are, and have always been, all these things and more.

Looking through the ages and across the globe, Anita Sarkeesian, founder of Feminist Frequency, along with Ebony Adams, has a PhD in English, have reclaimed the stories of twenty-five remarkable women who dared to defy history and change the world around them. From Mongolian wrestlers to Chinese pirates, Native American ballerinas to Egyptian scientists, Japanese novelists to British Prime Ministers, History vs Women will reframe the history that you thought you knew.

Featuring beautiful full-color illustrations of each woman and a bold graphic design, this standout nonfiction title is the perfect read for teens (or adults!) who want the true stories of phenomenal women from around the world and insight into how their lives and accomplishments impacted both their societies and our own.

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 242

(Right-click to download.)

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Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 242: Challenging the Status Quo — Interview with Anita Sarkeesian and Ebony Adams appeared first on DIY MFA.