African American Writers’ Legacy
As a writer, I would like to leave a legacy of positive, stimulating, and uplifting stories. Tell future generations that African American (people of color) authors broke through the book industry’s color barrier. We have come a long way, but still have a long way to go in the quality of our work.
There are many African American books being published today, especially eBooks, as entertainment only, and that’s okay, but don’t be followers, be innovators. Surely, we can write the type of entertainment that will be important works in the next century.
Certain publishers know black sex sells. Their rule, among others, is you must include two or three exciting sex scenes spread throughout your story. Writers are holding to that template, believing they will receive more recognition. In my opinion, these types of stories will not stand the test of time. They will at some point fall by the wayside.
Many of us have creative minds, wonderful muses. Every book should not necessarily have a premise of teaching or preaching. Still, in some ways, we are teachers – good and bad. IMO, the majority of work coming through the pipeline is about the hood, thugs, drugs, and books that over excite sensibilities with poorly placed sexual scenes or violence. Do we really want to leave this type of writing “time capsule” for future generations?
Some people of color’s literature will stand for years to come; writers like Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Maya Angelou, Tananarive Due, Octavia E. Butler, and Jewell Parker Rhodes, just to name a few. Going further back in history, the works of James Baldwin and Zora Neal Hurston are still popular after more than fifty years.
The Harlem Renaissance was called “The New Negro Movement.” We can be “The Great People of Color Literary Movement.” Why P of C Movement? Because there are other brown peoples in the world who write. Africans, Arabs, Asians, and Latin Americans have books in the market.
One last small sermon: Constantly writing, professional editing, and reading everything will get us there.
Write on!
Minnie Estelle Miller
Founder, Writer, Essayist & Humanist
Mz Minerva Publishing
http://www.millerscribs.com
http://www.millerscribs.com/blog
http://www.msprissy-dreamweaver.blogspot.com/
Copyright © June 2011
Saturday, 26. November 2011 23:28
Ideally, a writer should present a unique story that makes the reader ask, “What would I do in that situation?” For me, RichardWright’s “Native Son” did this and he has influenced my writing since I read that book in 1978.
The industry is changing for the worse, as more self-publishers quite frabkly, have not taken time to learn their craft. It’s like everyone who has a digital camera today thinks they can be a Scorcese-on-the-cheap, nouveau witers think they can just sit down, pen a tale and it deserves the same level of readership as a Stephen King novel. I have read plenty of what I would call flat-out garbage, with gratuitous sex scenes inserted when the story begins to drag all the more.
I rarely used sex openly in a novel. I hinted at it because I never saw the need to get graphic until recently, and it was not because I thought it would sell more books. It is an erotic comedy where the wild sexual goings on (I think) enrich the story and shows the characters’ depravity. Still, I may have gone overboards, as the book was essentially written on a dare. But it does have that “What would I do?” factor, and that was my goal.
I do think we need more literature that reflects the issues of concern to us as a people, like we had in days of yore (including “Dem” by Williamn Melville Kelley and the harsh reeality put forth by Iceberg Slim in “Mama Black Widow.”:
Sunday, 27. November 2011 9:37
Miz, Minnie,
You KNOW you are one of my favorite essayists and orators. You say what many are thinking OR who are just too tired to keep repeating what has become a mantra for some of us.
I agree 3K% and the reason I love my book club so much is that they read EVERYTHING, (including my historical westerns). We have read all kinds of books, white, black, Middle Eastern, Latin, religious etc. I adore the way we all read the same book and come up with different perceptions.
The only “thug” type book we read that we all agreed we liked was THE PRADA PLAN. It was badly edited but the story was excellent and kept you on the edge of your seat with more twists and turns than Lombard Street in San Francisco.
One member kept advising on these types of books until we finally told her NO MORE. It’s the same plot, the same bad language and the same ending.
And these “Cookie Cutter” editors need to get a grip. Gone are the days when editors took a “chance” or thought “outside the box”. I hate that there has to be X many love scenes or that the heroine must MEET, FALL IN LOVE, and Practically MARRY by page six. Have they even heard of an epic?
You keep on doing what you are doing, writing what you write and I promise you, there are those of us who are listening.
Sunday, 27. November 2011 10:00
Very nice article.
I agree with everything you have said.
I have also become much more aware of the covers for books by Black authors and I number of times the covers are so explicit even if this has nothing to do with the storyline.
Sunday, 27. November 2011 11:10
Thank you so much for stopping by. I love that people are listening and understanding that we must do better.
As career writers, we also have to write for future generations. Thanks.
Sunday, 27. November 2011 11:11
Patt, you are one of my best fans and I really appreciate your remarks. Thank you so much. Yes, we have come a long way, but still have a long way to go.
Keep planting those trees. Peace
Sunday, 27. November 2011 11:46
Timothy, I know you understand where I’m coming from. Everybody wants to write and everyone can, even if it’s only chicken scratch. BUT, it takes more than that to become an author. Think beyond our personal-self, we must think about future African Americans and other races, and what they will think about our culture and so-called literature. We must provide a road map of our travels so future generations will know what literary roads to travel–the good and the bad. Writers need to go back and research the meaning of literature. Look at the recipe and how it’s makes the brain think deeper. It’s time to stop and read some of the classics. I know, there aren’t many negro and black authors writers of the classics. We must search them out. IMO, classics are unique premises and compelling storytelling. I can name a few American Negroe writers. A recent novel I hold up as destined to become a classic is, “Douglass’ Women” by Jewell Parker Rhodes. There are more, but this one comes to mind at the moment.
I’m so glad you commented and understand what I’m trying to say.
I haven’t forgotten that many authors are under contract and must conform to their contractual rules. I can only say they have to make the decision as to what they want as their “brand.”
Man, I really got carried away, but I’m glad I did. LOL.
Keep writing Timothy. I’ve told you many times, you are heading in the right direction.
Sunday, 27. November 2011 16:56
There were times when I would go into a bookstore and need sunglasses to keep from being blinded by the explicit “hood” book covers with the nearly naked women who looked like they were either ready to fight, have sex or both. As the intro to the old TV show would say “there are a million stories in the naked city” – everybody has the right to tell their story but please tell it well. And as for the promoters of “that’s what the black people want to read”: get thee behind me!
Sunday, 27. November 2011 18:07
Niambi, I understand your frustration. That’s one of the reasons I choose my book covers carefully. It was suggested that I change Mr. Bradley’s book cover to something more sexy. I felt a red sheet and the word seduction on the cover was enough to tell the story. How to have sex is known world wide, and on www. I’m not about to reinvent the act. LOL
I strongly believe that the hood is not our culture and hope writers will get that in their work.
Thanks for stopping by.
Monday, 28. November 2011 14:59
This has been a long time issue I’ve had. One of the questions I add to the mix is this…why would mainstream publishers, who 20 years ago wouldn’t have even looked at these poorly written manuscripts for fear of destroying their credibility as a publisher, not only look at them, but publish them? Something is amiss that has nothing to do with money, but that’s a longer discussion.
Monday, 28. November 2011 18:13
You have raised my curiosity. Ruling out money leaves me at a lost for their actions. Why? Is it a long range plan to kill the eBook industry because they back unqualified writers? I’ve been hearing a lot of complaints about badly written books, including “cookie cutter” romance novels. Another complaints was about book covers blatantly displaying sexual images.
As you said this has been a long time issue. I remember discussing it at the Real Sista Writers group. Discussion of the issues has not changed even today.
Thank you for stopping by.