Zetta Elliott's Blog, page 104

happy anniversary to Just Us Books!

I just wanted to share this message from the founders of Just Us Books:

This month Just Us Books is celebrating our 22nd anniversary in the industy. Over the years, Just Us Books has focused on getting our books into the hands of thousands of families and children who need them the most. The statistics sited by Andrea Pinkney on the dirth of children's books in economically challenged families was truly alarming.* Just Us Books is committed to redoubling its efforts to change this situation.

In the days to come, Wade and I will be posting tidbits of our company's history on our Just Us Books FB fan page. We invite you to join us and the continuing conversations surrounding the importance of literature for children of African descent.  We also invite you to share your comments and links via my blog.

On this blog and our FB pages, we will be posting conference photos, commentary, questions and extending a web of conversations and ideas about the conference and other aspects of information concerning African American children's literature.

Just Us Books' mission for the past 22 years has been to create, publish and distribute quality children's books that spotlight the African American experience and to make those books available to all children. We feel blessed to be in the company of good and committed people who have supported our efforts in this journey.  Thanks to all of you. We look forward to keeping in touch and continuing to make a difference in the lives of our children.

Sincerely,

Cheryl and Wade

Cheryl Willis Hudson and Wade Hudson

co-founders, JUST US BOOKS, INC.

Good books still make a difference!

www.justusbooks.com

Follow Just Us Books on Twitter

www.twitter.com/justusbooks

*Andrea Davis Pinkney noted that in low-income neighborhoods, there is 1 book per 300 households.

Latino children's literature

Make sure you stop by The Happy Nappy Bookseller all this week because Doret's doing a feature on Latino MG & YA novels.  How many do you think were published in 2010?  Less than 60 black-authored novels were published here in the US, and if you think THAT's bad, wait until you see the appalling figures for Latino authors.  Doret's featuring a different author every day, so go check out her list and then keep going back for more…At the A Is For Anansi conference this past weekend, Oralia Garza de Cortes pointed out that 22% of this nation's children are Latino.  So when will the all-white world of children's literature recognize that fact?  I met Mario Picayo at the conference; he started his own Latino press—editorial Campana—please do check it out.

A Is for Anansi ~ Part 2

We have work to do.  I almost don't know where to begin—before the conference I considered posting a draft US Publishing Equalities Charter on this blog, but then I looked at the UK draft and realized that was too much work for one person.  What we need is a similar list of specific actions that are appropriate to the many different members of the kidlit community (readers, teachers, librarians, publishers, marketers, reviewers, parents, kids, artists, etc.).  That's just one conclusion we came to during the post-conference brunch earlier today.  But let me back up and share some of what transpired on Friday night; I wasn't taking notes, and apologize for not including remarks on every presenter.  The panels were filmed, and a documentary will eventually be made of the entire conference.

After Andrea Davis Pinkney delivered her keynote address, Cheryl Willis Hudson moderated a panel on marketing, distributing, and selling black children's literature.  Joe Monti, a former buyer for Barnes & Noble, shared a first-hand account of a publisher that brought him whitewashed covers of Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea series.  When he objected, the publisher returned with a "suntanned" version of the same blond cover model.   Hannah Ehrlich of Lee & Low Books gave a fantastic presentation on finding markets for multicultural books; I was particularly struck by her suggestion that it's nearly impossible to win someone over at the point of sale.  The buyer has to already be receptive to multicultural books; if that's the case, then selling particular titles is much easier.  But you can't go in "cold" and try to win someone over because the resistance will be too strong.  That made me think of Elizabeth Bluemle's handselling strategies, and how much work has to be done *before* book buyers even reach the store…Agent/author Regina Brooks and illustrator Colin Bootman were also on that panel; KT Horning shared so many great ideas this weekend—this wasn't from her panel presentation, I don't think, but she urged the restoration of funding for libraries since *they* used to be the primary buyers of children's literature and therefore had the power to influence publishers' offerings instead of big chain stores.

My morning panel was "Issues of Identity & Representation: How Far Have We Come?"  We were preceded by Dr. Nancy Tolson who gave a fabulous historical survey of African American children's literature; Nancy has also studied and taught in Ghana, and rightly suggested we invite African publishers to the next conference.  My panelists were great, and I did take notes but will just share these highlights: legendary illustrator George Ford recalled the early days of his career when "people of vision" in the industry opened doors and created opportunities for emerging artists; George and others invoked the Council on Interracial Books for Children, and we now realize that we need to create a 21st century version of the CIBC.  I'm going to take a closer look at this 1998 article by Beryle Banfield:

This is a particularly appropriate time at which to reflect on the role of the Council on Interracial Books for Children (CIBC) on its role in the promotion and development of children's literature that would adequately reflect our multi-racial society. It is also a truly troubling time for those who have shared the concerns of the CIBC over the last thirty years. The hard won Civil Rights gains of African Americans are being steadily eroded through court decisions and legislative actions. Multi-cultural studies are being derided as "feel good ethnic studies." The term politically correct has been transformed into a mocking description of vocabulary or actions used to avoid race or gender bias. There is no longer the sense of social concern and social responsibility that existed at the time that the CIBC was established. (my emphasis)

Illustrator Nicole Tadgell talked about the unfair burden of historical narratives and has taken it upon herself to write more fantasy stories for black children; the demand for fantasy was reiterated by the adolescent boys on the next panel.  Unfortunately, the girls who were invited to participate didn't show up, which meant the conference started to feel somewhat male-centered.  But that could just be me.  I almost skipped the final panel on Educating Black Boys but I'm glad I didn't because gave a rousing presentation and reminded us that 66% of black men are NOT incarcerated.  Which isn't to say there isn't a problem, but the bright, articulate boys on the previous panel prove that the future's not all doom and gloom—sometimes that's just the narrative we choose to focus on…

One of the best things about this weekend is that I got to hang out with Laura Atkins—lecturer, literary consultant, and former editor at Lee & Low and Children's Book Press.  I'm getting better at mingling, but it definitely helped having such a good friend to process everything with…Laura shared her excellent article on White Privilege in Children's Publishing, and then moderated a panel on the evaluation of black children's literature.  If only we could get Laura's message into the publishing houses where so many white editors remain oblivious to their biases and blindspots…and how many editors do you think were present at the conference?  It takes a LOT of courage to walk into a room full of frustrated people and admit you're partly to blame for that frustration.  But that's just what John Sellers of Publishers Weekly did—he checked his reviews of children's books and acknowledged that books featuring PoC constitute just 100 of the 1600 books PW reviews each year.  He also made it clear that he's open to suggestions, which impressed me even more.  It was great to meet Summer Edward who served as respondent on that panel and introduced some challenges facing children's book authors in the Caribbean.

Ok, I'm running out of steam!  We held a debriefing session this morning, but I didn't contribute much because my head felt like it was about to burst; KT and I took the train back to Brooklyn, and then I walked through the garden, breathing deeply and trying to order my thoughts.  There's SO much work to do, and yet I sense the beginning of a coalition—and that's what we really need: a team of people willing to work for change.  I'll write more on this topic later in the week; for now I need to recover and gear up for the other two conferences I have scheduled this week!  I'll be at Amy Bowllan's Diversity Symposium on Wednesday, and the New England Conference on Multicultural Education on Thursday…

A Is for Anansi ~ Part I

I'm in total HSP overload right now from having been out of the house for twelve hours straight…but those were some of the best twelve hours I've spent in ages!  The A Is for Anansi conference was GREAT, and I've got lots to share but for now thought I'd post some of the photos I took at the award ceremony/reception earlier this evening.  As keynote speaker Andrea Davis Pinkney said on Friday night, we've got a lot to celebrate AND a lot of work still to do.

Dr. Nancy Tolson & her husband

KT Horning, Dir. of the Cooperative Children's Book Center & Sandra Payne (we love librarians!)

smiling after Sandra asked me to sign ALL of my books! (6)

Gambian musician Salieu Suso & Andrew P. Jackson, Exec. Dir., Queens Library's Langston Hughes Community Library & Cultural Center

Illustrator George Ford & Nancy Tolson

Bernette Ford, founder of Color-Bridge Books

Author William Loren Katz

Esther Cooper Jackson (she's 94!)

Honorees, Leo & Diane Dillon

Nancy, Diane, Leo, & George

George, Pat Cummings, Diane & Leo

Dr. Rashidah Ismaili-AbuBakr, & Tony Medina with a poster by Tom Feelings (another honoree)

the signature shot!  Nancy, my good friend Laura Atkins, & me

integrating bookstores

You're probably already familiar with Elizabeth Bluemle's efforts to engage booksellers and other members of the kidlit community in a conversation about race and books; in addition to her "Elephant in the Room" post on her PW blog ShelfTalker, Elizabeth has recently developed resources for booksellers who want to promote equality within their stores.  I intend to cite her efforts in my presentation on Saturday but will hold off on critiquing this latest endeavor, which is to promote "books NOT aimed at educating readers about race."  The goal instead is "finding and sharing the stories of Black, Asian, Hispanic characters doing all the fun stuff their Caucasian counterparts do in books."  Hmm.  I guess that means that neither of my books for young readers would be included in this promotional effort.

I really admire this initiative, and have been thinking a lot lately of the serious challenge we face in developing wider markets for books that feature children of color.  This is an age-old debate: how do we make members of the majority group care about those of us on the margins?  I suppose one approach is to focus on "all the fun stuff" that connects us. Maybe that's the "wedge" that will open the door just enough for other topics to slip in.  Mostly Elizabeth's strategies are designed to subtly expose a book buyer's prejudice; if a bookseller describes the book without mentioning race or revealing the cover, then the book buyer must consider why s/he rejected a book that sounded interesting but turned out to be about people of color.

The language we use to booktalk books is very important. I encourage booksellers to handsell books with people of color on the cover the same way they booktalk books with white kids on the cover when talking to white customers: hook them with the story, the character, the dilemmas and adventures. You don't mention race unless race IS the story. Take historical fiction as a parallel. For many kids, the minute you describe a book as historical fiction, their eyes glaze over. But if you say, "This book is about a girl who gets kidnapped from her home and tries to escape and become a spy," well, they're in.

So how would a bookseller describe A Wish After Midnight?  "This book is about a girl who gets sent back in time and has to learn how to live in Civil War-era Brooklyn."  Leave out the race riot at the end?  Or refer to it only as the draft riot?  I guess Wish is a book that would be hard to handsell to a white reader because it is—in large part—"about race."

Now, I am a realist—really, I am.  I know that a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.  And I have written loads of stories about children playing in snow, and making new friends at school, and learning to respect the environment.  Of course, all those stories are as yet unpublished.  It's a Catch-22 for black authors, as Rudine Sims Bishop explains:

Issues of audience are obviously related to issues of content and theme.  Many teachers and librarians think books about Afro-American experience are meant for Black children only.  In their minds, the Afro-American experience is equated with the hardships and social problems they associate with growing up Black and poor in the city—fatherless home, gangs, drugs, tough or obscene language, police brutality, crime, and so forth.  Therefore, they reason, 'Black experience' books are so far removed from the experiences of white children as to be irrelevant at best, or too harsh and inexplicable at worst.  In the minds of these same people, stories in which such hardships play no role and children face no racially motivated conflicts are not 'Black experience' stories at all.

Of course, a book that's set in the city and features a fatherless, impoverished girl with a drug dealing brother can ALSO be about belonging, community, self-acceptance, and friendship.  I'm wary of the "fun versus educational" split; an engrossing read shouldn't have to be "lite" and/or avoid serious topics of injustice.  Race matters, and I'm not sure how much progress we'll make as a society if we encourage readers to act like it doesn't—isn't this like asking people to be "colorblind" and *not* confront difference?  Ok, back to my conference papers; more thoughts on this issue to come.

coming soon

It's almost here—the A Is For Anansi conference at NYU!  Friday night will be fun because I don't have to present and can just focus on the keynote speakers and panelists.  But I'm a little anxious about my panel on Saturday morning; I felt I should include some racist images from US children's literature, and got really demoralized looking at them all last night—stop by Book Tryst to see what I'm talking about…OR, just come to our panel and hear how scholars, illustrators, and authors feel about the progress we've made and have yet to make in the field of children's literature.

best Monday ever

This could be the best Monday morning ever!  Not because of the rain and gloom outside, the stack of books I need to read, the conference papers I need to work on, or the mound of laundry staring at me.  It's a great day because a former student of mine who now works in New Orleans public schools just sent me this message:

By the way, I've been meaning to tell you about a student of mine.  Her name is L.  L is one of those students who has the potential to be extremely smart, but somehow gets caught up in being the opposite by constantly being disrespectful and disruptive.  I think she needs different attention because of her home situation, but when teachers have 20+ students in a class, they tend to not have time for that.

One day last week, L was acting out in English class, as she did almost every day.  The teacher wanted me to take her out because he was frustrated and had no other solution.  As a support teacher, I'm able to do that because I don't have my own class, so I took her out of the room.  I told her to take out a book because I wasn't going to let her sit and do nothing and of course she didn't have one.  Shockingly she said she wanted to read a chapter book (which almost none of the students say) and so I showed her all of the ones I had.

Among the books was A Wish After Midnight, which she chose immediately.  I was secretly hoping that she would, but I was also curious if she would reject it because of the higher reading level.  (Even though she is about 14 in seventh grade and reads better than most of her peers, she gets frustrated when challenged.)

To my surprise, she read the book for the rest of the period.

Afterwards, she asked me if she could take it home that night to read it.  I hesitated because I didn't want to lose it, but seeing her

enthusiasm, decided to let her borrow it.  Every day after that, every time I saw her in class or in the hallway, her nose was buried in that book.  Granted, she still didn't do her schoolwork in class, but instead of singing or talking or banging on the desk or walking around and messing with somebody, she would be reading the book.  It seemed to be what she needed.

Unfortunately, L's bad behaviors built up so much that she was

forced to transfer to a different school (they do that sometimes in

order to avoid expelling a student).  I didn't get a chance to see her again before it happened, but I'm glad to know that she had Wish with her.  I hope she is able to finish it and learn something from what you have put in its pages.  It really touched me to see her find some kind of peace from reading it.  I think Genna is a character that she can relate to.  Maybe one day I will be able to ask her about it.

Literary Minds for a Cause

If you're in the city, come out this Wednesday as we show support for the Reading Reform Foundation.  Guest speakers include Dr. Brenda Greene and Asadah; hosted by WBAI's Digo RockZtar. For more information, visit their Facebook page.

another ally

It's amazing how tragedy can inspire such courage.  Shelley is a socially conscious blogger, an ally, and a *serious* reader—more than a third of the titles she read this year are by people of color, and her goal is to "do better"!  Her most recent post on growing up queer came from deep within and should be read widely:

As for my family, well, I can't report that things went all that well. It's one of the sadnesses of my life that my mother died before ever really coming around to acceptance and understanding as I'd like to think she would have eventually. But that doesn't mean she stopped loving me, she always did and always expressed it, and yes, these things are complex, your family can oppress and love you at the same time and you know what else? Somehow you get past the pain and disappointment and you grow and thrive and life your life. Even if your family never does embrace your true self the way they should, that does not destroy you. You find support elsewhere, from teachers and elders and friends and lovers, you look around and realize that the joy and fulfillment of living as your own true self, your gay as a goose queer as the moon self, will sustain you.

I've segued into speaking to you, my dear precious beloved queer children and youths, so let me go on and address you directly. You may feel like you're the only one. You may be sure your family and friends will reject you. You're not the only one, not by a longshot. And for most of you, your family and friends will not reject you. They'll keep loving you. Many will accept and embrace you immediately–that's the result of these last 40-some years of the LGBT liberation movement. We've changed consciousness. There is much less bigotry and ignorance. Still, there will be some who let you know that they love you but also express their displeasure. This will hurt you terribly, but remember that you've got the rest of your life to watch them change, watch them come around and get over their homophobia; and in any case, your self-worth does not, must not, depend on them.

For those few whose family, captive to reactionary ideology, do reject you, hang on! You will find love elsewhere. You'll end up with a whole other family. You will! This will not destroy you, not as long as you can hang on at this most difficult moment.

sometimes people suck…

…but sometimes people are AWESOME!  Despite the torrential downpour here in Brooklyn, I feel kind of "up" today.  The film I ordered (Looking for a Face Like Mine) arrived yesterday, and in 30 short minutes I learned about the ways resisting racism can actually lead to heightened creativity.  Which is important for me, because I feel like I spend a lot of time blogging about racism in publishing and I do worry sometimes that I will become embittered and/or lose my creative impulse.  But artists (and activists) are ultimately optimistic people—we wouldn't create/agitate if we didn't have hope for the future and a slender belief that our work can change people's perceptions.  I was watching TV last night and that lottery commercial with the bunnies came on—have you seen it?  I smile *every* time it airs, and I thought to myself: how many people know I love bunnies? and hummingbirds…and fairies?  My college roommate and close friend hanged herself a couple of years after graduation; she was an artist, and I've never really allowed myself to delve into her despair.  I focus instead on her legacy and the gifts she gave me—the print of a medieval unicorn tapestry, and the pocket book of flower fairies that still sits on my shelf.  Which leads me to Awesome Person #1, Shveta, who has written this wonderful article about her own passion for fairies:

I love faeries. I grew up reading all about them, believing in them, dreaming about them. I collected all the drawings, books, and winged figurines I could, I gobbled up lore like forbidden faerie food, I made wings out of poster board and glitter. I could rattle off bits of trivia like how the use of iron kept away unwanted visitors, that the fey inability to lie didn't preclude trickery, and that a brownie accepted gifts of food in return for cleaning a house. When things got bad, I told myself I was fey. It wasn't until I was in my early twenties that it even occurred to me there might be faeries outside Western Europe – specifically, outside the Victorian take on the Celtic and British traditions.

Shveta eventually began searching for fairies within South Asian storytelling traditions—in other words, she did THE WORK.  And THE WORK is what matters, that search for something more, a way of reshaping our world.

Awesome Person #2 is Tricia Sullivan who is a writer and blogger and committed ally.  Tricia has reached out to me more than once with words of support, and she even offered to help me find an agent!  She walks the walk, and through her I've come to know Kate Elliott—Awesome Person #3!  Kate has a great post up on her Livejournal blog about THE WORK she does to try to shape her children's understanding of social justice:

Prejudice is a form of hardening the heart. Prejudice, as we unfortunately know, comes in many forms. Just as human beings show a propensity to be tolerant and inclusive so also, often at the same time, and sometimes in the same person, they show a propensity to be intolerant and exclusive. Human beings are such forces for good, and yet such forces for bad, and sometimes in the same person. The contradiction makes one dizzy. I am not immune.

My TBR pile is actually quite manageable right now (!!!) and I hope you'll join me in supporting these two novelists (both have new books: Cold Magic and Lightborn).

Last but certainly not least we have The Rejectionist who also does THE WORK and fights the fight on multiple fronts.  I didn't mean to suggest that banning books was somehow less important than fighting racism in publishing—and Le R. gets that.  We're asking folks to care as much about one cause as the other.

Is it a coincidence that all these amazing women are part of the speculative fiction community?  I think not…people who appreciate alternate universes believe in our potential to reshape reality.  And I am VERY grateful to have such awesome allies in this world!