From Vulture:
Young-adult books are being targeted in intense social-media callouts, draggings, and pile-ons — sometimes before anybody’s even read them.
. . . .
The Black Witch, a debut young-adult fantasy novel by Laurie Forest, was still seven weeks from its May 1 publication date, but positive buzz was already building, with early reviews calling it “an intoxicating tale of rebellion and star-crossed romance,” “a massive page-turner that leaves readers longing for more,” and “an uncompromising condemnation of prejudice and injustice.”
The hype train was derailed in mid-March, however, by Shauna Sinyard, a bookstore employee and blogger who writes primarily about YA and had a different take: “The Black Witch is the most dangerous, offensive book I have ever read,” she wrote in a nearly 9,000-word review that blasted the novel as an end-to-end mess of unadulterated bigotry. “It was ultimately written for white people. It was written for the type of white person who considers themselves to be not-racist and thinks that they deserve recognition and praise for treating POC like they are actually human.”
The Black Witch centers on a girl named Elloren who has been raised in a stratified society where other races (including selkies, fae, wolfmen, etc.) are considered inferior at best and enemies at worst. But when she goes off to college, she begins to question her beliefs, an ideological transformation she’s still working on when she joins with the rebellion in the last of the novel’s 600 pages. (It’s the first of a series; one hopes that Elloren will be more woke in book two.)
It was this premise that led Sinyard to slam The Black Witch as “racist, ableist, homophobic, and … written with no marginalized people in mind,” in a review that consisted largely of pull quotes featuring the book’s racist characters saying or doing racist things. Here’s a representative excerpt, an offending sentence juxtaposed with Sinyard’s commentary:
“pg. 163. The Kelts are not a pure race like us. They’re more accepting of intermarriage, and because of this, they’re hopelessly mixed.”
Yes, you just read that with your own two eyes. This is one of the times my jaw dropped in horror and I had to walk away from this book.
. . . .
Based almost solely on Sinyard’s opinion, the novel became the object of sustained, aggressive opposition in the weeks leading up its release. Its publisher, Harlequin Teen, was bombarded with angry emails demanding they pull the book. The Black Witch’s Goodreads rating dropped to an abysmal 1.71 thanks to a mass coordinated campaign of one-star reviews, mostly from people who admitted to not having read it.
. . . .
The harm Mimi describes is central to campaigns like the one against The Black Witch, which are almost always waged in the name of protecting vulnerable teens from dangerous ideas. These books, it’s claimed, are hurting children.
. . . .
Dramatic as that sounds, it’s worth noting that my attempts to report this piece were met with intense pushback. Sinyard politely declined my request for an interview in what seemed like a routine exchange, but then announced on Twitter that our interaction had “scared” her, leading to backlash from community members who insisted that the as-yet-unwritten story would endanger her life. Rumors quickly spread that I had threatened or harassed Sinyard; several influential authors instructed their followers not to speak to me; and one librarian and member of the Newbery Award committee tweeted at Vulture nearly a dozen times accusing them of enabling “a washed-up YA author” engaged in “a personalized crusade” against the entire publishing community (disclosure: while freelance culture writing makes up the bulk of my work, I published a pair of young adult novels in 2012 and 2014.) With one exception, all my sources insisted on anonymity, citing fear of professional damage and abuse.
None of this comes as a surprise to the folks concerned by the current state of the discourse, who describe being harassed for dissenting from or even questioning the community’s dynamics. One prominent children’s-book agent told me, “None of us are willing to comment publicly for fear of being targeted and labeled racist or bigoted. But if children’s-book publishing is no longer allowed to feature an unlikable character, who grows as a person over the course of the story, then we’re going to have a pretty boring business.”
Another agent, via email, said that while being tarred as problematic may not kill an author’s career — “It’s likely made the rounds as gossip, but I don’t know it’s impacting acquisitions or agents offering representation” — the potential for reputational damage is real: “No one wants to be called a racist, or sexist, or homophobic. That stink doesn’t wash off.”
Link to the rest at Vulture
On some days, PG feels like he’s living
See, Terrence OBrien sez,
“I encourage anyone to challenge what I say. Go for it. Rip it apart. If my positions can’t withstand challenge, then they deserve to be refuted.
Some would prefer my positions not be expressed. I’d counter that it is far more effective to destroy my ideas than suppress them.
Effectively refuting the ideas also gives others ammunition to do the same in other contexts. It’s a great opportunity.”
And I say, “Why should I bother? Its even better to ignore your ideas. You saying I have to engage is like the bully saying I have to fight. No, my man, no I do not.” You are not the Boss of Me, either. Be kind of stupid to, really, since my starting position is that politics and culture wars ravings are horrible nasty trash polluting the discourse.
Why on earth would I waste my time for either side of the debates you folks espouse? Its your ‘I cannot be stopped from crapping in everybody’s living room’ mentality that I hate. Felix J. Torres may be right, its our chimp mind making us so, but I refuse to play your games.
Besides, I already stated the only way I’d entertain your natterings, “I Challenge all the Eejits Who Get Offended to Come Sit on My Lanai and Explain Why I Should listen To Your Nonsense.” Put up, get on the plane(s) and knock on my door, and I’ll listen to your screed. Otherwise, your words are dust.
For further assertions that I have to play your game with your rules just because you say so, I refer you to the response in the case of Arkell vs Presdram.
Good lord, my tender ears can’t take it anymore!
In all seriousness, to hate on a book that you haven’t taken the time to read and dumping on the author for writing it, simply shows everyone that your chronological age is your shoe size.
I do know from personal experience that a ticky-tack complaint said to the right person can often destroy a nascent career before it can get fully up and running. Had it happen to me some four years ago and I’ve been having a hard time trying to recover from the lies that were told about me and my book.
Sadly, you are not alone.
Character assasination is a popular sport these days.
Anyone notice how many people are telling authors what they can and cannot write? Same with movies, TV, and video games. Is there any reason to pay any attention to them? What is it?
We should probably recognize that we can write whatever we want, regardless of what someone else likes. That’s power.
We can write about religion, politics, race, sex, Cowboy Bob, and RinTinTin. We can be noble, craven, racist, bigoted, inspiring, or dishonest. Nobody can stop us. Again, we have the power.
Now, this isn’t a particularly brilliant insight. Anyone can observe it. So, what do the people complaining about content want?
Is it reasonable to suggest they don’t want us to have the power?
“Is it reasonable to suggest they don’t want us to have the power?” The power to be a jerk? Keep it. The power to speak in coded phrases for the faithful (every time some knucklehead sneers ar the SJWs, every time some poster criticizes conservatives as reactionary fools)? Keep it.
Write what you want, but don’t whine when people disagree with it. I am not nor have I sought the nomination to be (and, if asked, would not accept the position of) The Boss of You. Not my circus, not my monkeys.
Bah. You won’t listen or learn, you’re too busy playing victim. You make me WANT to say many things PG would not allow.
Write what you want, but don’t whine when people disagree with it.
I’ll defend the whiners of the world. They also have the power. There is no reason to pay any attention to those who tell them to stop.
God Bless free speech, for the more we have, the less some like it.
The author of this post could have saved 3 characters on the title by simply writing “The Toxic Drama on Twitter.”
Why I deleted my Twitter (in 140 characters or less)
I’ve become convinced that the zombie apocalypse has already happened, and the victims, happily unaware of their now brain-free condition, have all congregated on Twitter.
Social engineering in 140 character increments, happening in realtime.
I think I would want to read it(actually I have no desire to read it) before passing serious judgement. If the author is making points I find offensive that’s one thing – if characters are that something else.
If poor writing is blurring the line that’s a third issue.
The book is 41/2 stars on amazon and #8 in its category. What we or the folks on twitter think of it is likely water off a ducks back to the author anyway.
I feel the burining need to end my post with a fragment. Can’t think of one.
Same. I picked up the sample on Amazon and might see if the library has it (Cheaper). I’ll make my judgement then…knowing full well that I pass on most YA anyways because it seems to lack depth and glosses over alot of stuff I wish it would give more detail on.
But that’s me 🙂