I am busy preparing for the Quaker Craft Fair tomorrow. (Oct. 22nd, 2016 from 10 am to 3 pm). So I have not posted this week.
This does not mean that I stopped reading. I continue to revisit cozy mysteries from my past with Nancy Atherton's Aunt Dimity series.
I read Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk. I owe you a review. Til then, click through to see what Goodreads folks have to say about this historical middle grade fiction. My opinion? Good read.
Well I have to open up the Meeting House at 7 am. So good night!
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Blog: Books 'n' stories (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: apologies, Add a tag
Blog: American Indians in Children's Literature (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: apologies, revised, totem pole, Robin Talley, Pub year 2016, As I Descended, Add a tag
On Friday, I read On Making Mistakes on Robin Talley's Tumblr page. There, she wrote:
Two weeks ago, my latest book, As I Descended, was released. One week later, I received an anonymous message from a thoughtful reader who’d just started the book. This reader, who’s Indigenous, noticed that I’d used the term totem pole in chapter 1 to describe where a character stood in her school’s social hierarchy ― in the sense of the phrase “low man on the totem pole.”Talley's response to that reader was similar to the one I got from Sarah McCarry when I wrote to her about that phrase in her book (see her post), and the response I got from Ashley Hope Perez when I wrote to her about the phrase in her book (see my post).
In short: they listened.
Talley wrote that she'd shared that reader's message with her editor, Kristen Pettit at Harper Teen, and that the term will be taken out of future printings of the book. Here's the photo of the page that Talley posted:
The line is "Maria was almost as high up the totem pole as Delilah." I'm guessing that the book's title "As I Descended" is a reference to that totem pole. My guess is that Delilah is going to descend from a high point on the social status hierarchy.
The book itself has nothing to do with Native peoples. I haven't read it, so do not want anyone to think that this post is an endorsement of the book.
In her post, Talley apologized:
I profoundly regret that I used the term this way, and I apologize to any readers who have been hurt by it.I shared Talley's Tumblr post, adding this:
Really glad to see another person speak up about this, and another writer and editor acknowledge its use as being wrong! Very glad it’ll come out of the next printings, too, and that it is all being made public for us to know! Thank you, Robin!
A thought, though, about apologies.
I get why people offer them. They’re a social grace. But sometimes, they carry some things that don’t work. They suggest that __ is hurt by the word that misrepresents their particular demographic, when maybe __ isn’t actually hurt. Maybe __ is just pissed off. Yeah, I know, being angry can be characterized as hurt. Still, though, saying someone of that demographic is the one who should be apologized to suggests they’re the only one who is hurt by the word, when I think everyone who doesn’t know it is a problem is impacted by it.
Instead of “I profoundly regret that I used the term this way, and I apologize to any readers who have been hurt by it,” maybe something like (and yeah, I know, this is pretty audacious of me to tell someone how to apologize, but I think we’re talking about larger issues) “I messed up. I didn’t know I was messing up. Lot of us don’t know. Let’s not do that, ok, ourselves, anymore, ok? And let’s tell others about it, too.”On Twitter, I retweeted her "On Making Mistakes" tweet, and that I had a response to her post (crossing lot of social media platforms with this post!). Talley replied that she agrees with my points.
In brief:
1) A Native reader wrote to Talley.
2) Talley listened.
3) Talley wrote to her editor.
4) Talley and her editor are revising that line.
5) Talley wrote about this error, publicly.
Change happens, when we speak up, and when we listen. With more of this speaking up, and listening, I feel optimistic that change can happen.
Blog: American Indians in Children's Literature (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Francesca Lia Block, apologies, Daniel Handler, An author responds, Add a tag
On November 11, 2014, the We Need Diverse Books campaign hosted a twitter chat about LGBTQ literature. During that chat, Emily Campbell (@Ms_Librarian) tweeted that Francesca Lia Block's book, Baby Bebop, was important to her. She included Block in the tweet. I replied, saying "The Native content in her bks is stereotyping 101." Here's a screencap:
Campbell asked for more information, and I sent her a link to my analysis of Weetzie Bat. The next day, November 12, Block replied to me and Campbell, saying "No offense meant. My apologies. All respect for all." Here's that screencap:
I thanked her, saying "Most ppl mean well but lack awareness, esp of Native ppl & how culture is used/misused." Here's the screencap of that; I don't know why its font is larger than the others:
She replied again, saying "I would like to learn and grow, until I am no longer alive." And I thanked her again, saying "Your voice as ally pushing back on broad/deep misrepresentations of Native ppl is important." Here's the screencap of that exchange:
I don't know what, if anything, Francesca Lia Block has said or done about this since then. Most authors who respond to my critiques of their work are defensive. Her response was different, and I appreciate that, but I wonder if she's said anything more about my critique, elsewhere, to friends, perhaps?
Block's apology came up this morning in a tweet exchange I had with a colleague about Daniel Handler, the author of Lemony Snicket books who made several racist remarks last night (November 19) at the National Book Awards. He called them "ill conceived humor" in an apology he tweeted today (November 20). His remarks weren't "ill conceived." They were racist.
Block and Handler are key figures in children's and young adult literature. They are authors of best selling books. They could change a lot of hearts and minds if they'd say more than either has said so far.
Blog: Elizabeth Varadan's Fourth Wish (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: good news, apologies, mystery series, royalty free, agent, public domain, Add a tag
Maybe why I post less frequently? |
What happened was that I read an important post about the fact that bloggers can be sued for using clip art and online photos if they aren't actually in the public domain or royalty free. If you haven't already read about this on blog sites or on Facebook, you can go to my friend Rosi Hollinbeck's site, The Write Stuff, where she posted two good sites where you can learn about the hazards and also learn about the free sites you really can count on.
Because this can be tricky business: Some of the sites I visited in the past looked like they were royalty free, but they only were if you paid a fee to become a member with unlimited downloads, and stuff like that (info I hadn't read closely enough). This past week, instead of blogging, I've been diligently going through old posts to cull out pictures I wasn't sure about. In the process, a couple of times I clicked "post" instead of "update", and my subscribers have been getting reposts from last summer and fall. (Just disregard them, folks. If they aren't the current date, it just means I clicked the wrong icon. You can delete them.)
Yesterday two friend who subscribe let me know they received my Thanksgiving Post!
Not that I don't have a lot to be thankful for.
Now we come to the good news. The other reason I haven't been posting for so long is because I've been doing rewrites of my middle grade mystery for an agent who was interested. And a few days ago I got the signed contract! I've posted this on Facebook, but some of you aren't on Facebook, so here is the news: Yes, I have an agent, a very good one. I'm very happy about it. She requested rewrites before we ever signed the contract, but, in the process, she nudged my writing up to a higher level, which will stand me in good stead for the sequel. (This is a mystery series.)
So there you have it: the reason for the long silence, and the reason for surprises out of the blue (if you're a subscriber). I'll be posting more often again from now on, so please stop by. And if you came by today, please leave a comment; I have a few questions:
Did you know about the issue re: public domain pictures?
Have you been hard at work on your own writing?
Are any of you at the SCBWI Conference in LA? (If so, I am sooooo envious. I went two years ago, and it was marvelous.)
http://rosihollinbeckthewritestuff.blogspot.com/
Blog: Beth Kephart Books (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: apologies, Dancesport Academy, ballroom dance, Jim Bunting, Add a tag
I am thinking this morning of the fractions we make, the contradictions we provoke, the black clouds we send up over our heads. I think of the comments we make in a moment of hurry or exhaustion, the tossed-off observations, the words we use to delineate one thing from the other, to set one thing to the side of another, at the awful expense of that other. These things echo; they reverberate. We don't see the ramifications coming, but they will come: you wait, they'll be there. There is nothing we can do to scrub the thing we might not have said, the hurt we should have never inflicted, from our record. We can apologize, and we do. But we can't retreat to the before.
Lately I have been taking dance lessons from a choreographer who, in so many ways, silences the negative. You doubt yourself, and he asks you not to. You hear yourself making some ironic observation, and it goes strictly unacknowledged. You ask him a question and you discover, in his answer, no manipulation, no deceit, no cunning. You make a mistake, and he does not shame you. The lesson isn't soft, the learning is relentless, the stakes keep getting higher—and yet: the negative doesn't enter in. Nothing is gained at the expense of something else. There is, quite simply, gain.
The best teachers teach us more about life than they do about anything else. They give us the chance to be slightly better people. Taking ballroom dance lessons is a self-indulgence of the highest order. But oh, I still have so much to learn. And oh, I am so desperate to get some part of this living right.
Blog: Four Story Mistake (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: children's books, children's literature, apologies, fourstory mistake, Add a tag
I have been quite swamped with work and other distractions. I promise to begin again in April with fresh reviews. Thank you for reading!
Blog: Creative Chaos II (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: about me, apologies, judiasm, Add a tag
Today is Yom Kippur, the Jewish high holy day of atonement. This means that I've been fasting all day and thinking about the wrongs I've committed throughout the past year. I've also been thinking of how I can make myself a better person and the world a better place. I went to services with my children. It was the first time we went to the synagogue in our new town and as in many smaller communities, it isn't even in our town and required a bit of a hike. The book that they used was wonderful. Developmentally appropriate and focussing on peace and sharing and apologizing because none of us is perfect. It really spoke to me as did the Rabbi who spoke to the kids about laundry as a metaphor for Yom Kippur. Our clothes get dirty and it just happens. Then Yom Kippur (laundry day) comes and we ask for forgiveness. We come out clean and pure, as white as linens flapping in the breeze. We should try to keep our clothes clean but we know that they are bound to get dirty again. That we all make mistakes but we can always ask for forgiveness.
The sun sets at about 6:30pm today and I haven't eaten since last night. I'm feeling pale and weak so I'll take just a moment to atone in public. (At least in cyber space.) I certainly make mistakes.
- I yell at my children more than I should and sometimes I'd like to whack their tushies. (Usually an, "I'm so angry I'm going to bite your nose off," gets everyone laughing instead.)
- I sometimes speak without thinking which hurts people I love. (I hope you've accepted my apology C.)
Blog: Splendid Failures (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: libraries, apologies, Add a tag
I'm sorry. I know it's been a while and I'm wondering if there's anyone who still checks this blog. I'm debating the merits of continuing to blog as we get ready to move and I get more and more occupied with other things. But for now, we'll see how it goes. Speaking of moving, we now have an apartment. Yay! Now all we have to do if figure out how we are getting all our belongings from here to there. Fun times for sure.
Still no job though. I don't know what libraries up there are going through but if this area is a reflection of what's going on on a national scale, I'm worried!
Blog: Under the Covers (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: writing, microsoft, balderdash, spell-check, Add a tag
Last night I ran Microsoft’s spell-check on a 250-page novel. I always write with the spelling and grammar checks turned off because otherwise every page would be full of red and green squiggles.
I’m not a bad speller (hey, I was the second best speller in second grade!), but MS Word really hates my grammar. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: if MS Word had its way, every poem would be a business letter.
Anyway, if I leave the spell-check until the end, I can worry about more important issues, like does this story make any sense whatsoever?
Last night’s spell-check revealed a great many boring typos and intentional misspellings (e.g., “He’s fiiine!”). But a few words I got so totally wrong I was actually thinking, “God bless spell-check!” as I corrected the mistakes.
Here are a few examples of my invented lexicon, whose meanings I can only guess at, Balderdash-style:
- Capuchino – caffeinated beverage of choice for professional monkeys on the go
- Criterium – the chemical element by whose qualities all other elements are judged
And my favorite:
- Mediocracy – system of government characterized by unexceptional leadership from the top down (I'm sure you can think of examples)
Congrats! I am SO happy for you! I am amazed at how excited I get when someone I follow gets an agent or sells a manuscript. Guess that goes to show that we writers really are a community. Congrats again! *throws confetti*
Thanks for your enthusiasm, Linda. I get excited for others too. You're right, it's because we are part of a community; everyone's win is a reminder that "it happens". Thanks for the confetti.
Such wonderful and well-deserved news. And thanks for the link to my blog!
Congratulations! I,too, have been busy removing pictures. Even some that I took myself of book covers of books I own, just not sure how this is supposed to work so I'm being safe.
Catherine, on book covers I think you're safe if you go to the book sale site and link back to it, as that only increases their sales. Who can mind that. But I know the feeling of vulnerability. Did a thorough clean-ip. :-)
I had to chuckle, Elizabeth, when you said you accidentally re-posted some older posts. I seem to do this kind of mind-blippy thing a lot lately!
I haven't been blogging a lot either because of my daughter's problems, but I did happen on a post about the public domain pictures, and did what you did. I actually deleted all the April A to Z challenge posts because of the many pictures I had on them. Sigh. So now we know.
And last but not least: CONGRATULATIONS on getting an agent. That is awesome. It's so much better, I've decided, to have the support of an agent and/or publisher rather than to go it alone with self publishing. I'm just NOT a marketer!
Good Wishes! Good Wishes!
Thanks for the good wishes, Ann. I hope your daughter is doing better and that you are able to get into your writing again.
Re: self-publishing: Yes, I self-published a book, too, and had good luck to a certain point in sales: friends, friends of friends, family, etc., and even school visits; but it's hard to keep the momentum going when you really want to be writing. I'd prefer for this next book to be published through a traditional publisher and then still do my part via platform stuff. Cross fingers. . . .
YAY!!! Congrats!!! Who is the agent????
Many congratulations on signing a contract with an agent! As a writer, that's one of the greatest accomplishments you can achieve! I am so excited for you! I can't wait to hear what happens next! Keep up the good work!
Hi, Kelley, thanks for stopping by and for the YaY.
She's Deborah Carter of Muse Literary Management.
Thanks for the congratulations, Lauren. It's still sinking in.