People of color will know this old joke. A writer of color knocks on the door of mainstream success: knock knock. Answer: *silence* Writer of color: “One day, I’ll publish a book disguised as a white man.” Answer: [...]
What’s a sensitivity reader and why are authors increasingly using them? It’s the hiss I remember most. I heard it from three different friends, across three different countries, and it sounded the same in each. I had just told [...]
It’s me, KD. I’m Ylva’s token black writer. Let’s sit on that for a minute. None of it’s true, but it makes a statement. The word, token, has a very negative connotation when it comes to race, gender, and [...]
There’s a look people get when they learn that I am Latina—a narrowing of the eyes, a slow glance up and down my body, and almost every time, a purred “oh…really?” It doesn’t matter that I’m an accomplished creative. [...]
Five things to know about lesfic protagonists: They should be white (Malibu tans are acceptable however), smoking hot (six-pack abs optional), rich (preferably a self-made millionaire), twenty-ish (ahh the perfection of youth), femme (soft butch if you must blur [...]
Currently, there are many conversations going on about representation in popular media for marginalized and underrepresented folks. Reading these conversations, I’m reminded of a conversation on ABC’s Scandal, when Olivia Pope’s father is speaking about his belief that his [...]