Multicultural Writing
By LMReviews on Nov 26, 2008 in Multicultural Writing, Writing/Freelancing
I participated in my first book signing last night. It was at an RWA chapter meeting. It was a great opportunity to get the feel of book signing before I sign my books at the Tempe Arts Festival next weekend.
I wasn’t expecting a stampede at the book signing table because I write multicultural romance and I think that I am one of the few if not the only interracial romance writer in the chapter. It’s interesting that my experience has been that there’s a lack of interest in multicultural writing while people with more obvious ethnic backgrounds tend to read culturally based books as well as those where all the characters are white all-Americans. I’m grateful that it’s changing and I hope that blogs like mine will make the change a little swifter. I want to live in a world where the curiosity about all cultures runs deep.
I still remember talking to my Caucasian friend about the perils of trying to find a hairstylist who will do African American hair in an environment where the African American population isn’t very large. My friend couldn’t empathize of course, but she wasn’t even interested in hearing about my situation because it was not her experience. Since when does an experience have to mimic one of our own in order for us to take an interest? If that were the case, we would never learn about anything new. Wouldn’t we get tired of everyone we talk to just nodding and saying “me too”. I am happy when people can empathize with my books, but I love it when someone can read my book and say ‘I learned something new about a culture or a long-held belief about one culture or another has been changed’.‘
[...] Multicultural Writing Since when does an experience have to mimic one of our own in order for us to take an interest? If that were the case, we would never learn about anything new. Wouldn’t we get tired of everyone we talk to just nodding and saying “me … [...]