Friday, June 12, 2009
Racefail 09
Fernando is going to Worldcon this August--the sci fi-fantasy convention where they give out the Hugos. But I realized I'd better catch him up on Racefail 09 in case it comes up in panel discussions and such.
Racefail 09 is the most common term used to describe a huge and wide-ranging online discussion on Live Journal and people's blogs about writing about race in Sci Fi Fantasy. I first learned of it in February, when I lost many days reading the posts and thinking about my own writing. I didn't realize it took on some new dimensions right up til March, when it seems to have died down.
It's hard to summarize but basically a well-known white fantasy author wrote a blog post about how to write about race. A blogger posted an open response to it, critiquing Bear's own writing about race, and her general attitude. And then the comments started to fly and it went on for 3 months. The heart of the debate:
- After the race critique of one of Bear's books, she basically defended herself by saying: Oh but I was raised in this New Age alternative community where POCs were considered better than white people, so I'm not racist, and if anything I understand what it's like to be discriminated against.
- many People of Color (POC) were offended/annoyed by Bear's attitude. They tried to explain the following: That no matter what your upbringing is, or what you think or feel in your head, if you live in a majority white society you will be treated better in a hundred different subtle ways. You're privileged, even if you can't see it. So: Yes, it's good to attempt to grapple with race in your writing, but you need to be open to the criticism that may follow, and learn from it.
- Bear, and many others, over the course of months and many posts, just couldn't get this point
- And mixed in here a lot was the issue that POCs don't feel comfortable or welcome in Sfi Fi Fantasy land (blogs, conventions, publishing industry, etc.)
There are many other highlights and exciting twists, but that was the origin of the discussion, as I remember it. My fave *new twists* which I hadn't read about til today were:
- One white writer who said: Well now I'm too paranoid to write about POCs. Is this what you wanted?
- One blogger who seemed to *get* what people were trying to tell her, and then went on her blog and said: I only agreed with these people because they bullied me into it, because I was an abused child and I have trouble recognizing when people are abusing me.
OMG the fascinating train wreckiness of it all.
You can read a longer summary by the woman who wrote the original critique here.
Racefail 09 is the most common term used to describe a huge and wide-ranging online discussion on Live Journal and people's blogs about writing about race in Sci Fi Fantasy. I first learned of it in February, when I lost many days reading the posts and thinking about my own writing. I didn't realize it took on some new dimensions right up til March, when it seems to have died down.
It's hard to summarize but basically a well-known white fantasy author wrote a blog post about how to write about race. A blogger posted an open response to it, critiquing Bear's own writing about race, and her general attitude. And then the comments started to fly and it went on for 3 months. The heart of the debate:
- After the race critique of one of Bear's books, she basically defended herself by saying: Oh but I was raised in this New Age alternative community where POCs were considered better than white people, so I'm not racist, and if anything I understand what it's like to be discriminated against.
- many People of Color (POC) were offended/annoyed by Bear's attitude. They tried to explain the following: That no matter what your upbringing is, or what you think or feel in your head, if you live in a majority white society you will be treated better in a hundred different subtle ways. You're privileged, even if you can't see it. So: Yes, it's good to attempt to grapple with race in your writing, but you need to be open to the criticism that may follow, and learn from it.
- Bear, and many others, over the course of months and many posts, just couldn't get this point
- And mixed in here a lot was the issue that POCs don't feel comfortable or welcome in Sfi Fi Fantasy land (blogs, conventions, publishing industry, etc.)
There are many other highlights and exciting twists, but that was the origin of the discussion, as I remember it. My fave *new twists* which I hadn't read about til today were:
- One white writer who said: Well now I'm too paranoid to write about POCs. Is this what you wanted?
- One blogger who seemed to *get* what people were trying to tell her, and then went on her blog and said: I only agreed with these people because they bullied me into it, because I was an abused child and I have trouble recognizing when people are abusing me.
OMG the fascinating train wreckiness of it all.
You can read a longer summary by the woman who wrote the original critique here.
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