Defining African-American Literature

[LADY_1908]

I went into Waldebooks yesterday looking for something new to read. For the most part, I support African American authors (although I will buy "mainstream" if it looks interesting enough).

Why oh why did dang near half of the African American section remind me of Blaxploitation....it seems that all the covers had hand drawn pictures of half-naked women or pimp-looking men and all the titles have some reference to drugs or ghetto?

While I know there must be a market for these titles cause the store is stocking them deep BUT I can't help thinking what will happen to the other writers.....will their books disappear from the shelves in an effort to promote this new genre?

[Little32]

I was at a conference recently wher eone of the professors suggested that there aren't many (she said any) "literary" African American authors in this contemporary bunch. And I find it interesting that I can meet so many people who have read Eric Jerome Dickey or Terry McMillian--not that there is anything wrong with these folks--but have not read Morrison, Walker, Baldwin or Dubois.
I wonder too, whether this recent trend in the types of African American literature published will be detrimental to other more serious efforts.
On another note, I have to pick up Getting Momma's Body , I heard that it is excellent.

[Senusret I]

This new genre is called "Urban Fiction" or even "Street Fiction" and while some of it is good and claims to be inspired by Donald Goins and Iceberg slim, some of it is not as good and is more inspired by "The Coldest Winter Ever."

The good think about street fiction is that it is giving more opportunities to self-published writers and small presses. The bad thing is that for some reason, the people behind street fiction don't seem to place high value on production. They are often hurriedly edited and have book covers that look more like CD covers.

I think the genre is successful because it targets a completely different audience than those books considered "high literature." There is still room for newer writers like Victor LaValle and Paul Beatty to make their mark.

Another lucky thing is that in addition to larger sections in bookstores, we have a LOT of new black bookstores. They have entire street fiction sections and still have room to sell our other titles.

It's possible that street fiction is a fad and in a few years it will fade out. Who knows.

[Senusret I]

Originally posted by Little32
I was at a conference recently wher eone of the professors suggested that there aren't many (she said any) "literary" African American authors in this contemporary bunch. And I find it interesting that I can meet so many people who have read Eric Jerome Dickey or Terry McMillian--not that there is anything wrong with these folks--but have not read Morrison, Walker, Baldwin or Dubois.
I wonder too, whether this recent trend in the types of African American literature published will be detrimental to other more serious efforts.
On another note, I have to pick up Getting Momma's Body , I heard that it is excellent.

See, that's why I don't listen to professors anymore. You never know what is going to be picked up in a Black lit course and studied 20 years from now because the contemporary academians overlooked it.

Also, hell yeah there are "literary" works by black folks out there. Victor Lavalle, Paul Beatty, Edward Jones, Percival Everett, Octavia Butler, etc, etc. And in MY Borders, they are all in the same section with the contemporary black authors.

[Little32]

But what it seems that Lady 1908 was pointing to was that these are not the books that are being advertised and promoted by, well, anyone--or at least hardly anyone.
Of course, with most literature that is studied in the academy, it is about standing the test of time. (Which is maybe not the best way to evaluate if something is literary.) It is also about forwarding a particular agenda. It seems to me that a lot of the literature that is promoted these days is about a particular type of African American experience (i.e. Lady 1908's comments about blaxploitation). It seems that when one type of literature--highlight a particular type of experience--is popular then other things that are unrelated to that experience fall by the wayside. It seems that those who publish, promote, and sell these books are not really invested in detailing nuances.
I, too, enjoy Octavia Butler, but I am not familiar with those other folks.

[Senusret I]

All that is understood.

Urban fiction publishers are getting their work on the shelves because they, for whatever reason, are good promoters.

"Literary" writers aren't promoted well and never have been, black or white. Major publishers will generally promote authors who are already celebrities. That's just how it is. If a literary author doesn't also know how to promote their work on their own, then their books will be the ones with the spines facing out, and the street fiction will have the cover facing out.

It would be nice if the best artists were also the most business savvy, but unfortunately, that's not always how it works in the book world.

All that is stuff I am learning on my own, as an aspiring writer, as well as from the "Making of a Best Seller" yahoogroup, which you can join here: themakingofabestseller-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

[NUPE4LIFE]

Frat Senusret I, I'm totally with you on this. I rarely read contemporary Black fiction, because a lot of it is trash me. Don't even get me started on this Zane phenemenom. I'm no prude by any standards but Zane's books are pure filth to me. Having said that, I do apologize to all you people right now who are helping to make Zane a millionaire.

[Gina1201]

The new issue of Vibe magazine, August 2004 with Shyne on the cover, deals with this topic in an article titled "Write Thurr". I'll comment more later.

[LADY_1908]

While I'm glad that these self-published authors are getting read, I don't want this "Urban Fiction" to define us because after all if that's all people see in the bookstore then once again we are portrayed as ghetto, gangsta etc.

I'm not a prude but some of these book covers look like straight porn with booties and breasts rght up in your face. Is it really necessary to portray us as pimps and hoes?

Will booksellers cease to promote artists like J. California Cooper in favor of the "new breed" of authors?

I remember the whole "Waiting to Exhale" phenomena where every other book was a "girlfriend" story. I just want to see some balance.

PS....Don't even get me started on African American theatre vs. Mama Plays

[AKA2D '91]

Originally posted by NUPE4LIFE
Frat Senusret I, I'm totally with you on this. I rarely read contemporary Black fiction, because a lot of it is trash me. Don't even get me started on this Zane phenemenom. I'm no prude by any standards but Zane's books are pure filth to me. Having said that, I do apologize to all you people right now who are helping to make Zane a millionaire.

Oh spare me!

LMAO@ myself!

[Senusret I]

Saturday's Washington Post Article about STreet Lit

At any rate...nupe4life....frat, you are crazy. lol

[Eclipse]

Originally posted by LADY_1908

PS....Don't even get me started on African American theatre vs. Mama Plays

Please....get started!! LOL I HATE "Mama Plays!!" Give me "good" black theater anyday!

The bad thing is, though, Mama plays probably started with a good play, Raisin in the Sun. It was bastardized and became those "Mama, why we ain't got no cornflakes!" plays that seem to roll through every town!

[Steeltrap]

Originally posted by LADY_1908
While I'm glad that these self-published authors are getting read, I don't want this "Urban Fiction" to define us because after all if that's all people see in the bookstore then once again we are portrayed as ghetto, gangsta etc.

I'm not a prude but some of these book covers look like straight porn with booties and breasts rght up in your face. Is it really necessary to portray us as pimps and hoes?

Will booksellers cease to promote artists like J. California Cooper in favor of the "new breed" of authors?

I remember the whole "Waiting to Exhale" phenomena where every other book was a "girlfriend" story. I just want to see some balance.

PS....Don't even get me started on African American theatre vs. Mama Plays

I do agree with not being defined by the "urban fiction" that you describe, Soror, but the bottom line is that publishing houses, bookstore chains, are capitalists.

If urban fiction, girlfriend books, black chick-lit, etc., sell, you're going to see heavy promotion of such authors. I don't have a problem with black chick-lit. I like light reading, but I see your point about having more literary authors.

[SIAsensacion]

I know this is not exactly what you have been discussing, but here is an article about the author James Baldwin that I thought was very interesting:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...-2004Aug3.html

[Lady of Pearl]

I think that one has to make the distinction between popular fiction and true literature, true literature has to do with learning and knowledge and some modicum of literary ability in terms of writing. Popular fiction deals with what is popular now and can make a fast buck. If one looked at the Harlem Renaissance Letter movement one can see that the authors of those times wrote about what was happeninig in that time period in a literary fashion hence literature. We do have some true African American Literature Authors such as Toni Morrison who is hard to understand at times, Alice Walker,- Toni Cade Bambera, Maya Angelou, and others who fall out of the main stream popular authors, again literature has to do with learning and an accurate portrayal of the times it was written in with some modicum of literate writing!