Summary
A vital collection of essays on the power of literature and the craft of writing from an international array of writers of color, sharing the experiences, cultural traditions, and convictions that have shaped them and their work
"Electric essays that speak to the experience of writing from the periphery . . . a guide, a comfort, and a call all at once."--Laila Lalami, author of Conditional Citizens
Filled with empathy and wisdom, instruction and inspiration, this book encourages us to reevaluate the codes and conventions that have shaped our assumptions about how fiction should be written, and also challenges us to apply its lessons to both what we read and how we read. Featuring:
* Taymour Soomro on resisting rigid stories about who you are
* Madeleine Thien on how writing builds the room in which it can exist
* Amitava Kumar on why authenticity isn't a license we carry in our wallets
* Tahmima Anam on giving herself permission to be funny
* Ingrid Rojas Contreras on the bodily challenge of writing about trauma
* Zeyn Joukhadar on queering English and the power of refusing to translate ourselves
* Myriam Gurba on the empowering circle of Latina writers she works within
* Kiese Laymon on hearing that no one wants to read the story that you want to write
* Mohammed Hanif on the censorship he experienced at the hands of political authorities
* Deepa Anappara on writing even through conditions that impede the creation of art
* Plus essays from Tiphanie Yanique , Xiaolu Guo , Jamil Jan Kochai , Vida Cruz-Borja , Femi Kayode , Nadifa Mohamed in conversation with Leila Aboulela , and Sharlene Teo
The start of a more inclusive conversation about storytelling, Letters to a Writer of Color will be a touchstone for aspiring and working writers and for curious readers everywhere.
"Electric essays that speak to the experience of writing from the periphery . . . a guide, a comfort, and a call all at once."--Laila Lalami, author of Conditional Citizens
Filled with empathy and wisdom, instruction and inspiration, this book encourages us to reevaluate the codes and conventions that have shaped our assumptions about how fiction should be written, and also challenges us to apply its lessons to both what we read and how we read. Featuring:
* Taymour Soomro on resisting rigid stories about who you are
* Madeleine Thien on how writing builds the room in which it can exist
* Amitava Kumar on why authenticity isn't a license we carry in our wallets
* Tahmima Anam on giving herself permission to be funny
* Ingrid Rojas Contreras on the bodily challenge of writing about trauma
* Zeyn Joukhadar on queering English and the power of refusing to translate ourselves
* Myriam Gurba on the empowering circle of Latina writers she works within
* Kiese Laymon on hearing that no one wants to read the story that you want to write
* Mohammed Hanif on the censorship he experienced at the hands of political authorities
* Deepa Anappara on writing even through conditions that impede the creation of art
* Plus essays from Tiphanie Yanique , Xiaolu Guo , Jamil Jan Kochai , Vida Cruz-Borja , Femi Kayode , Nadifa Mohamed in conversation with Leila Aboulela , and Sharlene Teo
The start of a more inclusive conversation about storytelling, Letters to a Writer of Color will be a touchstone for aspiring and working writers and for curious readers everywhere.
Contents
On origin stories / Taymour SoomroOn structure / Madeleine Thien
On authenticity / Amitava Kumar
On humor / Tahmima Anam
On character / Tiphanie Yanique
On trauma / Ingrid Rojas Contreras
On translation / Xiaolu Guo
On queerness / Zeyn Joukhadar
On telling and showing / Jamil Jan Kochai
On the inactive protagonist / Vida Cruz-Borja
On crime fiction / Femi Kayode
On violence / Nadifa Mohamed in conversation with Leila Aboulela
On art and activism / Myriam Gurba
On the second person / Kiese Laymon
On political fiction and fictional politics / Mohammed Hanif
On reception and resilience / Sharlene Teo
On the ideal conditions for writing / Deepa Anappara.
Published Reviews
Booklist Review: "Publisher's Weekly Review: "
Additional Information
| Subjects |
Fiction
-- Authorship.
English fiction -- Minority authors -- History and criticism. English fiction -- 21st century -- History and criticism. American fiction -- Minority authors -- History and criticism. American fiction -- 21st century -- History and criticism. Minority authors -- Great Britain -- Biography. Minority authors -- United States -- Biography. Cultural pluralism in literature. Literature and race. Authors and readers. Essays. Literary criticism. Autobiographies. |
| Publisher | New York :Random House,2023 |
| Edition | First U.S. edition. |
| Contributors |
Anappara, Deepa,
editor. Soomro, Taymour, editor. |
| Language |
English |
| Description |
vi, 263 pages : illustrations ; 21 cm |
| ISBN | 9780593449417 059344941X |
| Other | Classic View |