"On the one hand, I understand what she's saying. By mentioning race, in her mind, I'd erected a wall. But what most readers don't realize is that most characters in American novels are white, or are assumed to be. ... More and more white readers are discovering that they can empathize with and relate to my black characters just as black readers have had to empathize with and relate to white characters. We're all the same people, but from different experiences. ... Race is not usually my characters' central concern — it's tough to reflect on race when you're being chased by immortals, or if something invisible is stalking you in your house — but it's a part of who they are."
| A quote from horror writer Tananarive Due, recalling a conversation on a plane where a woman asked why Due's fictional characters had to be black, in freelance writer Therese Littleton's Seattle Times article "Fest is mothership for African Americans in science fiction"
Also: If you're in or near Seattle next week, be sure to check out "Black to the Future: A Black Science Fiction Festival"
posted in articles on June 6, 2004 1:25 AM | t (0)
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