tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2496131500664070518.post2923574646802884573..comments2024-03-25T08:32:46.324-04:00Comments on The Sirenic Codex: Discussion: Seeking DiversityAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17045558423044874125noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2496131500664070518.post-79718624016894009692015-01-30T09:40:04.523-05:002015-01-30T09:40:04.523-05:00Rereading this post (because we keep thinking abou...Rereading this post (because we keep thinking about it, and plan to reference it in our post tomorrow!) and just wanted to add (because we forgot to say it the first time around) that like P.E., we'd love to see more books translated from other countries. For YA Diversity Book Club, we read a French book (translated) about two Muslim sisters, and that was such an interesting experience!<br /><br />We also agree that diversity, for now, tends to be centered in contemporary stories, but we would like to see it expand to more genre stories. There are a few awesome examples already though! The Girl of Fire and Thorns series by Rae Carson, the Shadow and Bone series by Leigh Bardugo, Otherbound (as you already mentioned), and even the Raven Boys (to some degree) by Maggie Stiefvater. :)We Heart YAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02418854853031344928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2496131500664070518.post-42271244634935894312015-01-29T17:21:50.095-05:002015-01-29T17:21:50.095-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Kristanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04771013578685419826noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2496131500664070518.post-30649751594494515542015-01-15T13:58:31.519-05:002015-01-15T13:58:31.519-05:00A great addition to this discussion: https://bookr...A great addition to this discussion: <a href="https://bookriot.com/2015/01/15/reading-diversely-faq-part-1/" rel="nofollow">https://bookriot.com/2015/01/15/reading-diversely-faq-part-1/</a>We Heart YAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02418854853031344928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2496131500664070518.post-89002890310509269232015-01-04T22:52:28.565-05:002015-01-04T22:52:28.565-05:00I think that's really a testament to our frien...I think that's really a testament to our friendship. We discuss pretty much anything. You should see our debates on Russia! <br /><br />I'm not sure I believe that the burden of responsibility is equal because readers can influence what will be published, but they can only do that by reading what is already published. Self-publishing changes this dynamic a little, but I don't know how much power they really give the reader. It's something I haven't thought about too much, but it would make for an interesting study, <br /><br />I agree with your last statements. I've generally noticed that the more diversity people read about, the more unsettling it is when a story lacks it. <br /><br />-P.E.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17045558423044874125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2496131500664070518.post-30315302382104622592015-01-02T14:14:27.825-05:002015-01-02T14:14:27.825-05:00Great discussion. It's always tough to talk ab...Great discussion. It's always tough to talk about issues that involve race and other demographics... But that's precisely why it's so important to! You two have done a smash job of stating your opinions reasonably and responding to each other respectively. Hopefully you're continuing to listen to each other and consider each other's perspectives. And hopefully all your readers will too!<br /><br />When it comes to diversity and publishing, it's really a chicken vs. egg dilemma. (Or, like Mari said, a 3-way road.) No one side can wait for the other to make things happen; successful diversity in literature will take effort from everyone. Readers, writers, and publishers. No party is any more or less responsible than the others. Pretending otherwise is just deflecting one's own accountability.<br /><br />And like P.E. said, it's not just about talking the talk; we've all got to walk the walk too. Saying "I want to read diverse stories" but then not buying them or discussing them? That's not real action; that's lip service. (Hence why we joined the YA Diversity Book Club. There's also a great Dive Into Diversity initiative for 2015: <a href="http://ratherbereadingblog.com/dive-into-diversity-intro-sign-up" rel="nofollow">http://ratherbereadingblog.com/dive-into-diversity-intro-sign-up</a>)<br /><br />"I read to enjoy myself and if a book with no evident diversity offers that for me then that's where my ship sails." -- That's a fair statement... But if there is a book with no evident diversity, we must ask ourselves, <i>Why</i> does this book lack diversity? There likely isn't a good answer.We Heart YAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02418854853031344928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2496131500664070518.post-29714035488217419442014-12-31T19:07:29.518-05:002014-12-31T19:07:29.518-05:00Hm, this is absolutely something to consider, and ...Hm, this is absolutely something to consider, and the way I've always seen it is akin to world building. If an author wants to write a fantasy, they have to know the world and its parameters. This would be what writing in a diverse setting, or about a diverse character would entail. It would probably be a little harder, and the author would have to do their research to make sure they're not misrepresenting anything. It's really hard to judge though because it's not obvious whether an author has firsthand experience with a certain culture based on their very short author bio. <br /><br />I, also of Middle Eastern descent, don't mind if someone that is not from the Middle East writes about the Middle East as long as its not factually incorrect. The other part of it is, even within a culture there are different opinions about that culture and they're all valid. So, for example, if the author wants to write about someone in the Middle East that despises their government and is having their rights trampled, they can do that because it does happen. It is not the only experience of the Middle East, and I think as a reviewer regardless of if I feel that is a stereotype or not true for my case, it is true for other people, so with that there is a great deal of room for an author to craft a good story. <br /><br />Thanks for contributing to the discussion!<br /><br />-P.E.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17045558423044874125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2496131500664070518.post-12598829312796915902014-12-29T03:23:04.613-05:002014-12-29T03:23:04.613-05:00Great discussion post. This is very interesting an...Great discussion post. This is very interesting and also, diversity representation and seeing it in books is important. I became tired of the same type of countries and Anglo-based characters and cultures..<br />To add something more on top off this/ let's say we are seeing a slight increase in diversity in books, (mainly I'm into what PE is, that is..more in genres like Fantasy and sci-fi and paranormal YA). But consider this, look at the diverse books you've Read. They're all by white or authors that are not of the races of the entire book. How do u feel about that? <br />There was recently a book about this and I was conflicted bc I am part middle eastern and I just wanted to see the culture rep. But in a way I felt weird bc the author wasn't of the culture. Is that biased of me? <br />I think I'm going to make a discussion post on this aspect! I want to go deeper into this.<br />Like you said, Mari, it's a three way road. All the people have to be motivated for the change: the authors, pubs, and readers and marketers. I think readers and bloggers and marketers are..but it is a risk - is it not? So it's tricy. But the world is growing more diverse so we need that in our books so we can continue to identify! <br /><br />;) diamond @ <a href="http://diamondlovestoread.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Dee's Reads</a>Diamond Cronenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04945724440992897746noreply@blogger.com