Tembe- thank you for this deep dive. This essay is one I'll need to return to a few more times. I'm going to be pondering your microplastics metaphor for a while! It's so true. I'm curious about which fiction writers are responding well to race/ism in our modern reality. I agree with so much of what you said. I wonder how we can stretch our imaginations as writers (and people) in order to help ourselves and others see a different future. I think revisiting this essay is a good start. Thanks again for all the time and thought that went into this.
I grew up in the South, where race is a part of every minute of every day. You could say this is true everywhere, but in Atlanta, it's looking you square in the eye. Everything we -- the American South -- have that matters to the rest of the world was born from slaves, namely our our food and our music, but only recently has that been even remotely acknowledged or discussed. The air is thick with racial awareness, but white people tiptoe around it. It's in what they don't say that speaks the loudest.
Like when a magazine called "Garden & Gun" (yes, that's its real name) is born from the idea of "The New South", but "The New South" is just coded language for a rich, white Southern gentry. When Blackness is acknowledged by mainstream Southern publishing (Southern Living included, which is the third largest magazine in circulation in the country), it is tokenized. It was one of my biggest frustrations and fights, that we had a bunch of white girls and white leadership talking about Blackness as though they knew Jack shit, when really what they needed to do is elevate Black leadership and hire Black storytellers. And I'm white! I can't even imagine what it is like for Black readers to open those pages and never truly see themselves. If you claim to represent the culture of an entire section of the country, then don't engage in identity theft and racial erasure.
You said it better: "The character is not Black as much as they are a representation of blackness, harnessing all of the shorthand associations in the reader’s mind when that presence appears on the page." In nonfiction publishing, is simplified in a way that white people can comfortably metabolize it: "Here's a recipe from a Black chef! Look, we checked that box!"
I underlined THIS: "The writer is not an objective recorder of the world reproducing what they see. Writers actively contribute and often define the character of a people and generation." Anyway, the parallels in what you're saying here are so wildly reflective of what I grew up seeing every day working in magazines in places like Atlanta, Charleston and Birmingham. It's in fiction, it's in publishing, it's everywhere. I'd underline the whole thing if I could.
I loved reading this — thank you! I’ve been thinking a lot about your point about escapism in regards to contemporary romance novels, which readers insist are both big serious novels when someone calls them fluff and “not that serious” when they are asked to examine the context within today’s reality. It seems like most white romance authors are giving their white protagonists Black best friends, or queer best friends, or best friends with disabilities, or some combination, just to, as you said so well, prop up and define the white characters. I keep waiting for someone to do better and get more creative, and, well
Having just finished, and mostly liking, All Fours, I'm very much looking forward to your analysis. There's so much (bodies, money, race) right on the edge of the novel's anxieties.
And generally looking forward to more theory to deepen contemporary reading. Books exist in conversation with the world around them!!
Tembe this has my whole brain buzzing - it was magnificent. And has absolutely made me want to read this book - now I’m deep into reviewing books publicly I really do want to step up my critical analysis even further. I loved your point about fluffy novels where readers say they enjoy them because they don’t ’have to think’. I have always had enormous gripes with this statement because categorically you cannot turn your brain off while reading. Books eternally stand as a reflection of society at the time they were written, but more illuminatingly a reflection of how the authors sees society. Whatever the reader is claiming they are not having to ‘think’ about (be it politics, race, disability, sexuality, gender etc) is ultimately what they actively don’t want to see and are ignoring, and one of the most obvious manifestations of this is in relation to race and the use of black characters to prop up white ones. You definitely see it SO much in relation to queer characters too - eg the emerging trope of a POC queer character in a sea of white, 2 birds with 1 stone - genius?!?!?!
I’m going to see if I can approach one of my reviews for this month in relation to Morrisons four paths of critical enquiry. I have that section screenshotted and ready. Thank you for doing the most always - you’re out here producing the most thought provoking newsletter on the site. There, I said it!!!!!
The absolute highest compliment of all time coming from one of my favorites on this platform! Your comments (as always) hit everything on the head. Thank you for always reading so carefully and being thoughtful.
This was so fun to read I took breaks and came back to it so that I could sit with and savor specific parts haha. I’ve been reading more Irish literature recently, Anna Patchette’s Small Things Like These a little while back, and currently, Bee Sting by Paul Murray, and I’ve found myself wondering about the burden of whiteness in the stories, given the time they are set in, in Irish history these stories. I’ve found myself wondering if some silences / absences are a stylistic devises or writers’ subconscious coming through!
I loved Playing in the Dark the first time I read it, and vividly remember the furious underlining you’re describing. I’ve just finished Sula (one I’ve read many times), and your wonderful reflections make me want to revisit Morrison’s nonfiction! 🖤
So much food for thought here! Yes I can totally see authors ticking the boxes regarding race, sexuality, and disability, perhaps at the behest of their publishers. You are indeed a hugely talented writer. I've yet to get to All Fours - I'm not sure if it'll be my bag but I have a review copy so I'll give it a try. I'm currently (finally!) reading Colson Whitehead's Crook Manifesto...I'm ekeing out the last third of the book, so it lasts for as long possible! The sort of writer that has you burning all your own work as he is just so damn good it's incredible.
I just listened to the audiobook of Playing in The Dark to help me think through a critique I was doing for a white writer friend. I'm so glad I came across this post, especially after your analysis of All Fours. Your clear writing is so helpful. As a fiction writer, I often need multiple interpretations and lots of discussion to integrate critical theory. This post is also so useful to me a writer and inspired me to go back to my finished novel draft for a read/revision that includes Morrison's framework. Thank you for this!
Tembe- thank you for this deep dive. This essay is one I'll need to return to a few more times. I'm going to be pondering your microplastics metaphor for a while! It's so true. I'm curious about which fiction writers are responding well to race/ism in our modern reality. I agree with so much of what you said. I wonder how we can stretch our imaginations as writers (and people) in order to help ourselves and others see a different future. I think revisiting this essay is a good start. Thanks again for all the time and thought that went into this.
Thank you for reading!
Goddamn Tembe, you are such a gifted writer.
I grew up in the South, where race is a part of every minute of every day. You could say this is true everywhere, but in Atlanta, it's looking you square in the eye. Everything we -- the American South -- have that matters to the rest of the world was born from slaves, namely our our food and our music, but only recently has that been even remotely acknowledged or discussed. The air is thick with racial awareness, but white people tiptoe around it. It's in what they don't say that speaks the loudest.
Like when a magazine called "Garden & Gun" (yes, that's its real name) is born from the idea of "The New South", but "The New South" is just coded language for a rich, white Southern gentry. When Blackness is acknowledged by mainstream Southern publishing (Southern Living included, which is the third largest magazine in circulation in the country), it is tokenized. It was one of my biggest frustrations and fights, that we had a bunch of white girls and white leadership talking about Blackness as though they knew Jack shit, when really what they needed to do is elevate Black leadership and hire Black storytellers. And I'm white! I can't even imagine what it is like for Black readers to open those pages and never truly see themselves. If you claim to represent the culture of an entire section of the country, then don't engage in identity theft and racial erasure.
You said it better: "The character is not Black as much as they are a representation of blackness, harnessing all of the shorthand associations in the reader’s mind when that presence appears on the page." In nonfiction publishing, is simplified in a way that white people can comfortably metabolize it: "Here's a recipe from a Black chef! Look, we checked that box!"
I underlined THIS: "The writer is not an objective recorder of the world reproducing what they see. Writers actively contribute and often define the character of a people and generation." Anyway, the parallels in what you're saying here are so wildly reflective of what I grew up seeing every day working in magazines in places like Atlanta, Charleston and Birmingham. It's in fiction, it's in publishing, it's everywhere. I'd underline the whole thing if I could.
Thank you, thank you! I am so glad it resonated.
I loved reading this — thank you! I’ve been thinking a lot about your point about escapism in regards to contemporary romance novels, which readers insist are both big serious novels when someone calls them fluff and “not that serious” when they are asked to examine the context within today’s reality. It seems like most white romance authors are giving their white protagonists Black best friends, or queer best friends, or best friends with disabilities, or some combination, just to, as you said so well, prop up and define the white characters. I keep waiting for someone to do better and get more creative, and, well
Thank you! Yeah I'd love to see critics dig deeper into this element consistently or at least elevate books that attempt at this.
Having just finished, and mostly liking, All Fours, I'm very much looking forward to your analysis. There's so much (bodies, money, race) right on the edge of the novel's anxieties.
And generally looking forward to more theory to deepen contemporary reading. Books exist in conversation with the world around them!!
Thank you! And agreeee, we need more considered criticism across the board.
i’m a new subscriber and really enjoyed this. i look forward to this series and really look forward to reading your thoughts on all fours!
Thank you!
Tembe this has my whole brain buzzing - it was magnificent. And has absolutely made me want to read this book - now I’m deep into reviewing books publicly I really do want to step up my critical analysis even further. I loved your point about fluffy novels where readers say they enjoy them because they don’t ’have to think’. I have always had enormous gripes with this statement because categorically you cannot turn your brain off while reading. Books eternally stand as a reflection of society at the time they were written, but more illuminatingly a reflection of how the authors sees society. Whatever the reader is claiming they are not having to ‘think’ about (be it politics, race, disability, sexuality, gender etc) is ultimately what they actively don’t want to see and are ignoring, and one of the most obvious manifestations of this is in relation to race and the use of black characters to prop up white ones. You definitely see it SO much in relation to queer characters too - eg the emerging trope of a POC queer character in a sea of white, 2 birds with 1 stone - genius?!?!?!
I’m going to see if I can approach one of my reviews for this month in relation to Morrisons four paths of critical enquiry. I have that section screenshotted and ready. Thank you for doing the most always - you’re out here producing the most thought provoking newsletter on the site. There, I said it!!!!!
The absolute highest compliment of all time coming from one of my favorites on this platform! Your comments (as always) hit everything on the head. Thank you for always reading so carefully and being thoughtful.
This was so fun to read I took breaks and came back to it so that I could sit with and savor specific parts haha. I’ve been reading more Irish literature recently, Anna Patchette’s Small Things Like These a little while back, and currently, Bee Sting by Paul Murray, and I’ve found myself wondering about the burden of whiteness in the stories, given the time they are set in, in Irish history these stories. I’ve found myself wondering if some silences / absences are a stylistic devises or writers’ subconscious coming through!
I loved Playing in the Dark the first time I read it, and vividly remember the furious underlining you’re describing. I’ve just finished Sula (one I’ve read many times), and your wonderful reflections make me want to revisit Morrison’s nonfiction! 🖤
I still need to read Sula! I don't know how I haven't gotten to it yet.
Oh it is SUCH a good one! Can’t wait to hear your thoughts!!!
So much food for thought here! Yes I can totally see authors ticking the boxes regarding race, sexuality, and disability, perhaps at the behest of their publishers. You are indeed a hugely talented writer. I've yet to get to All Fours - I'm not sure if it'll be my bag but I have a review copy so I'll give it a try. I'm currently (finally!) reading Colson Whitehead's Crook Manifesto...I'm ekeing out the last third of the book, so it lasts for as long possible! The sort of writer that has you burning all your own work as he is just so damn good it's incredible.
I also loved that one. If you end up reading would love to hear your thoughts.
exactly 🖤
I just listened to the audiobook of Playing in The Dark to help me think through a critique I was doing for a white writer friend. I'm so glad I came across this post, especially after your analysis of All Fours. Your clear writing is so helpful. As a fiction writer, I often need multiple interpretations and lots of discussion to integrate critical theory. This post is also so useful to me a writer and inspired me to go back to my finished novel draft for a read/revision that includes Morrison's framework. Thank you for this!
epic title to this. speaking the truth!!!