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Hen81
Newbie Poster
Username: Hen81
Post Number: 4
Registered: 09-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 27, 2007 - 03:39 pm: | 
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I had this reply to a cover image that I posted on my book-Rooftop Diva - A Novel of Triumph After Katrina.
"hey DT how come the girl on your cover dont look anyting like the real life katrina victims? that the reason I wont buy your book is she latina?"
I replied:
"You can judge a book by its cover, but looks can be deceiving. The character is from Louisiana and in other times would be considered a Mulatto. Her mother was a black woman and her father a white doctor who played little part in her upbringing.
That is not unknown in that part of the country. Her parentage actually adds to the overall story. I have the first parts of my book as a read-inside link on my website and it touches on her heritage."
The original post was about something other topic, but this started me to think about the expectations that black people have of their writers, actors, musicians etc.
What box have we drawn around our artists? What penalty do we levy if we think they stepped out side of that box. To my knowledge Katrina did not check race or color when it hit. All victims were not of one color, shade or tone.
If the shade or tone on a cover image determines someone's total reaction then we are in more trouble than I thought.
This is the cover and I will post the cover of my next book for a reaction as well.
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Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 10499
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 27, 2007 - 03:52 pm: |
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LOL. "Enchanted" is the channel of kola boof who is consumed with colorism issues, Hen81. |
Enchanted
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Enchanted
Post Number: 1064
Registered: 11-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 27, 2007 - 07:44 pm: |
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I amnot kola boof an after all news footage I watched I could not enjoy this book and I wont be buying it I guess it really is ok for white men to show king tut as white also did anyone see Spiek Lee's katrina movie? |
Hen81
Newbie Poster
Username: Hen81
Post Number: 5
Registered: 09-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 27, 2007 - 08:17 pm: |
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This is a free country, do what you wish. I find it interesting that the old internal color discrimination still lives in our culture. Louisiana had laws that stated if you had one drop of black blood, you were black. One of my older relatives was married to a black woman that appeared white in every way, but she was black by blood and heritage.
If we can't accept our own rainbow of diversity, then there is very little we can say to anyone else. I am a black man in America, but I am not naive enough to think that I don't have other genetic material in my family tree. I know American Indian is there and probably some European, but I am black above all.
To suggest that all Katrina survivors are dark skinned is ridiculous. My reviews are solid, many of my readers are Katrina Survivors and my ESSENCE ranking is what it is.
To each his own. I live in a land of diversity called the real world. I saw Spike Lee's documentary and my book came out before that aired. I recall a light-skinned black woman hanging from the opening to the crawl space of her roof with rescuers telling her to let go so they could get her out.
Survivors tell me they are pleased that someone chose to write a book with a Katrina victim as the main character. That group is one of my strongest customers.
How white men portray historical figures is of no concern to me. I make my own determination of who they were based up historical evidence.
http://www.essence.com/essence/books/0,16109,1661358,00.html
www.DTPollard.com |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 10511
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 27, 2007 - 08:56 pm: |
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If you are so adamant about this, "enchanted", why do you want your sons to marry light-skinned women. How quickly we forget. yawn. |
Thebookoforgasm
Regular Poster
Username: Thebookoforgasm
Post Number: 41
Registered: 10-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 27, 2007 - 10:50 pm: |
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Hey Hen81,
I read your bio, you seem like a really nice guy. I wish you nothing but the best for your book.
Regards,
Henry |
Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 5629
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, October 29, 2007 - 10:13 am: |
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The Katrina victims were all races and colors and this woman certainly could have been one--maybe if that was the crux of the story somebody who looked more like she was suffering (looking distressed, doo rag on her head, clutching a coupl of children) that might overcome it.
It also might have been overcome if you'd used the picture of a real Katrina survivor
This is a problem in our society and it will not go away. If the model is too light skinned or the model is too dark skinned there are people from all over who will complain.
My suggestion is to use somebody at least brown skinned.
Where I would have a question is, since the disaster happened in 2005 how can you tell an "18 year struggle to rebuild her life"? |
Enchanted
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Enchanted
Post Number: 1065
Registered: 11-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, October 29, 2007 - 10:41 am: |
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what about showing the 'majority' an why only black always fail to do this? his book make money off the vicitms not honor them |
Hen81
Newbie Poster
Username: Hen81
Post Number: 6
Registered: 09-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, October 29, 2007 - 01:24 pm: |
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When I wrote this story my intention was to create a character that represented everyone that the disaster hit. I decided not to blatently pander to one sector or another. Her racial heritage is made clear on page 3 of the book.
It is so interesting that a book can be written on the war in Iraq, Vietnam, World War II and any other topic and it's fine. If someone writes a story on Katrina, it's exploitation. Enchanted, If you had read the book, I would have a different reaction. Read all of the reviews with links posted on my site by independent reviewers who read the book. I had one woman tell me that reading this book changed the way she talked to her son about Katrina victims. She said that before it didn't seem personal. She said the way I told what this person had to endure to survive and get back on track brought it to a "What if it was me" level. These things go beyond surface skin color.
The 18 years is a bit of speculative fiction as I wanted complete closure of how her life turned out. Most readers at book club meetings I have attended liked that part of the storyline. It allowed me to show how this event shaped the rest of her life and the effect it had on future choices made by her. This book came out one year after Katrina hit the gulf coast. The East Baton Rouge Public library has 4 copies of this book and I have never seen them not in a checked-out status when I check their catalogue. An audio book company contracted for the audio rights due to inquiries from various libraries that have the print version, that should be out next spring. I signed that contract and it was a surprise when I got that email from their acquisitions department.
I'll be in book festivals in Baton Rouge and New Orleans starting this week. Saturday Nov. 2nd I will be in the Louisiana Book Festival and Saturday Nov. 10th I'll be in the New Orleans Book Fair.
While I'm there I along with my wife will work on a Habitat for Humanity Building project.
As a black man and black author, I feel that I can create stories and characters that span the spectrum. I can deal with the recoil from different sectors that feel I have strayed from the flock. My tagline on my wedsite says "There is no out of bounds line".
If white men can do dreamgirls, why can't I, a black man, do a story about a mixed raced black woman from an area where that is common.
www.DTPollard.com |
Enchanted
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Enchanted
Post Number: 1066
Registered: 11-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, October 29, 2007 - 09:15 pm: |
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I went to the exbition where they showed king tut was awhite man so this is history is falsely recorded |
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