Karen Sandler on Tankborn
Posted by Karen Sandler on Sep 6, 2011 in Blog, Featured, Guest Posts, Young Adult | 7 commentsI’d like to say I grew up in an environment full of diversity, that people of all ethnicities came and went in my house, that all races attended my school. But that would be a lie. I grew up in an all-white neighborhood in Southern California and attended (nearly) all-white schools. Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians weren’t unwelcome in my grandmother’s house (she raised me from age 6 through 12), but we just didn’t know any.
So what did that mean in terms of my exposure to diversity as a child? I grew up hearing my grandmother, who most people would say was a pretty nice person (although she had a hell of a temper on her), frequently make racially insensitive jokes. My dad, who is of the Greatest Generation and the kindest, gentlest soul I know, would fret over the idea of me marrying a black man (because of the children, he said). I hated my grandmother’s jokes, I objected loudly to what my dad said. But that upbringing left its mark. Embarrassing, shameful thoughts sometimes stray into my mind that I just want to burn out of my brain cells.
Did I therefore include diverse characters in Tankborn out of some bizarre liberal guilt? Oh, God no. I wrote it that way because that was the way it had to be written. The story demanded it. In the first place, I’m writing science fiction for heaven’s sake, a story that takes place hundreds of years in the future. We may not all be holding hands and singing “It’s a Small World” centuries from now, but I think it’s safe to extrapolate any eventuality with regards to race. Including a scenario in which, although skin color is still a significant stratifier of society, it isn’t white/light skin that puts someone at the top of the heap anymore.
Do I sometimes worry if I, as a white woman, have the right to write main characters who are people of color? Absolutely I do. Often. Really, who do I think I am? I’ve lived my life in a white skin, haven’t walked in those shoes, etc., etc. But what if I wanna, wanna, wanna write this story? What if these are the characters talking to me, these are the characters barging into my book? Who am I to tell them no?
So I risk being flamed by those who might see me as co-opting their story or culture. I’ve also already opened myself up to some pretty disgusting reflections from the other side, i.e., those who don’t see any place for people of color in literature at all, let alone SF.
So I wrote Tankborn because I simply had to. I’m thrilled to see it in print, so glad that young readers will see a non-white face on its cover and read about a diverse cast of characters. And if anyone wants to flame me for it, so be it. I have my big-girl, flame-proof panties on. Have at it.
Congratulations, Karen! I’m looking forward to reading TANKBORN. You have every right to tell the story you want to, of course. If it’s a good story, it’s a good story. Period. And obviously your editor thinks so as well. You’ve gotten some good reviews, I see. Though I am curious to get the perspective of a young woman of color. There is such a dearth in SF/F featuring black girls for that matter. So one that is on the cover is cause for celebration. But I must admit, seeing the brown face along with the title ‘Tankborn’ did raise some flags for me. I’m leery of the less-than-human motif that’s often perpetuated in the genre when it comes to POC. There’s a play on skin color as well that raised an eyebrow for me. It was a bit of a disappointment to see that the one book put out by TU with a black girl on the cover had to do with skin color and unhuman-ness. That’s why I’m so appreciative of the POC authors who’ve written about POC characters who are heroines in their own right and not having to deal with any of the racist trappings that’s so inherent in our present day culture. Then again, you may turn colorism over on its head in TANKBORN. These were my initial reactions. I hope the book exceeds my expectations.
I hope you do check out TANKBORN. Just to note, it isn’t the main character’s skin color that causes her to be judged as non-human. Slaves come in all colors in TANKBORN’s world.
Karen,
Nice post, although I’m a little confused by the way you phrase your conclusion.
Saying that you risk being flamed implies that those who might see you as co-opting their stories or cultures are wrong, shallow, snippy trolls. Big girl panties means you are someone who can take criticism, but flameproof panties implies you won’t let the criticism touch you.
I assume, from the context of the rest of your post, that you mean something more like:
“I risk making mistakes. I risk co-opting somebody else’s story or culture. I risk hurting people. I risk being told that I’ve made mistakes, that I’ve appropriated culture, that I’ve caused harm. But those are risks we need to take to tell stories, and all I can do is my best.”
Forgive me if I’m wrong, but that’s the interpretation I took away from the first part of your post.
You said much better than me what I was trying to get across–that it’s worth the risk of stirring up the pot to tell a story. I wasn’t wanting to imply that anyone who complained would be trolls. I felt I was needing flame-retardant panties as protection from that other group, the ones who don’t see a place at all for stories about POC.
Sorry, that’s my fault. Karen had originally noted in the post more specifics about the white supremacists who targeted Tankborn for portraying POC in SFF, but when she ran it by me (her editor) I worried that those specific search terms would give them more traffic and bring the unwanted kind of attention from that quarter to DiYA.
I agree with you, that we must tell the stories that we have to tell–regardless of how the characters differ from us in experience, ideology, color, etc…etc… (I was just having this exact conversation earlier today.) I agree with this caveat, that we must tell those stories very carefully and thoughtfully, with full recognition of the challenges of doing so.
I would like to continue this conversation with you privately, so I will contact you via your website. I hope that you will reply.
To add, with full understanding of the very valid critiques and challenges that my arises from those communities.