Research Project Drabbles

Being an English major with a passionate (and at times questionable) love of young adult novels, I thought I should center my final project on teen readership. Aside from the obvious issues of lack of black representation in the genre, I had questions about how black teens are reading these texts, and what they’re reading.

When I reflect on my teenage years, most of the stories I remembered reading and loving were supernatural, sci-fi, and… well, white. This wasn’t to say I didn’t read any Morrison and the like, but in the young adult section all the black authors had stories of tragedy. In my time as a teen I maybe came across 2 books that had main characters of color doing “normal” teen things or were in fantasy worlds. Too much of our stories centered on gang violence, slavery, or some tragedy stationed in an ambiguous Africa (shade to publishers, not the authors). I recognized that these stories being told were necessary to our literary canon, but I hungered for stories of black teens being black teens. So with no solution in site I continued to read fantastical novels.

But when I look back I wonder to myself was that really it? Was it because I couldn’t find black fantasy or was it because my environment was predominately white? I wanted to be able to relate with my friends in school and read what they read, and they weren’t reading Octavia Butler, Jamaica Kincaid, or even Sista Souljah. My mom was the one who introduced The Coldest Winter Ever, the novel that spawned street lit as we know it and rocked almost every black girls’ world but mine, to me. My church friends and Del-teens group* (read: my black girl friends) loved the novel, yet I couldn’t even finish it. I hated it and I felt defective for it. I wondered why I could relate or at least sympathize with characters who time traveled, started revolutions, or saw ghosts, but couldn’t find it in myself to even like Winter Santiaga. So this served as a driving force for my project. “How do predominately white environments (in academia) effect black female readership?”

Together with Prof. Manigault-Bryant, we formulated the idea of a book club with primarily underclassmen at Williams to read The Coldest Winter Ever and The Hunger Games to see how black women are reading blackness and alternatively whiteness (in THG) in these novels. So far I expect questions of desiring a mirror vs. window out in literature/reality vs. fantasy, urban vs. suburban environments, and school vs. home in dealing with books to crop up, but I never know what this will bring. I’m hoping for 5 sessions (two with THG, two with TCWE, and 1 wrap-up) to take place in November, but we’ll see.

This is where I’m at now.

*Delta Sigma Theta Sorority’s Albany chapter had a female youth group I was a part of until my senior year in high school.

Tags: , ,

12,553 Responses to “Research Project Drabbles”

  1. مشاوره says:

    Hello, have a good day

    I came here last week through Google and saved it here. Now I looked more carefully. It was very useful for me – thank you

  2. تحلیل شاخص بورس به صورت دقیق توسط تیم تکنیکالیست مجموعه مسترتریدر

  3. تحلیل قیمت طلا توسط تیم تکنیکالیست در مجموعه مستر تریدر

  4. شاخص بورس به سرمایه گذاران کمک می کند روند بازار را پیش بینی کنند و بتوانند برای سهم های خود تصمیم می گیرند

  5. My friends will soon realize how good you are. 카지노사이트원

  6. adita malik says:

    this research improve to be an excellent source of information.

  7. 바카라 says:

    바카라가장 인기 있는 카드 게임 중 하나이며 초보자와 노련한 플레이어 모두 테이블 게임을 좋아하는 이유를 쉽게 알 수 있습니다.
    게임을 할 때마다 인센티브를 받습니다. 친구에게 더 나은 보상을 위해 플레이하도록 요청할 수도 있습니다.

  8. majorsite says:

    I have been looking for articles on these topics for a long time. majorsite I don’t know how grateful you are for posting on this topic. Thank you for the numerous articles on this site, I will subscribe to those links in my bookmarks and visit them often. Have a nice day

  9. sdddddd says:

    해외축구중계I’m confident that our site has the best powerball information. Please visit.

  10. satta king says:

    best site for satta king result, leak number all game record charts. We provide 100% fix number.

  11. safetoto says:

    I’ve been troubled for several days with this topic. safetoto, But by chance looking at your post solved my problem! I will leave my blog, so when would you like to visit it?

  12. Successfully well prepared details. It should be monetarily fulfilling to any individual who makes use of it, counting me. Sustain The great do The work. For sure I’ll Consider out far more posts working day in and time out. Pg Slot เว็บใหม่

  13. Your article is valuable for me and for others. 안전토토사이트

  14. Very interesting, wish to see much more like this.
    카지노사이트777

  15. Thanks for sharing this article this content is very significant for me I really appreciate you.
    카지노사이트원

  16. I would really like to thanks for the efforts you’ve got made in writing this post. 안전토토사이트

  17. Thanks for nice and informative post. This article is really contains lot more information about this topic. 카지노사이트가이드

  18. This is the exact information I am been searching.
    카지노사이트777

  19. Thanks for this blog, I really enjoyed reading your post. 카지노사이트원

  20. Keep posting this information, thank you!
    안전토토사이트

  21. I gained much unknown information, the way you have clearly explained is really fantastic. 카지노사이트가이드

  22. This is incredible, I feel really happy to have seen your webpage. 카지노사이트777

  23. Nice article. This is quite informative. 카지노사이트원

  24. Thank you for sharing your ideas.

  25. online gaming philippines says:

    새롭게 업데이트된 라이브 바카라 정통 아시아 최고의 카지노 테이블에 앉아 있는 듯한 느낌을 받을 수 있습니다. 추가된 기능에는 페어 사이드 베팅과 같은 특별 베팅과 다양한 도로 선택을 통해 볼 수 있는 추가 통계가 포함됩니다. 그래서 당신은 무엇을 기다리고 있습니까? 지금 플레이하세요.

  26. slotsite says:

    I was looking for another article by chance and found your article slotsite I am writing on this topic, so I think it will help a lot. I leave my blog address below. Please visit once.

  27. Delina says:

    Authors of this article is great, nice article and post there.
    Always keep on the good work and Bonanza88 thank you.

  28. I really like your post and bookmark your site for future articles

    Escort Service in Andheri

  29. Buy first copy watches in India of all swiss luxury brands. Shop branded 1st copy replica watches in India at lowest price. All over India COD delivery.

  30. The Architects Office says:

    Thanks
    Silver bengal cat

  31. buy shatter canada
    Very interesting site with fascinating layout.

  32. It is really my First shell out a take a look at to for your weblog, And that i am truly stunned with the posts that you select to provide. Give sufficient knowledge for me. Thanks for sharing valuable components. I could be back again all over again for the more superb publish-up. สมัครslotpg

  33. scar for sale says:

    I wanted to thank you for this excellent read!! I definitely loved every little bit of it. I have you bookmarked your site to check out the new stuff you post. scar for sale

  34. The eProcurement System of Rajasthan enables the Tenderers to download the Tender Schedule free of cost and then submit the bids online through this portal.

  35. If you like to play racing games then you shouldn’t miss downloading traffic racer in your phone

  36. 사람들은 온라인 비디오 게임을 좋아합니다.온라인으로 방문하기 때문에카지노 사이트 성인이 선호하는 카지노 게임을 할 수 있습니다.

  37. Mjnexpresss says:

    mjnexpresss
    Awesome point of view on this blog site. keep it up!

  38. Very good submit. I’ve just stumbled on your weblog and cherished reading your website site posts greatly. I am in search of new posts to obtain far more important details. Important lots of thanks to the helpful details. สมัครslotpg

Leave a Reply to scar for sale Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.