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: , ,

12,557 Responses to “Research Project Drabbles”

  1. 바카라사이트 says:

    The completely self-taught recreational ***** player fought through a field of almost 6,500 players to end up across the table and heads-up with Joe Cada. 바카라사이트

  2. Hi! this is often nice article you shared with great information.카지노사이트 Thanks for giving such an exquisite informative information.

  3. 바둑이사이트 It’s truly a nice and helpful piece of information. I’m happy that you simply shared this helpful information with us.

  4. baccaratsite says:

    Hi there!You have made some decent points there. I just want to offer you a big thumbs up for the great info you have right here on this post. I am returning to your website for more soon.

    바카라사이트윈

  5. You ought to take part in a contest for one of the highest quality blogs on the internet. I most certainly will recommend this website!

    사설토토추천

  6. bacarasite says:

    I have read it, but the information is still less than mine, i am wanting to learn more

    파워볼사이트닷컴

  7. I have read it, but the information is still less than mine, i am wanting to learn more

    https://www.baccaratsite.win

  8. I am pleased that I observed this site, exactly the right information that I was searching for.파라오카지노

  9. 우리카지노
    Having read this I believed it was really enlightening. I appreciate you spending some time and energy to put this content together.

  10. tincture says:

    tincture
    Awesome post on your blog site! Keep going!

  11. Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturer

    like water for chocolate » Blog Archive » Research Project Drabbles

  12. jet fuel weed
    You have the best ideas in your blog. Keep up the good work!

  13. Cape Verde says:

    This thus highlights a few tremendous other than minding essentials of this exact concern. welcome it an extensive arrangement on the subject of given that taking that linger in the intelligible other than easy to perform bearing clarify.

  14. trtrfff says:

    Excellent article! We are linking to this particularly great article on our website. Keep up the good writing.
    https://musichd.ir/download/

  15. mnuiogdo says:

    Excellent article! We are linking to this particularly great article on our website. Keep up the good writing.

    دانلود آهنگ جدید

  16. Thank you for your valuable and unique content

  17. در دوره تعمیرات برد های الکترونیکی به شما این موارد آموزش داده خواهد شد: آموزش تعمیرات بردهای لوازم خانگی ، آموزش تعمیرات برد های صنعتی ، آموزش تعمیرات برد پکیج ، آموزش تعمیرات برد کولر گازی ، آموزش تعمیرات برد اینورتر

  18. در دوره آموزش تعمیرات لوازم خانگی به شما نحوه تعمیرات یخچال ساید، تعمیرات یخچال معمولی، تعمیرات فریزر، تعمیرات ماشین لباسشویی، تعمیرات ماشین ظرفشویی، تعمیرات ماکروفر و ماکروویو، تعمیرات جارو برقی، تعمیرات غذاساز، تعمیرات آبمیوه گیری، تعمیرات چرخ گوشت و اتو به همراه آموزش تعمیرات تلویزیون LED و آب سرد کن آموزش داده خواهد شد.

  19. در دوره آموزش تعمیرات موبایل، تمام موبایل های اندرویدی، آیوسی و … موجود در بازار آموزش داده خواهد شد. از قبیل; سامسونگ، آیفون ( اپل )، هواوی، سونی، شیائومی و ….

  20. thin mints strain
    Big thumbs up for the excellent info. Impressive! Thanks for posting.

  21. http://cannabismo.org/products/edibles/
    Great blog. This piece of writing will assist the internet people for building up new webpage or even ablog from start to end

  22. baccaratsite says:

    This is very interesting, You’re an excessively skilled bloggerI have joined your rss feed and sit up for in quest of extra of your wonderful post. Also, I’ve shared your site in my social networks.

    온라인카지노

  23. Wow, that’s what I was looking for, what a information! present here at this weblog, thanks admin of this web page.|
    파워볼사이트

  24. Hi there to all, because I am truly eager of reading this blog’s post to be updated regularly.

    It carries good data.

    스포츠토토

  25. bacarasite says:

    Hello there, just became alert to your blog through Google,
    and found that it’s really informative. I’m gonna watch out
    for brussels. I will appreciate if you continue
    this in future. A lot of people will be benefited from your writing.

    https://www.bacarasite.info/

  26. Eulah Arguello

    I found a great…

  27. Twanna Hosking

    I found a great…

  28. I’m writing on this topic these days, , but I have stopped writing because there is no reference material. Then I accidentally found your article. I can refer to a variety of materials, so I think the work I was preparing will work! Thank you for your efforts. 토토사이트

  29. expert says:

    I do not even know how I finished up here, but I assumed
    this post was good. I do not understand who you are but certainly you’re going to a famous blogger when you are not already. Cape Verde B & B

  30. Velda Scheno

    I found a great…

  31. Séries Novelas est une site web qui vous permet de regarder gratuitement vos Télénovelas, feuilletons et bollywood préférés en streaming et en HD sur dachinka.com. Regardez vos Télénovelas, feuilletons et bollywood préférés gratuitement en streaming et en HD sur Voir Fatmagül streaming vf . IL y a un large catalogue avec plus de 140 novelas disponible comme El Diablo, Chica Vampiro, Diamants Noirs, Fatmagül, Meryem, Le prix de la passion, ou encore Mehek.

  32. There couple of fascinating points with time in this post but I don’t know if these center to heart. There’s some validity but I am going to take hold opinion until I explore it further. Excellent article , thanks and we want more! Added to FeedBurner likewise learn this here now
    파워볼사이트

  33. baccaratsite says:

    After reading your article I was amazed. I know that you explain it very well. And I hope that other readers will also experience how I feel after reading your article.
    바카라사이트

  34. We are providing best Assignment Help service to all the students in Australia so that they can understand their assignments properly before final submission. My Assignment Help writing services help them in completing their all academic tasks on given time to get good grades in the subject.
    파워볼사이트

  35. baccaratsite says:

    I appreciate, cause I found just what I was looking for. You have ended my four day long hunt! God Bless you man. Have a great day. Bye
    카지노사이트

  36. I am sure this piece of writing has touched all the internet users, its really really fastidious piece
    of writing on building up new weblog.
    파워볼사이트

  37. baccaratsite says:

    Like!! I blog frequently and I really thank you for your content. The article has truly peaked my interest.
    카지노사이트

  38. I was pretty pleased to find this web site. I need to to thank you for your time for this fantastic read!! I definitely loved every bit of it and I have you book marked to look at new stuff on your blog.
    파워볼

  39. bacarasite says:

    Cool you inscribe, the info is really salubrious further fascinating, I’ll give you a connect to my scene.
    바카라사이트인포

  40. This article is an appealing wealth of useful informative that is interesting and well-written. I commend your hard work on this and thank you for this information. I know it very well that if anyone visits your blog, then he/she will surely revisit it again.
    스포츠토토365

  41. william says:

    Excellent article! We are linking to this particularly great article on our website. Keep up the good writing.

  42. racesiteinfo says:

    It is perfect time to make some plans for the future and it is time to be happy. I have read this post and if I could I want to suggest you some interesting things or advice. Maybe you can write next articles referring to this article. I want to read even more things about it! 경마사이트

  43. Thanks for sharing this information. I really like your blog post very much. You have really shared a informative and interesting blog post with people 메이저사이트

  44. 10 Best VPN says:

    Exclusive post. Thanks for sharing

  45. totopickpro says:

    Thanks for a marvelous posting! I truly enjoyed reading it, yyou
    might be a great author. I will make sure to bookmark your blog and will come back very soon. I waht to encourage you conttinue
    your great writing, have a nice day! 토토

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.