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. 비트코인카지노

    like water for chocolate » Blog Archive » Research Project Drabbles

  2. we are living a world where technologies are everything we can’t even go far further from it.
    온라인카지노

  3. Buy real Russia Passport online

    like water for chocolate » Blog Archive » Research Project Drabbles

  4. caesars casino Online free Slots

    like water for chocolate » Blog Archive » Research Project Drabbles

  5. advertising in cinema

    like water for chocolate » Blog Archive » Research Project Drabbles

  6. mod apk says:

    mod apk

    like water for chocolate » Blog Archive » Research Project Drabbles

  7. rabbit vibrator

    like water for chocolate » Blog Archive » Research Project Drabbles

  8. following article

    I found a great…

  9. cinema distribution

    like water for chocolate » Blog Archive » Research Project Drabbles

  10. What ɑ fantastic site and informative blog site.
    how to make shatter

  11. dcp delivery says:

    dcp delivery

    like water for chocolate » Blog Archive » Research Project Drabbles

  12. please click the following article

    I found a great…

  13. I’ve been looking for photos and articles on this topic over the past few days due to a school assignment, and I’m really happy to find a post with the material I was looking for! I bookmark and will come often! Thanks 😀 바둑이사이트

  14. I saw your article well. You seem to enjoy 야설

  15. This is just the information I am finding everywhere. Thanks for your blog, I just subscribe your blog. This is a nice blog. 야동

  16. yadongbiz says:

    repeat post! I am actually getting ready to across this information, is very helpful my friend. Also great blog here with all of the valuable information you have. Keep up the good work you are doing here. 야한동영상

  17. buy marijuana in Australia

    like water for chocolate » Blog Archive » Research Project Drabbles

  18. Sheridan Salach

    I found a great…

  19. Sau Hopskins

    I found a great…

  20. dab pen weed says:

    dab pen weed
    Thanks for sharing this great blog site. Very interesting and informative. Good job!

  21. Conveyancers Conveyancing

    like water for chocolate » Blog Archive » Research Project Drabbles

  22. It is perfect time to make some plans for the longer term and it’s time to be happy.
    토토사이트

  23. how to make honey oil
    I simply would like to give you a big thumb up for your great blog site.

  24. Thank you for sharing such a great bog it is very helpful.
    https://www.sportstoto365.com

  25. Maybe you can write next articles regarding
    this article. I desire to learn even more things about
    it!
    파워볼사이트닷컴

  26. baccaratsite says:

    Thank you for sharing such a great bog it is very helpful.
    바카라사이트

  27. I’m so happy to see such a good article after a long time, so I’d appreciate it if you gave me more information.안전놀이터

  28. Thank you and thank you so much. I’ll share you useful information.사설토토사이트

  29. I really enjoyed your writing. You should come and see mine.안전놀이터

  30. That’s so nice.메이저토토사이트I want you to see if it’s this good.

  31. Sophia Willam says:

    Such a piece of important information. Keep it up. china b2b marketplace

  32. Penni Peebles

    I found a great…

  33. Samira Giesy

    I found a great…

  34. Fast Speed Proxies

    I found a great…

  35. Proxies For Gsa Ser

    I found a great…

  36. 먹튀검증 says:

    When I read an article on this topic, 먹튀검증추천 the first thought was profound and difficult, and I wondered if others could understand.. My site has a discussion board for articles and photos similar to this topic. Could you please visit me when you have time to discuss this topic?

  37. Jimmie Raffa

    I found a great…

  38. Digital Marketing Agency in India

    like water for chocolate » Blog Archive » Research Project Drabbles

  39. Thanks for sharing this awesome blog site.
    cheap weed.ca

  40. Very Nice Blog Thanks for sharing this amazing blog

  41. gid=774564427

    like water for chocolate » raw thought

  42. strawberry banana strain
    Much appreciation to you for this informative post. Keep it up!

  43. how to smoke hash
    I truly love your website it’s very nice colors & theme.

  44. 카지노게임사이트 says:

    Here, we’re going to let you in on what you can expect to experience when playing live dealer ***** games, how to get set up so you’re able to play them without any problems, and how to choose the best live dealer game for you. 카지노게임사이트

  45. 샌즈카지노 says:

    If you already play online ***** for money but feel you’re ready for a more immersive ***** experience that transports you table-side from the comfort of your home, then live dealer ***** games are the next step in your online ***** journey. 샌즈카지노

  46. 카지노사이트 says:

    While live ***** is slowly getting back up to speed, and the ***** community is sorely missing a good live ***** tournament, we open up the vault on some of the most entertaining ***** tournaments and the underdogs that took over the final tables. 카지노사이트

Leave a Reply to dcp delivery Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.