<<Same here. All I remember is the question being asked and when I said it was impossible folks saying that it must be--
--- In SciFiNoir_Lit@yahoogroups.com, Astromancer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > We've asked the question quite a few times, Doctor, but I don't recall ever getting an adequate solution let alone an answer...this is as close to a way to proceed than anything else I've encountered...forgive me if I missed the others...they got by me... > > "Dr. Lester K Spence" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: a couple of questions: > > 1. haven't we said this before, or something to this effect? > > 2. what are we to think about black authors writing "black" science > fiction, who have no idea how to find black people to read their stuff? > > > lks > > > > On Aug 1, 2006, at 10:54 AM, Chris Hayden wrote: > > > How to Get More Black Folks to Read Speculative Fiction > > > > Check it out! In this little posting the Notorious BIG of SF feeds > > himself Humble Pie! > > > > On this and many another list time after time the above question has > > been put: how can we get more blacks to read SF? > > > > And time after time I have brushed off the question with contempt. > > > > "Forget it!" "Never happened" "I have resigned myself" > > > > Do a search for the particular postings and quotes. > > > > Well, yesterday I proved myself wrong. > > > > July 31, 2006. > > > > I have received an invitation to do a presentation for Yari Yari. > > For those not in the know Yari Yari (which means "The Future" I > > think) is a cultural/ literary camp/group for African American kids > > put on by Sisters Nineties of St. Louis. Debra MorrowLoving, > > president, usually runs these sessions ably assisted by Sis. Wilma > > Potts. > > > > The kids get education, culture, politics, everything. > > > > I have been a guest before. When I received my invite I > > thought , "No sweat. I'll pull together a killer program of my > > poetry and dazzle them with my words." > > > > The more I thought of it, the less I thought of it. I have dazzled > > them thus a couple times in the last six months that I know, and > > several times over the past few years. Visions filled my head of > > them rolling their eyes and snorting because they heard it all > > before. > > > > Kids are not dumb. > > > > But I am. > > > > What do we talk about around here all the time? What were the last > > two articles I submitted to Sisters Nineties about? What can I > > offer an opinion about, however wrong and beknighted. > > > > Speculative Fiction. > > > > Furthermore, Blacks in Speculative Fiction. > > > > So I whipped up an outline, a handout with some terms, author names > > and websites and appeared. > > > > I spoke to a roomful of young men and women, 6-17. First they > > introduced themselves and then they recited from memory > > Shakespeare's Sonnet #27. > > > > Then I got into it. I insisted on conducting it as a conversation. > > I spoke. I read from my own works. I answered questions and asked > > them some. > > > > I learned. > > > > This is the group, people, that is into SF. The group that has seen > > the Matrix, knows about Harry Potter, reads the comix, watches the > > Star Treks. > > > > They wanted to know about Blacks writing SF and SF books with blacks > > in them. > > > > Not just them. Apparently the teachers knew about Octavia Butler, > > Steven Barnes, Tananarive Due. They knew about the Mother of the > > Matrix controversy. They didn't know about the Lion's Blood and Zulu > > Dawn books and got all excited and took down the titles when I told > > them about them being an Alternative History where Africans owning > > white European slaves settled the Americas. > > > > (Steve! This is a shoutout! You gots to go where the people AT! > > The traditional methods and ways of flogging books are not going to > > work with black folks—particularly since they probably are not > > approaching them). > > > > Eureka! Here, by accident, is the formula. > > > > And you know what? Their next assignment for Yari Yari is to write > > a Speculative Fiction story (one young lady came up with a plot on > > the spot that mixed fantasy, sci fi, mythology and was a knock > > out). A young man confessed on the spot for the first time that he > > wants to be a comic book writer. Another young lady took my list > > and went right to the library to start looking up some of the > > authors and sites. > > > > You want more Black Folks to read SF? Take Black SF to the > > audience. Go to the schools, the community organizations, the > > clubs, the community centers, the jails and juvie halls, where these > > kids are and tell them about it. > > > > They are hungry to read about themselves. > > > > Go where the people AT! Stop sitting around in your conventions and > > panel discussion, preaching to the choir where they A'INT! > > > > Bop! Zap! Boom! > > > > There it is! > > > > No charge, man. > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > Community email addresses: > Post message: SciFiNoir_Lit@yahoogroups.com > Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subscribe Digest Mode: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SciFiNoir_Lit/ > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > "La'V' is always watching...Be careful who you talk to." - The Side Street Chonicles by C.W. Badie > > --------------------------------- > See the all-new, redesigned Yahoo.com. Check it out. > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > Community email addresses: Post message: SciFiNoir_Lit@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe Digest Mode: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SciFiNoir_Lit/ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SciFiNoir_Lit/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
