--- In SciFiNoir_Lit@yahoogroups.com, "Dr. Lester K Spence" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > It might be me...but I do think our previous discussions emphasized a > couple of different things: > > 1. blacks consume more sf (in all of its variations) than we are > "given credit" for consuming.
<<Where are your figures? This keeps coming up, I'm sure, because outside this forum, when we talk to blacks about Science fiction we get blank looks. This keeps coming up because books like Dark Matter 2 are turning up on sale for 2 bucks a pop. This keeps coming up because the most mention I saw of Octavia Butler in the black press was when she died. And the word, Good Doctor was read not "consume in all its variations">> > > 2. black people do not consume sf in the same venues as their white > counterparts. > > this last part is important, and maybe we didn't emphasize how > important this is. black people don't go to sf cons, to comic cons, > in large numbers. we're there but our presence is far from even > being "prominent" let alone "dominant." yet and still i know all > types of brothers and sisters who read comic books, fantasy, sf, who > play dungeons and dragons, and who have mastered Halo much less > Mortal Kombat. <<If yours was the answer to a test question, you would give your student zero points and circle "read">> > > we've got to go to where THEY are. > > if we work on the assumption that it isn't a demand problem but a > supply problem not only does it put the onus on us producers...which > is where it should be...we don't get in the trick bag of blaming > black people, or somehow denigrating them. <<I don't get you>> > > which brings me back to that second question below. > > i believe that if you are black, and write science fiction for black > audiences (or just with black audiences in mind), and you don't know > how to get to the audiences you want to reach, then there is a > serious problem. and it ain't with black people. > > lks <<You are getting defensive. You don't need to get defensive. I ain't seen you come up with no solutions in all these years-- But I digress. One thing about being an artist--you tend to specialize. All your energy goes into producing and creating. You have not--for many reasons--thought about sales, distribution, etc. Obviously more than me think that SF is getting short shrift in the Black Community. Does Essense have a top selling SF titles in the Black Community list? Does it ever have any SF on its best selling books list? When is the last time any black publication did anything on blacks in SF? On SF? > > On Aug 3, 2006, at 11:32 PM, Astromancer 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] > > > > > > > > > > [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/
