I've been pondering this a while as we continue to discuss what expanding representation of both book characters and book writers (aka authors) could, would, or should look like. And the thing I find some people get all concerned about when writing outside their experience is that if they are going to get slammed for using stereotypes, but what if the stereotypes are true? I mean, they know this gay guy who likes fashion, there are plenty of them on "Project Runway", why aren't they allowed to use that? And then, watching last week's "Top Chef", one of the chefs (okay, it was local chef Kwame, who has a new restaurant opening soon that I am very excited about, Hi, Kwame!), well, he decided to make chicken and waffles and to use frozen waffles.
So, here's the thing. I get it. I do. It was one of the challenges where they had to cook for a large number of people, and the logistics of make waffles on site were going to be tough. And, as he said, they make tiny frozen waffles. Monday, February 29, 2016
Stereotypes are Like Frozen Waffles
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Three Interesting Things
1. There's been a lot of talk about harassment reporting of late, and the common refrain from those accused of harassment that this should never have had to go public because they are nice and if they had totes accidentally hurt anyone's feelings with their clothing removal or their constant sexual remarks, they would have tried to maybe address it. (I am paraphrasing.) This post on power differentials looks at why these things sometimes spill out later, and not in the moment. It's not new info for most people who have ever been victimized, but it is well put, and a useful thing to point to.
2. Have I mentioned lately that I love Hawaii. Because this resolution.
3. And this post about windows and mirrors captures what I've been struggling to sum up as we continue to talk about publishing diversity and who gets to write what.
Monday, February 22, 2016
City Of Conversation
I went to see "City of Conversation" at Arena Stage on Friday, and I'm still thinking about it, which I think is a good sign. It spans several generations and covers a topic that is so on point right now, that I actually spent a few minutes wondering if this was the best or worst time to watch such a play. The main character is a Georgetown woman who is deeply involved in national politics, though not an officeholder, and starts when her son and his (surprise) fiancee arrive home and participate in a political dinner party, where it becomes clear that the son (and fiancee) are of a different political stripe. It shifts ahead, as the part in power shifts, and the family members negotiate what this means for their personal lives. I think it raised more questions than it answered, and in some cases, I felt like the characters skimmed over what to me seemed crucial parts of their arguments (although certainly that could be a point towards realism). It was definitely the kind of play that the conversations people were having as they exited were really interesting, so as that kind of thing it was very successful. There were quite a few cast members who were making their Arena debut (including a small child who turns out to be a friend of a friend's child, so that was a fun connection). The cast was great.
It was the first play I saw at the Fichandler where I felt really cognizant of the staging in the round. During the dinner party in the early part, there was a noticeable amount of people shifting and bouncing and resetting themselves. I don't know if it became less noticeable to me later because the remaining scenes had less characters or had better reason to move about. This is a small quibble in a thing I enjoyed. Thursday, February 18, 2016
Three Interesting Things
1. I had talked about my Scribd experience a while back, and then they changed their model, and I was less happy, ultimately repeated tech issues with their audio books had me dropping my subscription, but this further adjustment to their model makes me sad because it suggests that they have been unable to find a balance that allows for voracious readers, and I can't imagine book subscription can survive without voracious readers. Thank goodness we still have libraries.
2. Football may be on a break, but this article about the NFL's only (current) black punter was fascinating. 3. And this Courtney Milan post touches on some of the issues publishing is facing, and this idea that shining the light on the barriers is just the beginning.
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Travelling In Winter
When I worked with the high school youth group they traditionally had their winter retreat President's Day weekend. When I worked with the toy company, that was Toy Fair. So, in my life there's been a lot of travel on that weekend, although it's not an official long weekend for me. I often send up prayers to the weather gods, please don't let me be trapped anywhere. (Okay, the friend's apartment I stayed in for Toy Fair would have been okay.) So, when my dear friend from high school invited me to her wedding on that weekend, I built some padding into the plan. I left Thursday, so if there was weather, I had an extra day to get there. And since the weather cooperated I had a day to wander about St. Louis, checking out the light rail.
The day of the wedding was very cold. Beautiful but cold. The ceremony was wonderful, and I hitched a ride with the sister of a bridesmaid so I have nothing to complain about since I was in a heated car while they took a quick batch of pictures outside. Monday, February 08, 2016
Food and Sportsball and Books
The big game, or possibly the football season finale was last night and there were a few things that were different for me. I watched at home with my cat instead of with friends. It did mean I could do silly things like eat stuffing cubes and alternate knitting projects. When I say I watched it with my cat, I mean she was present, my attempts to convince her she cared about the team with cats on their helmets were fruitless.
It also was the first year in a while a team I don't automatically hate participated. And in fact, two teams I have general fond feelings for participated, so while I had technically picked a side I really was okay with either outcome, and mostly hoped for a competitive game. (Next time, assuming I actually am in control of such things, I will wish for slightly more competition on the offensive sides.) And the halftime show was great. I do always wonder about the dueling demands of things that are televised like that because things that make a great in person stadium show with the crowd tend to seem a little more toned down at home, and great dance moves and what have you are likely lost to the stadium crowd who can't see some of the subtleties.
It also wrapped up a nice week where I finally managed to get together with a friend and try a new to us restaurant, as well as see Ruta Sepetys at the Lithuanian Embassy. One of the things she talked about was finding messages in bottles. She was talking about her new book Salt to the Sea about a large shipwreck of evacuees during World War II, that people had put messages in bottles, sometimes saying some thing as simple as their name, their age and where they were from. It reminded me that as much as we blame social media for this desire to be remembered, it really is a universal thing, we want people to know we were there. So, yes, the Superbowl is a game, but the spectacle, the shared experience, the fun, the food, I am happy we have all of that.
Thursday, February 04, 2016
Three Interesting Things
1. This interview with Heidi Heilig might make it clear why I'm excited about her debut book (pirates and Hawaii).
2. Buzzfeed looks into the story behind the cranky park bench dedication.
3. A chat with a Hong Kong bookseller who stocks titles banned in mainland China.
Monday, February 01, 2016
Disproportionate Analogies
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