Tournament of Books discussion

We don't have anyone in the booth for this matchup, but we can start discussing once we know the winner on Thursday night.

Good morning,

We now have our final matchup for side A: The Bear vs. Paper Menagerie.

How many votes were tipped in favor of (or switched to) Paper Menagerie because of the strange situation with Welcome's author? If that hadn't been an issue I may have voted the other way. But I remember reading or hearing that the ToB does not discuss authors. They focus solely on the novel, without letting their knowledge about the author weigh into their decisions and commentary. I think this will become a point of contention when we discuss The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao for the super rooster in the fall. Diaz has created quite a reputation since that book was celebrated in the ToB and I'm curious how the organizers will handle the discussion when they get to that part of the bracket. I hope they don't just avoid it by pointing to their rule of not discussing authors, but we'll see.

Any other thoughts on Paper Menagerie and how it might hold up to The Bear? I think I had the most tears for this one, so there's definitely a place in my heart for those little animals and the relationship between the boy and his mother. Such a sweet (but sad) story.

I have read some about the Roanhorse criticism and I will say this is one of the most nuanced situations I have read.

This article links different viewpoints on the subject at the bottom:
https://americanindiansinchildrenslit...

Overall it seems that native writers and artists are offended, so then by all accounts their voices should be heard. On the other hand, Roanhorse is half-black, half-native american and her husband is Navajo so I don't think she was trying to be disrespectful even if utilizing real beliefs and turning it into a fantasy setting is a bit odd. But at the same time this is not the type of voice I want silenced. I really enjoyed this story but against Paper Menagerie it had no shot.

I also recognize fully that I am a white male in this situation, and I should be listening to others in these situations and am happy for any and all opinions.

Kip wrote: "I have read some about the Roanhorse criticism and I will say this is one of the most nuanced situations I have read.

This article links different viewpoints on the subject at the bottom:
https://..."

Yes, I completely agree. Thank you for sharing this article so we can get a broader view of the issue. Based on what I read here, I will not "write off" this author or her work, but I will be more considerate of the range of perspectives a community has when it comes to representation (and disclosure) of their cultural beliefs and practices.

Kip wrote: "I have read some about the Roanhorse criticism and I will say this is one of the most nuanced situations I have read.

This article links different viewpoints on the subject at the bottom:
https://..."

Thanks, Kip, it's good to see a clear explanation of this perspective. I've also read a couple of the linked posts, trying to understand a little more fully. It's so hard for those of us who aren't Native to understand the depth of feeling behind this, so I think all I can do is recognize and nod to it.

I do wonder whether, in writing her books, she didn't fully understand how offensive breaking these barriers would be to some, or if she decided to go ahead anyway, just wanting to tell a good story and hold up that mirror described in the article.

I also don't think she meant to be disrespectful (any more than the author of the Left Behind series meant to be disrespectful of Christianity.) But I do think she should have realized that appropriating and exposing Native culture and spirituality in a somewhat sensationalist way is anathema to the traditionalists, especially sensitive since Native culture has been appropriated and abused for generations. So yes, if she knew how others would react (and she should have known) I do hold her at fault for not being more sensitive to that.

Thank you Kip for sharing that article. I hadn't really heard anything about the author, so it's all useful perspective behind an interesting story.