On Writing Race

[whipchick]

So I wrote this.

And got a great question from similiesslip:

I find your perspective very interesting. I may be taking this too far but I truly would like to understand... Do you feel you have the right to invent stories only about those of your own nationality?The following is also in the comments on that piece, but I'd love to hear from the flist (and

Comments

[clauderainsrm]

Since I don't comment on contestant entries - or try not to - this gives me a good place to give you the FULL request of what was simplified as "Write about Indians":

"And I think it would be fascinating to ask people to write about Indians -- without specifying anything else -- because there's so many options, and different ways people could look at the topic."

Confronting cultural stereotypes and people's perceptions were inherently a part of the exercise.

[whipchick]

Love it! The suggester has definitely succeeded :) And it's nice to know more about the context they were coming from, and that it's a wonderful, literary provocation rather than thoughtlessness or racism.

[clauderainsrm]

Did anyone *seriously* think that I would have used it if the intent wasn't obviously to explore and provoke?

Yes, people submit the topics. But I choose which ones to use out of the stack. Had that tag *not* been included, it definitely wouldn't have been used. But I also think it would have been leading had I included it in the context of the topic post.

After all, you don't want to point out the landmines. It's far more entertaining to put a puppy on the other side of the empty field and see who runs to get it! :)

[whipchick]

Agree on all counts :)

Also, have you read any Christopher Brookmyre? Because I think I have to send you some. Puppies and land mines.

[kathrynrose]

Did anyone *seriously* think that I would have used it if the intent wasn't obviously to explore and provoke?

Honestly? Yeah.

Because each person only submitted 2 topics, and my thought when I saw that was, "Damn, I wonder what that person's other topic was?"

And also, it's not like there's not enough Jeff Probst in you to make you like it a little when shit gets stirred.

[mzrowan]

That's probably more fun if you not the one getting blown up by a landmine. I mean, maybe you know for sure that there isn't anyone who would identify as Indian (in either sense) in this contest or reading the contestants' LJs, so you don't have to worry about anyone being offended, upset, or traumatized by suddenly stumbling across some racist writing about their culture on their friends page.

But I think you (or the original suggestor of the prompt) could have gotten the discussions you were looking for without putting particular cultural group(s) in the crosshairs. Maybe something like "Write about how your racial identity influences your writing".

As a sexual assault survivor, this prompt strikes me as about as "entertaining" as "Write about cock-teases" would be. I'm sure that would also be great fun for someone to "explore" and "provoke" who hasn't had to live with the negative effects rape culture every day of their life.