Last week, I mentioned there wouldn't be a newsletter this week because I'm on vacation, but we caught a rainy day today, and in a moment of radically magical thinking, I thought it might be the universe giving me an opportunity to check in with you all. There are some new faces around here this week, thanks to Issue #106 of "The Week In Newsletters" from Anna here at Revue, which generously featured my efforts here. Welcome, and thanks for being here! If you're part of the bookstagram community over on IG, you might have seen posts about a certain book blogger who decided to throw a tantrum because she was told (gently! respectfully!) by a publisher that BIPOC reviewers were being prioritized to receive physical ARCs (advance review copies) for an upcoming title. The book was written by a BIPOC author, for a BIPOC audience, and so it stands to reason that a publisher would want to secure reviews from the title's target readership ahead of publication. This white bookstagrammer proceeded to ask if she would be given priority for future releases from white authors.If you physically gasped or gagged or rolled your eyes so hard you think they might be permanently stuck that way, you are not alone.White fragility is an embarrassing scourge generally, but when it intrudes on sacred space -- the space around storytelling, author support, and the spirit of generosity that should permeate the book community -- it's especially repugnant. Let's not forget that this reviewer has the same chance as the rest of us to buy the book on release day and post a review at her leisure; her upset is about not being given something for free in advance of its general availability. The entitlement inherent to this kind of thinking is abhorrent, but carries an important gut-check: What do we believe we deserve? What do we think we are owed?In scanning responses to the reviewer's outrage, one post said: "When you're used to privilege, equality can feel like oppression." This idea struck to the heart of me, and maybe it resonates with you, too. I'm going to be thinking about this a lot, not only because the truth of it is so pure, but because it calls me in to examine how I interact with the world around me. Now more than ever, we can't hide from ideas that challenge our relationship to the world beyond our direct experience.If you're on IG, I hope you'll join me in following some of the BIPOC creators/bookstagrammers/reviewers who are doing the hard, soulful work of educating the ignorant (myself included). In particular, I've been appreciating Jina (@romanticdeception) and Jayanna Monique (@_litmedown). Jayanna's powerful response to this situation is available in her story highlights, and I can't recommend strongly enough that you watch it in full. Her words will undoubtedly resonate with you as they have for me, especially this: "You can keep the f*cking ARC if I can have your civil rights." The internet can be an ugly place, but it is also an invaluable resource for self-education and -improvement, meaningful allyship, and the destruction of pervasive, insidious white supremacist ideology. Join me in seeking out the creators who challenge our internalized beliefs and unconscious biases. We can be better, if we resolve to listen close and take to heart the words that echo long after we've logged off.
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Reading & Writing With Rebecca: Issue 21
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Last week, I mentioned there wouldn't be a newsletter this week because I'm on vacation, but we caught a rainy day today, and in a moment of radically magical thinking, I thought it might be the universe giving me an opportunity to check in with you all. There are some new faces around here this week, thanks to Issue #106 of "The Week In Newsletters" from Anna here at Revue, which generously featured my efforts here. Welcome, and thanks for being here! If you're part of the bookstagram community over on IG, you might have seen posts about a certain book blogger who decided to throw a tantrum because she was told (gently! respectfully!) by a publisher that BIPOC reviewers were being prioritized to receive physical ARCs (advance review copies) for an upcoming title. The book was written by a BIPOC author, for a BIPOC audience, and so it stands to reason that a publisher would want to secure reviews from the title's target readership ahead of publication. This white bookstagrammer proceeded to ask if she would be given priority for future releases from white authors.If you physically gasped or gagged or rolled your eyes so hard you think they might be permanently stuck that way, you are not alone.White fragility is an embarrassing scourge generally, but when it intrudes on sacred space -- the space around storytelling, author support, and the spirit of generosity that should permeate the book community -- it's especially repugnant. Let's not forget that this reviewer has the same chance as the rest of us to buy the book on release day and post a review at her leisure; her upset is about not being given something for free in advance of its general availability. The entitlement inherent to this kind of thinking is abhorrent, but carries an important gut-check: What do we believe we deserve? What do we think we are owed?In scanning responses to the reviewer's outrage, one post said: "When you're used to privilege, equality can feel like oppression." This idea struck to the heart of me, and maybe it resonates with you, too. I'm going to be thinking about this a lot, not only because the truth of it is so pure, but because it calls me in to examine how I interact with the world around me. Now more than ever, we can't hide from ideas that challenge our relationship to the world beyond our direct experience.If you're on IG, I hope you'll join me in following some of the BIPOC creators/bookstagrammers/reviewers who are doing the hard, soulful work of educating the ignorant (myself included). In particular, I've been appreciating Jina (@romanticdeception) and Jayanna Monique (@_litmedown). Jayanna's powerful response to this situation is available in her story highlights, and I can't recommend strongly enough that you watch it in full. Her words will undoubtedly resonate with you as they have for me, especially this: "You can keep the f*cking ARC if I can have your civil rights." The internet can be an ugly place, but it is also an invaluable resource for self-education and -improvement, meaningful allyship, and the destruction of pervasive, insidious white supremacist ideology. Join me in seeking out the creators who challenge our internalized beliefs and unconscious biases. We can be better, if we resolve to listen close and take to heart the words that echo long after we've logged off.