As an avid reader, I was recently prompted by some comments on another blog to make a critical examination of my reading list. The bloggers in that particular discussion were sharing with one another their book recommendations and I noticed that every one of the authors mentioned were Western white males. Since it is a blog that appeals mainly to progressive types, I was surprised and I prepared to post my enlightening observation.
But then it occurred to me that I should probably inventory my own reading material first. So I got up and went around the house and collected the last 26 books I’d purchased and read. And 22 were written by Western white males. Three by women and one (ONE!) by a two/thirds world author. Yikes! Suddenly I didn’t feel so self-righteous.
It was a good wake-up call and I’ve set a goal for myself for 2007: I need to broaden my reading list. I need to hear more diverse voices, more people of color, more women and especially, more non Westerners.
* Can you recommend some books for me that represent more diverse voices and communities?
February 1, 2007 at 11:03 pm |
for woman authored books, one of my most recent favorites is called Gilead by Marilynn Robinson (i think).
For non-western lit…man, that’s a touch one, my wife was really into an Indian woman author for awhile, but I just can’t remember her name.
February 9, 2007 at 10:38 pm |
It might have been Arundhati Roy – She wrote God of Small Things. Fantastic book, and Roy is quite the activist in India too.
Some of my favorites U.S. writers are Sherman Alexie, Cornel West, Toni Morrison, Sandra Cisneros, and Richard Rodriguez. Naguib Mahfouz was a fantastic Egyptian writer, and not too terribly difficult to read. Chinua Achebe is a great African novelist. Elena Poniatowska is a Mexican writer who does great creative non-fiction. For poets, I dig Gwendolyn Brooks and Wislawa Symborska. Ivo Andric is a Bosnian writer – a little slow, but good stuff.
Just in case you need some suggestions to get started…