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Around The Web: Ableism, diversity, friendship and Black History Month

Welcome back, readers! This week’s I’m sharing a personal column by A.H. Reaume on disability and ableism, a look at Barnes and Noble’s controversial diversity project, a bunch of Black History month reading recommendations, and a short appreciation post on bookish friends.


How Ableism Affects Writing

person writing

A.H. Reaume has written a column for Open Book in which she shares how the ableism of those around her has affected her writing, slowing down and even stopping her work on a novel. If you’ve experienced similar situations, I hope this shows you that you’re not alone. And I hope it makes everyone more aware of how we treat one another.



Barnes and Noble’s Diversity Misstep

Image: TBWA\Chiat\Day\New York


Publishing continues to find itself under fire for diversity issues. Earlier this week, Barnes & Noble announced a new series of “diverse” classic book covers. Yes, book covers, not books. The bookseller hoped repackaging tales like Romeo and Juliet and The Wizard of Oz with BIPOC characters on the covers would allow more people to “see themselves in a story,” but reactions were not positive. Many say the covers miss the point of calls for representation entirely and some saying the whole thing is literary blackface. The Guardian covers the story in more detail.




Black History Month Books

African American woman

Of course, reading diverse year round is always recommended, but since it’s Black History Month, let’s look at some recommendations. Epic Reads has shared a list of YA titles, CBC shared six Canadian writers of Black heritage to watch in 2020, and Bustle shared Black History Month books chosen by Goodreads Users. Happy reading!


An Ode to Bookish Friends

A group of people reading






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