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
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
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
Finally, I hope you’ve got folks in your life who shares your literary interests because, as Book Riot says, bookish friends are the best friends.