Do bookstores still need black sections?
Posted by: Rich Watson on March 6, 2009 at 2:42 am
“…Years ago when my local Waldenbooks first began separating black fiction from the general fiction section, I spent hours kneeling in front of the shelves, loving the fact that the books I enjoyed had be given special treatment. Indeed, the sign above the books was more than just a sign; it was a celebration that legitimized the value of black writing. Today the signs are becoming the bookstore equivalent to all those streets named after Martin Luther King, Jr. – superficial gestures that do not always translate into a meaningful selection of material. Booksellers have become lazy, relying too much on the market boom in black urban, inspirational, and erotic fiction. I used to let the major stores off the hook for promoting ‘what sells,’ but if this were true, then it seems to me that they would offer nothing but New York Times best-sellers, porn, and books about Elmo.”
Hmmm. I first discovered James Baldwin through the black section of a bookstore. I remember at least one time when I was a comics retailer that a black customer came in wanting to know where the black comics were. A major reason why I started the GCAs was so lesser known books and creators could get the recognition they deserve without relying on a more mainstream institution like the Eisners or Harveys. I can see the merit in having that separation. If we’re talking about expanding the audience for black authors, however, I’m willing to entertain the possibility that it’s an idea that has perhaps outlived its usefulness.
Specialized sections in bookstores – like, say, the graphic novels section – do tend to attract people that already have a vested interest in that subject, but they can also act as a beacon for a general interest type willing to “go slumming.” And not just bookstores – I’ve worked in enough video stores to know that many people have an aversion to world cinema (fear of subtitles, for one thing), but if the films of say, Mira Nair, were shelved in general drama, I’m willing to bet they might get a second look at the very least… but movies are not books.
I need to give the matter more thought.
4 Responses to "Do bookstores still need black sections?"
1 | Claudia
I first discovered James Baldwin through the black section of a bookstore.
I can completely relate to what you are saying on this – for me it was Frederick Douglass’ narrative. But I wonder how likely is it that you would find that same Baldwin book in the black section today? (Squeezed perhaps between five copies of Every Thug Needs a Lady – LOL) So many terrific black books run the risk of being lost and swallowed up in a section simply labeled by genre, but I think it would be worth it in the long run.
And I definitely agree with what you’re saying about the value and necessity of the GCAs. Wouldn’t it be awesome to see a display table or endcap in your local B&N of Glyph award winners!!!
2 | Rich Watson
Actually, there’s a comic shop in New York that had a little tag next to their copies of Lance Tooks’ DARLIN’ NIKI that said “Glyph Award winner.” Don’t know if it’s still there.
Excellent point about the rise of the “ghetto” books – they’ve reached the point where they’ve almost become a sub-genre in their own right. And when I was still in NYC, I’d see lots of young people on the bus reading them.
I think another problem with the black section is you’ve got fiction and non-fiction together a lot of the time, and that tends to limit the amount of material available. What if there were a non-fiction “black studies” section and the fiction books were integrated into general fiction?
This is a tough call. I’ve discovered lots of good work in the black book section. On the other hand, I hate seeing good work mixed in with a bunch of junk.
I’m worried that without a specific section for African American novels, a lot of good authors will be lost in the shuffle. Instead, I think that there should be spotlight work or recommended reading among the African American books. I’d never have discovered new voices like Tananarive Due or even Brandon Massey if I hadn’t been desperate to read material with MY face in it.
When authors get large enough, however, like Walter Mosley, the question becomes should their work be in both places? Their genre AND black titles?
