When we talk about issues of representation, many editors say, “Where do I find writers of color?”
I’d like to start to answer that question by compiling a working list of writers of color, across genres. Please feel free to share some of the names from your rolodex, either in the comments or via e-mail (roxane at therumpus.net). Give a name, the genre(s) the writer works in, and one link to a personal website, work sample, or social media presence. In a few weeks, I’ll put it all together so we can build a good resource to work with.
46 responses
Stephen Graham Jones (Blackfeet) is the most exciting Native author writing these days. I recommend him often and ecstatically. He writes psychedelic tales of Indian Country, horror novels, and most recently a memoir, Growing Up Dead in Texas. His website is http://www.demontheory.net/
Some of these are going to be well-known/obvious, but here’s off the top of my head:
Matthew Salesses – Fiction, Non-, The Last Repatriate
Nicolas Castro – music writer/journalist
Angela Koh – poetry
Tracy K. Smith – Poetry, Life on Mars
Mensah Demary – fiction, non-, Specter Magazine
Tayari Jones – fiction, Silver Sparrow
Sherman Alexie – fiction, poetry, War Dances
Jamie Ford – Fiction, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
Kurt Tommy -aka ‘TK,’ senior news editor and writer at Pajiba
Colson Whitehead – fiction, Zone One
Rahul Meta – fiction, Quarantine: Stories
We’ll stop there for now and see if all this code I typed in appears correctly.
Haruki Murakami, Junot DÃaz and Jhumpa Lahiri being more obvious ones too for fiction.
Oscar Hijuelos, fiction, Thoughts Without Cigarettes
Nasim Marie Jafry, fiction, The State of Me
MarÃa Dueñas – fiction, The Time In-Between
Gilbert Hernández – graphic novels and comics, fiction, Love and Rockets
Clarence Lusane – non-fiction, journalist, The Black History of the White House
Charles Rice-González – fiction, Chulito: A Novel
Paulo Coelho – fiction, Eleven Minutes
Figgy – book reviews, contributor at Hot Ink
Glam Pornel – contributor at Hot Ink
(no links in this comment, but I sent you the email — this is just for everyone else in the meantime.)
Also, I forgot the accent mark with Nicolás Castro in the above comment.
(I must just like the prospect of making good lists since here I am again.)
Kameelah Janaan Rasheed (http://www.kameelahr.com/), non-fiction/photography, Specter Magazine
Teju Cole (https://twitter.com/#!/tejucole), fiction and non-, Open City
Tayari Jones, fiction.
Elaine Castillo, fiction and non-fiction.
Elissa Wald, fiction and non-fiction.
Ocean Vuong, poetry.
Leesa Cross-Smith, fiction.
Danielle Henderson, non-fiction.
And I’m a young lady of color who primarily writes fiction. 🙂
Doing this just made me realize that the vast majority of the male writers of color I read are already “famous” and/or dead. Huh.
Prageeta Sharma – poetry; INFAMOUS LANDSCAPES; (could not find personal site)
Leslie Marmon Silko – fiction; THE ALMANAC OF THE DEAD; http://literati.net/Silko/
One of my favorite writers in New Orleans:Lolis Eric Elie, a New Orleans newspaperman, takes us on a tour of the city – his city – in what becomes a reflection on the relevance of history folded into a love letter to the storied New Orleans neighborhood, Faubourg Tremé.”
http://www.loliselie.com/Main/mainframeset.html
“Don’t cry baby
Things is bound to change.
if I don’t bring no bacon in the winter,
Rest for sure, poor Lightnin’ bring it in the spring.”
My list. I apologize if this comes through twice.
Nnedi Okorafor YA fiction SCifi/fantasy http://nnedi.com/
Mary Anne Mohanraj fiction/non fiction erotica/sex
Nikki Giovanni poetry nikki-giovanni.com
Anthony Beal fiction Erotica/horror erotica http://theofficialanthonybeal.blogspot.com/
Juno Diaz Fiction http://www.junotdiaz.com/
Amy Tan Fiction, non fiction http://www.amytan.net
Patricia Hill Collins non fiction http://www.bsos.umd.edu/socy/people/pcollins.html
Cecilia Tan erotic fiction/fiction http://www.ceciliatan.com/
Sumayyah Talibah poetry/fiction http://tasherre.com/sumayyahsaidso/
Brandon Massey horror fiction http://www.brandonmassey.com
Rebecca Walker non fiction http://www.rebeccawalker.com/a
Zane erotic fiction http://www.eroticanoir.com/
That’s all I’ve got at the moment. I blame the aforementioned mensah demary.
Rickey Laurentiis – poet, http://rickeylaurentiis.com/
L. Lamar Wilson – poet, http://vinylpoetry.com/volume-4/page-2/
Jonterri Gadson – poet, http://www.pankmagazine.com/author/jonterri-gadson/
Metta Sama – poet, http://yesyesbooks.com/store/book/0201008/
Marcus Wicker – poet, http://vinylpoetry.com/volume-5/page-1/
Phillip B. Williams – poet, http://www.boxcarpoetry.com/025/williams_phillip_b_001.html
Hafizah Geter – poet, http://www.boxcarpoetry.com/027/geter_hafizah_001.html
Saeed Jones – poet, http://vinylpoetry.com/volume-5/page-43/
Lillian Yvonne Bertram- http://vinylpoetry.com/volume-4/page-15/
Krista Franklin – visual artist, poet, http://www.kristafranklin.com/
Derrick Austin – poet, http://www.storysouth.com/2010/09/where-ocean-meets-sky.html
Adrian Matejka – poet, http://adrianmatejka.com/reads/
Aricka Foreman – poet, http://vinylpoetry.com/volume-3/page-31/
Derrick Weston Brown – poet, http://washingtonart.com/beltway/dbrown2.html
Patricia Smith – poet, http://wordwoman.ws/
Evie Shockley – poet, http://redroom.com/member/evie-shockley
Many of these names are already established. While it’s great to see them here, I don’t see how mentioning NikKi Giovanni, Colson Whitehead, Sherman Alexie, or Patricia Smith is going to help a relatively unknown writer of color—or any other writer considered a minority—publish through the slush at a reputable literary magazine. And I’m assuming the topic here is how to make literary magazines more diverse through their selection of work via the slush, since it would be odd for a book editor to phrase the question in this way. It’s not anyone’s job to create “multicultural†reading lists for editors of major literary magazines who have access to Google.
How about this:
1) If you’re the editor of a literary magazine, exert more control over your readers (many of them are young grad students—many are undergrads, too–who still have a lot to learn, despite what they think). Demand that they move beyond what they “like†and “dislike†and take chances on work that doesn’t fit their worldviews, backgrounds, and/or experiences. This goes for stories about the working class and disabled, too, as well as work outside their region.
2) If you, the editor, notice that the genre editors are choosing stories that are all written by men, or all set in suburbia, or all written in the same voice, etc. demand answers. I’m sorry, but the notion that a journal is simply a repository of taste is a cowardly and lazy one, especially when “taste” so often dovetails racial, class, regional, and abled homogeneity
4) Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should apply rigid quotas to your selections, nor does it mean that you can control who submits to your magazine, but I’ve read slush at enough places to know thatwhat comes through is often more diverse than what editors claim…but if those editors are only seeing what the readers and genre editors pass up to them…how do they really know? As the saying goes, the hardest part of getting published is getting past the first reader.
“And I’m assuming the topic here is how to make literary magazines more diverse through their selection of work via the slush, since it would be odd for a book editor to phrase the question in this way.
I don’t want to speak for Roxane/The Rumpus, but given that there are also previous posts on here about the review content of larger publications, and how they too might not give someone like, say, Tayari Jones, as much attention as they give, say, I don’t know [male white writer here], that it’s not ONLY about literary magazines.
And I also don’t want to assume anything, but there’s something to be said for living in a literary corner of the internet, where certain names might seem obvious to Rumpus/Millions/Awl/etc. readers, that doesn’t necessarily mean they are to the general reading populace.
That’s not to say that you don’t have good points, Michael — I just don’t think it’s not valuable to list more well-known names along the lesser- or unknown.
Sara,
Yes, I’m aware of this ongoing conversation and the potential overlap, but I seriously doubt editors in charge of major book review sections are oblivious to these names, nor do I think a book review editor at the NYT or WashPo would say, “you know, even though I’m in charge of a major book review section, I can’t find any black or latino writers to review–it’s crazy! Can you help me out?!” The NYT and WashPo receive thousands of review copies a year, so it would be bizarre for an editor of a book review section to ask this question. Hence, my “assumption.” Plus, this question comes from editors of literary magazines at colleges and universities all the time.
I agree with you, however, that these lists are valuable to an extent.
To clarify the above–I’m not excusing the editors of major book review sections for their failure to review minority writers more often. If anything, I’m calling BS on the notion that such a question would actually be sincere. The question would seem to be a lot more sincere coming from the editor of a lit mag (even if misguided).
Jaiya John – poetry & non-fiction – http://www.soulwater.org
My early writing is primarily essays / non-fiction – http://www.orondeamiller.com, @orondemiller
Are you sure this isn’t an unbelievably wrong thing to do? What I mean is, are you planning to consult the writers before you place their names on a list? I think there’s a very high chance that many of them would be genuinely horrified and insulted to categorized by their race or ethnicity. Many, many writers just do not want to be defined that way. Many writers (and people in general), too, don’t feel comfortable having their names lumped onto widely-disseminated lists of any sort, even those having nothing to do with an issue as personal and sensitive as race.
I would strenuously ask you to reconsider what you doing. At the very least, I think if you don’t personally ask each writer whether they wish to be part of this list, there’s a very high chance you’ll do many of them a serious and lasting disservice.
I am sure this isn’t a wrong thing to do. This is just a list of writers of color. Where is the insult? Where is the disservice? Would you say the same thing to someone compiling a list of, I don’t know,[some characteristic] writers? I don’t want to be defined as writer of color. This list doesn’t seek to define writers as such. It seeks to identify writers editors and readers consistently say don’t exist. There will be no categorizing by any kind of specific race. The only categorizing involves genre. There are all kinds of lists of writers available on the Internet under a wide range of designations–experimental writers, romance writers, whatever. Permission gathering is… never required for these lists. Why would race be different? I definitely hear what you’re saying and well, this is something I hadn’t considered and will think about. Regardless, if someone had an objection to inclusion, their wishes would absolutely be respected.
Janice Harrington and Audrey Petty are two Illinois writers who have been publishing interesting and diverse (Janice works in both poetry and children’s fiction and Audrey in fiction and essays) work for some time now. Both deserve much more recognition than they’ve thus far received.
Janice Harrington: http://www.janiceharrington.com/poetry.html
Audrey Petty: http://creativewriting.english.illinois.edu/faculty/audrey_petty/
Wendy Xu — poetry — http://vinylpoetry.com/volume-5/page-35/
Nicholas Liu — poetry — edits http://unswept.org/
Michael J. Martin — poetry — http://anti-poetry.com/anti/martinmi/
Diana Salier — poetry — http://www.everyday-genius.com/2012/05/diana-salier.html
Feng Sun Chen — poetry — http://killauthor.com/issueeleven/feng-sun-chen/
Michael Koh — poetry — http://redlightbulbs.net/issue8/koh.html
Shanita Bigelow — poetry –http://naplitmag.com/issues/nap2_7/bigelow.html
I knew I’d forget someone whose book was sitting right here —
Don Lee, fiction, The Collective http://narrativemagazine.com/issues/stories-week-2011%E2%80%932012/orientation
1. Randa Jarrar – fiction (A Map of Home, etc), randajarrar.com
2. Patricia Engel – fiction (Vida), patriciaengel.com
3. Aimee Phan – fiction (We Should Never Meet, The Reeducation of Cherry Truong), aimeephan.com
4. Don Lee – fiction, don-lee.com
5. Saeed Jones – poetry, saeedjones.com
Hayan Charara – poetry, The Sadness of Others, The Alchemist’s Diary, etc.
6. Naomi Williams – fiction, naomijwilliams.wordpress.com
7. Alexander Chee – fiction, Edinburgh, alexanderchee.com
8. Krys Lee – fiction, Drifting House, kryslee.com
9. Lysley Tenorio – fiction, Monstress
10. Cathy Chung – fiction, Forgotten Country, catherinechung.com
11. Nami Mun – fiction, Miles from Nowhere
12. Reese Kwon – fiction, reesekwon.com
13. Marie Myung-Ok Lee – fiction, Somebody’s Daughter
14. Jamey Hatley – fiction, jameyhatley.wordpress.com
15. Kali Fajardo-Anstine – fiction, various short stories
16. Yuliana Kim-Grant – fiction, yulianakimgrant.com/
17. Yiyun Li – fiction, yiyunli.com
18. Victor LaValle – fiction, Slapboxing with Jesus, Big Machine, victorlavalle.com
19. Mat Johnson – fiction, Pym, Incognegro, etc., matjohnson.info
20. Viet Nguyen – fiction, various short stories
21. Kenji Liu – poetry, kenjiliu.com
22. Monique Truong – fiction, Monique-truong.com
23. Junot Diaz – fiction, junotdiaz.com
24. Cristina Garcia – fiction, Dreaming in Cuban, etc., cristinagarcianovelist.com
25. Elmaz Abinader – CNF, poetry, elmazabinader.com
26. David Mura – CNF, poetry, davidmura.com,
27. Willie Perdomo – poetry, willieperdomo.com
28. Monica Youn – poetry,
29. Matthew Salesses – fiction, matthewsalesses.com
30. Porochista Khakpour – fiction, porochistakhakpour.com
31. Min Jin Lee – fiction, minjinlee.com
32. Justin Chin – poetry, CNF, 98 Wounds, Bite Hard, Burden of Ashes, Mongrel, etc.
33. Roxane Gay – fiction, CNF, roxanegay.com
34. Youmna Chala – poetry, youmnachala.com
35. Eugenia Kim – fiction, eugeniakim.com
36. Allen Gee – fiction, Without
37. Lisa Marie Rollins – CNF, playwright, birthproject.wordpress.com/
38. Molly Gaudry – fiction, mollygaudry.com
39. Lee Herrick – poetry, leeherrick.com
40. Tayari Jones – fiction, tayarijones.com
41. Chris Abani – fiction, chrisabani.com
42. Carolina de Robertis – fiction, carolinaderobertis.com
43. Sarah Shun-Lien Bynum – fiction, Ms. Hempel Chronicles, Madeleine is Sleeping
44. Laila Lalami – fiction, lailalalami.com
45. Helie Lee – nonfiction, playwright, helielee.com
46. Sandra Park – fiction, If You Live in a Small House
47. Andre Yang – poetry
48. Jennine Capó Crucet – fiction, jcapocrucet.com
49. Sherman Alexie – fiction, fallsapart.com
50. Danielle Evans – fiction, daniellevalooreevans.com
51. Ed Lin – fiction, Snakes Can’t Run, edlinforpresident.com
52. Karissa Chen – fiction, karissachen.com
53. Stephanie D. Brown – fiction YA, scififanatic.livejournal.com
54. Evelina Galang – fiction, One Tribe, Screaming Monkeys, etc.
55. Ed Bok Lee – poetry, Whorled, Real Karoke People, etc.
56. Jessica Hagedorn – fiction, Dogeaters, Toxicology, etc.
57. Lac Su – CNF, I Love Yous Are For White People
58. Sung J. Woo – fiction, sungjwoo.com
59. Bryan Thao Worra – poetry, thaoworra.blogspot.com
60. Peter Ho Davies – The Welsh Girl, The Ugliest House in the World, etc.
61. Peter Tieryas Liu – fiction, tieryas.wordpress.com
62. Dickson Lam – fiction, CNF
63. ZZ Packer – fiction, Drinking Coffee Elsewhere
64. Gene Luen Yang – graphic novelist, American Born Chinese
65. Adrian Tomine – graphic novelist, Shortcomings
66. Louise Erdrich – fiction, Tracks, The Bingo Palace, etc.
67. Paul Yoon – fiction, Once the Shore
Thuy Dzuong-Nguyen, fiction/musician, The Truth Lenders http://truthlenders.com/
Some young Native poets to watch:
Sherwin Bitsui http://www.bitsui.com/
Jennifer Foerster http://www.drunkenboat.com/db15/jennifer-foerster
Santee Frazier http://santeefrazier.com/
dg okpik http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/21591
Orlando White http://www.orlandowhite.com/i-j.html
I’m 100 percent certain you don’t intend any insult. But making a list based on race or ethnicity is entirely different than making a list about experimental writers or genre writers, etc. The latter is based on critical judgment and it stems purely from the writers’ work. At the worst, writers will get upset about having their work misunderstood or pigeonholed (and many do get extremely upset about getting lumped into such lists). But that just goes with the territory.
But race (or sexual orientation or politic ideology or religious belief) is so deeply personal, and everyone–perhaps artists especially–responds differently to being publicly categorized by labels like that (you say the list will only ‘identify’ these too-overlooked writers, but effectively there is very little difference between being identified by a label and being defined by it).
I’m certain that many writers will salute you and be glad for your project. But I think you’d be surprised by how many will feel cheapened and objectified by it–by how many struggle at their work in part for the purpose of trying to transcend categorizations just like the one this list would formalize.
How is race personal, Sam? It’s not a choice. I don’t wake up and think, Hmmm. I’ll be Asian today and Latino tomorrow. It’s just… a characteristic you are given by birth. This doesn’t formalize anything. It isn’t a definitive list. It’s just a list, like oh, the Top 25 Black LGBT movers and shakers list, for example, featured today on The Root, or the 40 under 40 or any other list that identifies groups of writers or other people to pay attention to. I’d also add that not pigeonholing is not the responsibility of the writer. It’s the responsibility of the editor or reader not to assume that a writer of color is going to do a certain kind of writing. I’m not looking for salutation or anything like that. It’s just one idea. I appreciate your comments and will, as I said, keep this in mind.
Dilk Barber is a powerful young Redbeak/Earth Cloud writer.
Juan Felipe Herrera (CA poet laureate)
Vickie Vertiz (poety, fiction) http://vertiz.wordpress.com/
Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha (poetry) http://www.brownstargirl.org/
Ching-In Chen (poetry) http://chinginchen.com/
Barbara Jane Reyes (poetry) http://www.barbarajanereyes.com
Oscar Bermeo (poetry) http://www.oscarbermeo.com/
Suheir Hammad (poetry) http://www.suheirhammad.com/
Craig Santos Perez (poetry) http://craigsantosperez.wordpress.com/
I have no problem being placed on a list of writers of color and most writers of color I know wouldn’t mind either. It’s way too easy to find lists and lists of writers who are mostly white because the mainstream considers them the canon or what’s hot. But try to find writers whose backgrounds and aesthetics are closer to my own, and it’s like swimming upstream. We need a list of writers of color because white writers have received affirmative action for a long time.
@Sam: Not speaking for all writers of color, but I will speak for myself as a writer of color. This list doesn’t offend me at all. In fact, it EXCITES me. Whether I want to or not, I will always be identified as Asian American, and that’s cool by me. I am also a woman and will be identified as such. That’s cool by me.
I think the largest danger in identifying me as Asian American is in people seeing me as a stereotype. But this list is the least of that problem, and I see it doing waaaay more good than harm. I am sending preliminary kudos to Roxane for doing this.
The purpose of this list, as I understand it, is to respond to writers & editors who say “writers of color are hard to find.” The bigger travesty, I think, is in being invisible. So I’m all for this list. ALL FOR IT.
I am a writer of color and resources where I can find other writers of color absolutely matter to me and are incredibly important. And yes “big name” authors are just as important to have on the list being that even they are often overlooked when it comes to the industry.
If people think this list is unimportant don’t use it. Problem solved.
More:
Alicia Erian, fiction, The Brutal Language of Love (one of my favorite story collections).
Danielle Evans, fiction, Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self.
Molly Gaudry, poetry and non-fiction and creator of The Lit Pub.
James Schlatter, fiction, The Tar Painter.
Jenny Zhang, poetry and non-fiction, Rookie contributor.
Jason Mott, poetry and fiction, penandcape.com
@Shannon–It’s never bad to create lists of writers who are, to whatever degree, “under-represented.” However, the applicability of such lists and specific discussions about how they might be used is worth discussing, don’t you think?
I am a fan of Roxane Gay’s work and of this idea. Thank you, Roxane! And thanks to the other people who have added names, especially Christine, through whom I heard about this.
I have to keep this quick, but I wanted to recommend http://www.aaww.org (The Asian-American Writers’ Workshop) as a terrific resource. (My own particular experience is with the Workshop, but Kundiman, VONA, and Cave Canem also support writers of color—and I’m sure I’m missing other organizations.)
I’ll also mention a few writers AAWW showcased in an event last night:
Tania James, short story writer and novelist (ATLAS OF UNKNOWNS and now a new collection, AEROGRAMMES); also writes essays
Raj Parameswaran, author of the new story collection I AM AN EXECUTIONER
Xu Xi, fiction and essays (author of three novels and two story collections)
The Workshop’s executive director is Ken Chen, poet and essayist. (poetry collection: JUVENILIA)
and I’m V.V. (Sugi) Ganeshananthan, fiction and non-fiction (author of a novel, LOVE MARRIAGE) http://www.vasugi.com
(Apologies if this posts twice!)
Yes Michael it is worth discussing but not here right this second. Also there’s no need to use quotes with under represented because it is an actual thing.
Also given what a lot of editors say when pressed about the issue of representation, the excuses that there aren’t that many authors of color or that they can’t find them don’t know who they are etc etc; this is where the answer to that problem starts.
In the context of what Roxane is doing here right now, it is not an appropriate time to debate how you or anyone else feels about such a list it’s not about that right now. If you want to debate how applicable this list is to the literary world I would suggest you pitch that to the Rumpus and do it in a separate post. I don’t know if you intend it but the conversation you’re trying to start comes off as derailment and it’s really irritating.
More authors I like:
K. Temptest Bradford fiction/poetry/editor http://tempest.fluidartist.com/
Ibi Zoboi Fiction. YA/Sci fi/fantasi http://www.ibizoboi.com/
Sheree Renée Thomas Fiction/sci fi/fantasy http://www.aqueductpress.com/authors/ShereeThomas.html
Nisi Shawl Fiction/non fiction http://www.nisishawl.com/
Tasha Fierce non fiction http://www.sexandthefatgirl.com
Sabina England playwrite/poetry/non fiction http://www.sabinaengland.com/
Tannarive Due fiction http://www.tananarivedue.com/
There’s also no need for you get so defensive, make assumptions about my intentions, and overanalyze my use of quotation marks, as if I ever doubted it was a “real thing” (my initial post makes that rather clear–you should reread it).
Roxane’s initial post is also short and open-ended; even if one has followed her other posts, it can be interpreted/taken many ways, but I’m glad you’re more attuned to what she really meant and are better able to read between the lines and put me in my place.
Everyone on this thread supports the representation of diverse voices in the literary world.
Words and how things are said mean things which I’m sure you’re aware of Michael. Generally speaking when people use air quotes even on the internet it gives the impression that they are talking about something they doubt or don’t believe in.
If you seriously think that the whole issue of representation whether it’s race or gender can be summed up quickly and efficiently without open ended not book length posts, I really hate to break it to you but that’s not going to happen.
I think if you can’t interpret what has been said this is not the conversation for you. Further, if you think being told that your behavior is inappropriate is being put in your place I don’t know what to tell you. Maybe you should engage in other conversations where everyone will cater to whatever you want to talk about.
If you perceive someone being straight forward and blunt with you as defensive, that’s not really my issue. If you include yourself in the everyone who supports increasing the representation of people in the literary world, this would be a good time to demonstrate that by being quiet and watching the people who are reading between the lines and understand what Roxane meant in creating this list.
If none of that is clear enough for your taste I have nothing else for you.
Shannon,
You write that “words and how things are said mean things,” well, Shannon, if you had actually read my previous posts, you’d have a good context to not misconstrue my use of air quotes as suggesting that I doubt the issue’s veracity. Also, to further demonstrate your gross misrepresentation of what I actually wrote, let’s look at the sentence a little more closely, since you are so sensitive to “words and how things are said mean things”—Here’s what I wrote: “It’s never bad to create lists of writers who are, to whatever degree, ‘under-represented.’”
It’s pretty clear that I used air quotes to make a general statement about ANY SUCH list about minority writers (hence my use of “to whatever degree”). Taken with my previous posts, which open up the issue of identity at large, you would have to really reach to interpret my use of air quotes as expressing skepticism of the issue’s existence…because…well…it would contradict pretty much everything I’ve written on this thread.
The rest of your post isn’t worth responding to in detial because I’ve already addressed the problem–your blatant misrepresentation of what I wrote. I couldn’t care less about how “blunt” you are–I’m not easily intimidated–as long as you don’t attribute things to me that I didn’t say or even come close to implying. Is that clear enough for you?
Unless I missed them, here are some writers who haven’t been mentioned:
Lorraine Lopez (fiction)
Honoree Jeffers (poetry)
Crystal Wilkinson (fiction–if you haven’t read “Water Street,” you need to–now; it’s out-of-print, but there are plenty of used copies on Amazon. Amazing collection).
Jeffrey Renard Allen (fiction)
John Edgar Wideman (fiction)
Edward P. Jones (fiction)
Geronimo Johnson (fiction)
Raymond Andrews (fiction…author of, “Appalachee Red,” which won the James Baldwin prize…committed suicide in 1991–very under-appreciated writer).
Asha Bandale
Jaira Placide
Joanne Hyppolyte
Jessica Fievre
Zadie Smith
Chimamanda Adichie
J. California Cooper
Edwidge Danticat
Danielle Evans
Ferentz Lafarge
Walter Mosley
Nikki Finney
Jesmyn Ward
Terry McMillan
Stephen L. Carter
Shay Youngblood
Aisha Rahman
Kate Rushin
Paul Beaty
Pearl Cleage
Jamaica Kincaid
Michelle Cliff
Jacqueline Woodson
Rita Dove
Percival Everett
Danzy Senna
Nathalie Handal
Yusef Komunyakaa
Victor Lavalle
Emily Raboteau
Haki R. Madhubuti
Paul Marshall
Randal Keenan
Orlando Patterson
Jeffrey Allen
Daniel Alarcon
E. Ethelbert Miller
Walter D. Myers
Sonia Sanchez
Sapphire
Ntzoake Shange
Toni Morrison
Quincy Troupe
Alice Walker
Aimee Suzara (poet, playwright) – http://www.aimeesuzara.net
Christine Lee Zilka (fiction) – http://czilka.wordpress.com/
Patricia Ikeda (fiction, CNF) – http://mushim.wordpress.com/
Vanessa Huang (poet) – http://vanessahuang.com/
Shailja Patel (poet) – http://www.shailja.com/
Me! Ashley Cassandra Ford. Here’s something I wrote for The Rumpus https://therumpus-production.mystagingwebsite.com/2012/04/what-burns-in-the-pit/
The poets of the Dark Room Collective, listed in the most recent Poets & Writers: http://www.pw.org/content/dark_room_redux
Jericho Brown
Poetry, Non-fiction, Fiction, Drama
jerichobrown.com
Chandrahas Choudhury, fiction, http://middlestage.blogspot.in
Supriya Nair, non-fiction/journalism, http://www.livemint.com/articles/Authors.aspx?author=Supriya%20Nair&type=wa
Michiko Kakutani – Criticism
Lam Samatha Chang – Fiction
Hector Tobar – Pulitzer winning journalist and Fiction writer
Aldo Alvarez – Fiction and Poetry
John Keene – Fiction and Poetry
Ishmael Beah – Fiction
Bich Mihn Nguyen – Memoir and Fiction
Rahul Bhattacharya – Fiction and Non-Fiction
NgÅ©gÄ© wa Thiong’o – Fiction and Essay
Mohsin Hamid – Fiction
Dinaw Mengestu – Fiction
R. Zamora Linmark – Fiction
Grace Lin – Children’s
Diana Abu-Jaber – Fiction
Uzodinma Iweala – Fiction
Caryl Phillips – Fiction, Essay
Christopher Myers – Children’s
Anis Shivani – Criticism, Fiction, Poetry
Sigrid Nunez – Fiction, Biography
Gish Jen – Fiction
Sandra Cisneros – Fiction
Malcom Gladwell – Non-Fiction
Khaled Hosseini – Fiction
Fareed Zakaria – Pundit
Eldad Malamuth – Fiction
Kiran Desai – Fiction
Ha-Joon Chang – Non-Fiction
Uwem Akpan – Fiction
Dahr Jamail – Journalism and Non-Fiction
One more. Can’t believe I forgot Natasha Badwhar. She’s fantastic. Non-Fiction, personal essay. http://mydaughtersmum.blogspot.com/
Me – P.Allen Jones (Memoir)
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