The Virginia G. Piper
Center for Creative Writing

Spirited conversation. Literary culture. Every first Thursday at Valley Bar. Get Lit.

This month: Who Can Tell a Story? with Michelle Malonzo

Now more than ever we are questioning who has the right to tell someone else's story. Recently New York Magazine's Vulture dedicated a whole section on the "Politics of Fiction" and writers Alexander Chee and Lila Shapiro addressed this at length. In the industry today there is more and more discussion about what is an #ownvoices novel and what is not. #ownvoices simply means the protagonist and the author share a marginalized identity. But what about those books published that aren't #ownvoices books? It begs the question(s): Who owns a story? Is it enough to do research? What does it mean to be an ally? How does the marginalized experience vary across time and territory? How does it intersect with class? What are the responsibilities of the publisher when they’re publishing a non #ownvoices book? (What is the color of the publishing industry?) Is this a story we’ve heard before? Should we be wary of that? Is this novel raising awareness about an issue? Is it profiting from it?

Thursday, December 5, 2019. Join Michelle Malonzo, book buyer at Changing Hands, 2019 Kirkus Prize Judge for Fiction, Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association board member and member of the American Booksellers Association Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for a conversation on the politics of publishing, diversity within the book industry and who gets to write the "other."

Please note: RSVPs are purely for the purposes of monitoring attendance, gauging interest, and communicating directions, logistics, and other information about the event. You do not have to register or RSVP to attend this event. Seating is first-come, first-served. Guests must be 21 or older. This event is open to the public and free.