We talked about this a bit at WisCon last year, and since I recently did great mental harm to you all by pointing out that “discussion” over on Jay Lake’s LJ, I thought I would do something constructive. I’m willing to host an in-depth discussion about cultural appropriation on the ABW so that we can attempt to cover all of the different angles and branches of the conversation as we usually cannot in a 90 minute panel discussion.
But before that happens I’d like to solicit input from veterans of these discussions for help determining the best way to begin, some links with background and context from other discussions (including the debate of DOOM from a few years ago), and suchlike. I guess it could also help if we had panelists, sort of, but I don’t know how that would work in an online context.
Suggestions, links, and direction appreciated.
You’re a better man than I, Gunga Din. (Quote chosen with irony intended.) I apparently have a mental block now when it comes to discussions of cultural appropriation, because I honestly start getting white noise in my head when I try to summon up specific resources and such any more.
I wanna see the Bingo card, though. So. Bad.
Would it be snarky to suggest a cultural appropriation bingo card?
Hell no! A good BINGO card is always needed.
And here I was about to try to give up snark for Lent.
Oh yes! More Sekrit POC Cabal, please. I’m happy to be a clip board gal again.
As silly as this might sound to some, a discussion on what cultural appropriation (at least to many of us who not only stuggle with others doing it TOO us, but then in our own writing being careful not to do the same to other cuture we write about) Most CA discussions seem to go around in circles, and I would like to be part of one personally where the particpants were there because they wanted to learn, not to argue somatics, if that makes sence.
Maybe the discussion should be split into 3 or 4 parts, the first one being a post to nail down what CA is and how the term will be used in the discussion.
hey, i suggest we all go off immediately and write up a briefish post on what cultural appropriation actually is. it’s true that i haven’t seen any posts on the basics. i’m inspired. i’m going to do that now.
okay, it took me a couple of days and it’s not brief at all, but here ’tis:
http://clairelight.typepad.com/seelight/2009/01/defining-cultural-appropriation.html
I liked Elizabeth Bear’s post from yesterday (http://matociquala.livejournal.com/1544111.html). She didn’t just point out the Epic Fail of others (although she did use some famous writers to illustrate her points), but also gave easy-peasy tips for writers to read and be like, “Well, duh,” even though they might not have written that way without having read the post.
This sounds like an awesome idea! Let me know how I can help? I’ve probably still got link roundups in my LJ somewhere (will look when I get back to the US). Maybe a list of recommended reading? And a post tracking assorted argument threads so people don’t keep saying the same thing? Although the latter might be difficult, but I wouldn’t mind doing the categorization. Also also, lemme know if you want anything up on the IBARW LJ.
Also also also, I was wondering if there would be another Sekrit POC Cabal meeting at Wiscon? Would also be willing to help with this!
yes, link roundups would be most helpful. I was even thinking that it might be a really good idea to have some sort of wiki about this. Obviously we can’t just throw one up in a couple of days. But over time it could evolve into something awesome. A whole nexus of information about cultural appropriation, the debates, the arguments from both sides, how it’s evolved.
But anyway, yes, categorization would be very, very helpful.
And yes, we must have sekrit cabal at wiscon!
http://www.granta.com/Magazine/92/How-to-Write-About-Africa?view=articleAllPages