One Black Writer at a Time -- ep. by Howard Rambsy II

A brief take on the media’s narrow focus on a select few Black writers

Script by Howard Rambsy II
Read by Kassandra Timm

Transcript

For decades, Black writers and commentators have pointed out that mainstream media often focuses on one standout Black writer at a time.

 But is it really just one? In fact, we can name a dozen Black writers who have received widespread media attention over the last decade: Ta-Nehisi Coates, Colson Whitehead, Jesmyn Ward, Claudia Rankine, Chimamanda Adichie, Zadie Smith, Edwidge Danticat, Edward P. Jones, N. K. Jemisin, Percival Everett, and the late, great Toni Morrison.

 This list may seem substantial, but it becomes less so when we consider that more than one thousand Black writers published literature during the same period.

 You’re listening to Remarkable Receptions — a podcast about popular and critical responses to African American novels, artistic productions, and more.

 In 1963, the respected novelist and critic John A. Williams observed that only one Black writer at a time received significant media attention. At that moment, it was James Baldwin. Before Baldwin, it was Richard Wright, and before him, Langston Hughes.

 Over the years, various literary observers echoed Williams’s sentiments, expressing frustration over the narrow spotlight on Black writers.

 While it's true that multiple Black writers have won awards and received media attention, and some even in the same time period, the relative proportion remains small. The number of those celebrated remains less than one percent of published Black writers.

 Perhaps it's inevitable that media outlets would focus on a select few. After all, experts with in-depth knowledge of African American literature are rarely in positions to influence literary coverage in major publications. As a result, representations of Black writers and their work are often limited.

 So whether it’s one literary artist or one percent, the truth remains: too few Black writers receive the remarkable receptions they deserve.

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This episode was written by Howard Rambsy. The episode was edited by Elizabeth Cali.

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This podcast, Remarkable Receptions, is part of the Black Literature Network, a joint project from African American literary studies at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and the History of Black Writing at the University of Kansas. The project was made possible by the generous support of the Mellon Foundation.  For more information, visit blacklitnetwork.org.