A Bad Idea I Can’t Seem to Quit
On fiction, truth, and writing about race.
An essay about the good work of Percival Everett and the process of hiring a sensitivity reader for my novel.
“I am surprised to find, now that I re-read the feedback, that I actually adhered to the advice given six years ago. The race of my characters is central to the story. And yet, even with my best efforts at respect and years of deep listening and wide reading from Black voices, I do expect to receive criticism. I’m welcoming criticism at this stage. In fact, I am paying for it.”
“If you're not making mistakes, you're not learning.”
― Percival Everett, James