Why I Read #ownvoices Books by Barbara Binns

Hi everyone! 

I am Young Adult and Middle Grade author Barbara Binns, writer of contemporary and realistic fiction for adolescents and teens. As my tagline says, I write Stories of Real Boys Growing Into Real Men - and the people who love them. 

This has been a chameleon month for me, and I apologize for posting this late. But my mind rotated between three subjects and I'm not the worlds fastest thinker.

First, I intended to continue the theme of last month's post and the RWA implosion. But everything I could say sounded bad and sad inside my head. The only encouraging notes - the potential that a new organization may rise from the ashes. I know, technically RWA still exists, but even the positive aspects of the situation, including the deep discounts for the conference, seem a little like fire sale desperation.

Then I decided to write about my writing process and the subject of theme. A slightly more positive subject, even though my process even frustrates me sometimes. But it also felt a little self-serving and boringly repetative.

The American Dirt controversy gave me this subject. I know its not Romance, but I am a bit of an eclectic reader. I used to read about three of four books a week, but that was before I began writing. Now I am closer to one book every two weeks, writing is a total time suck. That means I am careful before selecting that one book.

American Dirt will not be one of those books. Not because of the controversy or some kind of personal censorship. It's because of a love I have for #ownvoices and what they bring to a story vs someone trying to tell another persons story. It's the difference between hearing from someone who has "been there, done that, and got the t-shirt," and from someone who "got the t-shirt."  There will always be differences between how they tell a story, and how much blood, sweat and tears drip from the pages.

I want the blood, sweat and tears a good author can insert on the pages.

What I do want to talk about is an #ownvoices book I recently read, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika Sanchez. It's the story of a first generation Mexican-American teen dealing with conflicts in her family and the death of her "perfect" sister. Not a romance, but it deals with so many of the same issues and themes I see in my own writing: family and guilt.

The "been there, done that" background of the author puts insight into the culture on the page as the main character, Julia, struggles through her grief and plans to escape from her family. Her parents let her know she is not the perfect girl her sister was. Julia's own guilt reminds her that her sister would still be alive if their mother had not been in the prinicpal's office dealing with her problems.  Now mother  seems to live to point out Julia's problems.
The emotions feel boh real and raw. I got both the uniqueness and cultural differences of her situation, and the many points of congruency between her issues and those of other teens from different backgrounds. Added plus, the story takes place in Chicagogiving me a recognizable view of my lovely city.

Because I no longer have time to read as widely as I used to, I feel a need to get the most out of every book. There is a difference between a story written by someone who feels an issue deep in their bones, and someone who heard about the issue. No amount of immagination can breach that difference. To me, it's the difference between a memoir and a biography. There is a place for both in the writing world, a need for both #ownvoices and stories told from research/imagination. That is why I would never attempt to censor any book. My reading life simply has a need for the blood on the page that imagination and research cannot supply. If you want an authentic experience, consider I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter.