About WriteBlack

Welcome to WriteBlack, where I write about the vagaries of the publishing industry and occasionally praise, occasionally criticize and always pick the nits of books written by black authors — with special attention paid to genre writers. All in love, of course.

What’s a genre novel? For our purposes, let’s say it’s sci-fi, romance, mystery and maybe a little horror (mmm, vampires).

So why genre novels? Because I like ‘em.

Yeah, yeah, I know. You think they’re trashy. That they’re a waste of good paper. That they’re intellectually deadening.

Whatever. I’ve heard it all.

Just because the books aren’t Morrison or Wright or Walker doesn’t mean they don’t have something to tell us about our fears, our loves and the ways we see the world.

And Lord knows they’re more fun to read (Really, have you honestly tried to get through Toni Morrison’s last book? It may have been gloriously literary, but it was deadly. Deadly, y’all. And I love myself some Toni).

Does this mean I don’t read literary fiction, nonfiction or books by non-black authors?

Are you nuts? Of course I do. I’m not completely daft, and although my interests and attention span are only about an inch deep, it’s not an exaggeration to say they’re miles wide.

But this is mostly, although not entirely, a space for genre novels by black authors. It’s a place for me to take these books seriously — and sometimes, not so seriously.

I can’t promise I’ll get to everything. I do have a job and something of a life, after all. You also should know there are some authors I just don’t do; this is generally not the place to find reviews of Zane’s books (or most erotica, for that matter). And although I’m not making any promises, I doubt you’ll find anything about Eric Jerome Dickey’s books here, because he generally makes my slapping hand itch.

But when you are here, I’ll try not to bore you. I hope I’ll make
you angry sometimes, laugh sometimes and nod in agreement at other times.

Thanks for reading.