Haven’t been writing much- Negative Imagery in fictional books.
I am a busy bee let me tell you. School is kicking my tail end. Next semester remind me not to take 5 classes. Want to see what I have been working on? This is part of my database homework:
Yeah boyyyeeee! Database city! You don't have to understand it. Just as long as my teacher does (that in my incoherent babblings) we will be okay.
I wanted to talk to you guys today about something that kind of seriously bothered me. Negative imagery of natural hair in books.
Now, I know there are a lot of books out there that show us and tell us how to embrace our hair. Case and point:
And this is fine and dandy, this is great! But what about, every day books? Books you just happen to pick up and read for fun.
Lately I've been on a Vampire/Zombie kick. Don't judge me. I enjoy the books. There is a series currently out called "House of Night" I started reading them a couple of years ago. They are by a mom and daughter writing duo named PC and Kristin Cast. Here is a photo:
Picture from Here
I happened to pick up the first book in the series yesterday for a re-read. It is called Marked. When I read this before, I wasn't on my natural hair journey, so I wasn't as sensitive to the imagery. Here are some passages:
I was just getting ready to ask for more of an explanation when a girl rushed up and, with a big huff, slid herself and her tray into the booth beside Stevie Rae. She was the color of cappuccino (the kind you get from real coffee shops and not the nasty, too-sweet stuff you get from Quick Trip) and all curvy with pouty lips and high cheekbones that made her look like an African princess. She also had some seriously good hair. It was thick and fell in dark, glossy waves around her shoulders.
For the record, I would like to say that the main character in this book is a Caucasian, female, age 16. I have never heard a Caucasian female use the term "good hair." It is sort of a derogatory term that African Americans have seemed to coin. Hmmm.. Let's check out another passage shall we?
Two girls were standing behind her, dressed in much the same way. One was black, with impossibly long hair (must be a really good weave).
So in the first couple chapters of the book, you learn that all vampires have long hair. It's one of the things that they do; their hair just grows impossibly long. Why does hers, have to be a weave?
I could go on and on about this, there is a passage in the book about someone having hair that looks like "It never has the nerve to nap up."
It makes me tired, and it makes me sad. What about you? What could be done to combat this imagery?
It can’t be heat damage…. could it?
Don't forget I have a contest going on!
My hair at the base back of my head is really REALLY weird. It's straight. No curl at all. Not even a little bit. Furthermore, it is a kinky straight. When i say that, i mean that it doesn't hang limply. It kind of looks like it wants to curl, but it won't.
It is not a huge deal, because you rarely see it, but I have heard of women having "heat trained" hair. Which is just, heat damage in my opinion. So I am wondering if this is the case. I have not used a blow dryer, curling iron, etc, in well over a year. Any thoughts you may have on this, I would love to hear.
Espionage Cosmetics
