Author News
Racist Book Covers: An Update
Last month Justin Taylor posted about the Justine Larbalestier cover controversy. (Recap: Larbalestier is an Austrailian author who’s YA novel is about to be released in America by Bloomsbury. Despite having a dark skinned heroine, Bloomsbury was all “Black people on book covers make them not sell” and they put a white girl on the cover. Larbalestier posted on her blog something like “Can You Believe These Chumps?” Instant controversy.)
So now Bloomsbury has changed the cover, despite having sent the white girl galleys out. There’s the new cover with a slightly European-looking dark-skinned lady on the cover. Now when I think of Bloomsbury I will just imagine Justin Timberlake with cornrows, trying to rap or prove that when called upon to do so, some white people can dance.
that new cover is way uglier than the racist cover.
that new cover is way uglier than the racist cover.
Book covers are 90% pictures of women or parts of women. People never get tired of looking at women it seems.
Book covers are 90% pictures of women or parts of women. People never get tired of looking at women it seems.
Or parts of women. But seriously- this is great news for Justine, and the world I guess.
Or parts of women. But seriously- this is great news for Justine, and the world I guess.
and listen lacey, knock timberlake all you want, but those two albums are pretty good, and i will enjoy listening to them a great deal for probably several more years, at the very least.
and listen lacey, knock timberlake all you want, but those two albums are pretty good, and i will enjoy listening to them a great deal for probably several more years, at the very least.
Not really. This woman is light-skinned. If the protag is a dark-skinned black woman, this is a pretty passive aggressive attempt at appeasement.
Not really. This woman is light-skinned. If the protag is a dark-skinned black woman, this is a pretty passive aggressive attempt at appeasement.
it’s also an even less attractive book color.
and besides, the white girl makes liar make even more sense right?
because then bloomsbury is also a liar right?
right?
anyone?
maybe?
whatever. i’m going to listen to futuresexlovesounds and feel good.
since i just watched let the right one in, and was almost in fucking tears.
it’s also an even less attractive book color.
and besides, the white girl makes liar make even more sense right?
because then bloomsbury is also a liar right?
right?
anyone?
maybe?
whatever. i’m going to listen to futuresexlovesounds and feel good.
since i just watched let the right one in, and was almost in fucking tears.
What was the designer trying to do with the first one anyway? That it was her beauty (hair) that meant she was never understood? They’re both pretty awful as covers go, but for YA maybe that’s just the accepted aesthetic? What the fuck do kids know about design.
What was the designer trying to do with the first one anyway? That it was her beauty (hair) that meant she was never understood? They’re both pretty awful as covers go, but for YA maybe that’s just the accepted aesthetic? What the fuck do kids know about design.
[…] HTMLGIANT takes another look at “Racist Book Covers“. […]
[…] From Salon, an article on Bloomsbury’s newest case of the white-outs. “Publishers whitens another heroine of color.” (You might remember that we bugged out about this the last time it happened too.) […]