Brazen Bibliophage

By now you’ve probably heard the controversy surrounding The Black Witch by Laurie Forest. If you’ve been under a YA-lit rock, here’s a quick summary: an early reader went through and picked out every single example of racism, ableism, homophobia, and any hint of dismissiveness about nearly every marginalized group. It’s the new book for “social justice warriors” to hate and rail against. It’s the source of the latest persecution complex.

Instead of living with the lies about how enlightened or woke we are, authors are using fantasy and building fantastic worlds in which to illustrate societal ills such as racism, ableism, homophobia, sexism. And, oddly, some readers are treating these stories as if the stories are the problems, not society.

Fiction is the lie that tells the truth. It is a fabricated story in which we weave the stark realities that we don’t want to face. It puts our reality beneath a brighter, more incisive light, which allows us to explore other angles, all the crevices, the places our minds ignored.

If we refuse to face the realities of the world we live in, if we hide from the hard truths, we will never progress and we will never fix the problems we’re avoiding.

Note: I’d meant to address this excessive diatribe earlier this year, but personal issues quashed my desire to write and my ability to put myself out there. What I want is the story that sheds light on the lie I live under. A book that illustrates my struggles and allows me to work through them instead of continuing to live the lie. Instead of hiding from the reality of what my life has become.