Such a dust-up over this ‘Dirt’
Regarding “‘Dirt’ Was the Story, for the Wrong Reasons” by Jess Row [Feb. 2]: As soon as I heard about “American Dirt” I wanted to read it. I have followed what has been happening in Mexico for the past four decades, since teaching first grade at El Colegio Americano de Durango, a private school in Durango, Mexico.
I am sickened to my core every time I read about the horrors that have been inflicted upon the Mexican people by drug cartels. The points made by Row in the latest piece about “American Dirt” are definitely concerning. And the many pieces that have discussed the publishing world and how hard it is for Latino authors to have their stories told is something that needs to change. Yes, choosing barbed wire as the book cover was in poor taste. But the horrors of the drug cartels in Mexico are completely ignored in each and every article I’ve read. Ellen Dorfman Goldenberg Seal Beach ::
If white people can only write about white people, that must mean Hispanics can only write about Hispanics and black people can only write about black people. So, goodbye “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Goodbye “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” Apparently, all writers are now constrained to writing autobiographies, lest they be accused of cultural appropriation. Oh, sorry: goodbye “Black Like Me,” too, I guess.
I’m a liberal, but, God, we can be tiresome. Barry Davis Agoura Hills
The publisher of “American Dirt,” by touting claims that this book “defined the migrant experience,” handed out the pitchforks and lit the torches for the mob hungry for the author’s head. The author never made such claims about her novel, and judging by the reactions of many readers, she not only told a good story, she brought to light many of the gruesome experiences faced by migrants.
If an author deliberately sets out to malign, impugn, degrade or debase others on the basis of race, class, gender or age, she or he should never be rewarded with publication. However, if we silence the voices of those with good stories to tell, we will be, in a sense, burning books before they ever hit the shelves. Mollie Tammone
Oceanside