#Noone likes an angry giant. full

There would be a RUMBLE in that aisle and then the Women’s Studies books would cluck their tongues and the Asian Books would shake their heads and soon, everyone would want to riot. My books would be cranky in the African American section because they would want to kick the asses of books written by Maya Angelou. I’m sure every black writer has a different opinion on the subject but I would prefer my books to be found in the fiction section because that’s what I write. I understand, historically, why there was a need for the term African American books to exist and why the little section in the bookstore was (is) needed but at the same time, I personally think that when you start to segregate books what you’re saying is that some of these things are not like the others. What does this image have to do with writing? What is the message PW is trying to convey? This image is offensive and weird and creepy and that the people involved in the editorial process didn’t stop to ask themselves how this image might be perceived is kind of funny and very sad.

#Noone likes an angry giant. full

Why not just have Venus Hottentot bare breasted and holding a book parading around the cover? Also, can we talk about the fact that black people haven’t had afros that required picking for roughly 20 years, save for a few people who like a little throwback and even then, they aren’t walking around with a head full of picks? The saddest detail of all may well be the black power fist at the end of each pick (see: Black Panthers, 1960s, things we have let go). The black woman as the exotic, wild creature with crazy hair is not, perhaps, the wisest choice of images. I don’t even know where to begin in deconstructing this bizarre image.

Once again demonstrating a baffling deafness for tone and a pathetic grip on reality, Publisher’s Weekly offers this as the current issue’s cover: