Our combined meeting to discuss Yellowface by R.F. Kuang was large and low-key, with the Social Justice Book Club moderator, Faith, leading. As the discussion bounced about the table, or perhaps actually rolled at crisscross angles, we started with cultural appropriation and one of us even mentioned the old saying that “the victor writes the history.”^[i] What is culture? One of us believes that culture as we know it probably won’t exist in 50 or 100 years. Things constantly change. We also asked, when is it okay to write another person’s story? 

Many of us, who are white and older, don’t see a problem with writing outside our cultural background, but we didn’t discuss any of this in enough detail, because we agreed that it is a complex issue. A Social Justice Book Club member said that she did think the race of the author matters and she seeks out books by people of color both to support their efforts but also because their stories better reflect her reality and interests. She mentioned Octavia Butler^[ii] and how few black writers succeed in publishing science fiction. I handed out an article about “What’s Wrong with Cultural Appropriation,”^[iii] just to help us have a common understanding of the issue from a different racial/cultural perspective.

One of us believed the main character and narrator, Juniper, was insecure and that her problems stemmed from her mother’s favoritism for the more traditional sister Rory. Faith asked if June’s goal to be a writer was to write or to become a famous writer. We agreed that she didn’t seem to do much actual writing. We were horrified by the internet trolling. Many of us were surprised that Yellowface was published, given that it skewered the publishing industry. We wondered about how what we read is controlled by what is published, and even by what the library makes available. We noted, however, how much more prevalent self-publishing is now. Will that help? Then one of us said that he found this book to be just very sad and depressing. I can’t say that anyone disagreed. 

No one seemed to like June, why did the author choose her as the narrator? One of us (visiting from South Carolina!) had researched and found that the story just sprang from R.F. Kuang’s head like Athena from Zeus, fully formed. I found an interview between the author, R.F. Kuang and Zakiya Dalila Harris, author of The Other Black Girl. The authors talk about writing and race and expectations. If you are interested, I recommend it. In that interview, R.F. Kuang said, “The reason why it was so easy to write from June’s perspective was because I know June . . . she’s all the white paranoias, and suspicions, and jealousies, and arrogance that I’ve dealt with.”^[iv]

Several people stopped by the desk at the library, considering Yellowface for checkout but ultimately being disappointed that it wasn’t about Asian culture and people. Is it? What does that even mean? Although it is always exciting to see so many of us coming together for a shared experience through a book, it is difficult to hear and make sure everyone has a say, especially in an hour – but it is a start. I also discussed this with the Whitney Recreation Senior Center book club. In that meeting, we asked why publishers shouldn’t focus on the books the buying public wants? If it’s working, why take the risk? We also touched on the reality of the Chinese Labour Corps: the forgotten of the forgotten. What else have we forgotten? Who will write those stories? Who will read them?

• OTHER WORKS DISCUSSED:
• American Dirt (2020) by Jeanine Cummins
• Kindred (1979) by Octavia Butler
• The Last Story of Mina Lee(2020) by Nancy Jooyoun Kim
• Recitataf (1980/2022) the only short story by Toni Morrison
• Take a look and consider some of our previous selections

• OUR WORD CATCHER SELECTIONS:
• Pandan extract – “It’s fragrant and herbal, like you’re taking a big breath of the forest.” Athena choking on neon-glow green pancakes. (page 17)
• Bougie –  “Sometimes Disparaging. relating to or characteristic of a person who indulges in some of the luxuries and comforts of a fancy lifestyle.” (page 1 *)
• Epistemological – “a branch of philosophy that investigates the origin, nature, methods, and limits of human knowledge” (page 104 *)
• Hegemony – “leadership or predominant influence exercised by one nation over others, as in a confederation.” (page 145 *)

*definition from dictionary.com, which is based on the Random House Dictionary.

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^[i] When I started to research this saying, I was surprised to find how controversial it is. I saw reference to it as a tired-old saying, and I think we could have an entire discussion on this topic alone! In previous discussions, we have noted how time, the minute you move past an experience, alters your memory of it. This could definitely have applied to the narrator of Yellowface! 

^[ii] Octavia Butler (1947 – 2006) “In 1995, Butler was the first science fiction author awarded a prestigious MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, cementing her contributions to the literary world. . . Today, Butler is considered the ‘mother of Afrofuturism,’ and her vision remains relevant and critical in conversations about racial equity and social justice. Her work continues to inspire new generations of creators to explore the intersections of race, identity, and science fiction. In a 1999 journal entry, Butler reflected on her literary journey, saying, ‘I never bought into my invisibility or non-existence as a Black person. As a female and as an African American, I wrote myself into the world. I wrote myself into the present, the future, and the past.’” 

Remembering Afrofuturist Octavia Butler. National Museum of African American History and Culture. (2023, March 30). https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/remembering-afrofuturist-octavia-butler

^[iii] Johnson, M. Z. (2020, August 14). What’s wrong with cultural appropriation? these 9 answers reveal its harm. Everyday Feminism.  https://everydayfeminism.com/2015/06/cultural-appropriation-wrong/

^[iv] Harris, Z. D. (2023, May 2). R.F. Kuang on White Paranoia and the pitfalls of Identity Politics. Interview Magazine. https://www.interviewmagazine.com/literature/r-f-kuang-on-plagiarism-and-the-pitfalls-of-identity-politics