Magic is the mysteries into which not everyone is so lucky, or unlucky, as to be initiated. It can be affected by belief, the whims of the unseen, harsh language. And it is not. Supposed. To make. Sense. In fact, I think it's coolest when it doesn't.
There's a thriving field of self-published stuff in, particularly, black fiction. I don't know that other groups of people of color have that same recourse.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the flourishing nature of self-published black fiction, contrasting it with other communities of color that may not have the same opportunities.
N. K. Jemisin points out the vibrant and growing landscape of self-publishing within the black fiction community, indicating that many black authors are finding success and voice outside traditional publishing avenues. She suggests that this phenomenon may not be replicated in the same way among other people of color, hinting at disparities in access to resources and platforms, and speaking to the importance of representation and agency in literature.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a panel discussion on diversity in literature, this quote might be shared to illustrate the importance of self-publishing for underrepresented voices.
More from N. K. Jemisin
All quotes βI don't really understand why so many fantasy writers choose to focus on worlds that just seem strangely denuded. But to them, I guess it doesn't seem strange. And I guess that's their privilege. It isn't mine.
I write what feels real. I write things that are informed both by my own experience and by actual history.
Reactionary movements can't sustain themselves unless they find something new to catch and burn on.
Fantasy is fantasy. It's fiction. It's not meant to be a textbook. I don't believe in letting research overwhelm the fiction. That's a danger of science fiction in particular, as opposed to fantasy. A lot of writers forget that what they're doing is supposed to be art.
I've always believed that as an artist, as a writer, you need a lot of contact with other people to make your art good.
Similar quotes
What is wonderful about great literature is that it transforms the man who reads it towards the condition of the man who wrote.
He constructed a vast labyrinthine of periods, made impassable by the piling-up of clauses upon clauses-clauses in which oversight and bad grammar seemed manifestations of disdain.
Novelists, it seems to me, are the very last people who should be asked to comment on the news of the day, and sooner or later, when they have been pilloried for their views, most of them recognise this.
Read with care, George Orwell's diaries, from the years 1931 to 1949, can greatly enrich our understanding of how Orwell transmuted the raw material of everyday experience into some of his best-known novels and polemics.
Most American writers don't get asked their opinion on current affairs, whereas in Europe and England, we still do. There are writers here who are the most sophisticated commentators, but they're not asked. Like Don DeLillo, who sort of forecast most of the modern world before it happened.
The problem with literature, with writing, is that it works sometimes in terms of correction of social ills. Other times, it just does not suffice.