More Updates, More links!
Selah March has more delicious scuttlebutt on this thing. Ah me, my schadenfreude when it comes to this knows no bounds.
Jorie rounds up some interesting linkage on this issue.
LLB blogs about this and writes a column on AAR.
Jonquil describes some of the horrorshow on her Livejournal.
Selah March has a post on the RITA/Golden Heart awards ceremony.
Instead of a celebration of RWA and romance fiction over the past 25 years, the RITA/GH awards ceremony included the following:
* a video and audio rehash of every national and international tragedy that’s taken place since 1980, set to a back-drop of kicky tunes from each year represented.
Imagine, if you will, footage of the tanks rolling through Tiananmen Square with “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” playing in the background. Apparently, only a last-minute edit managed to save the ceremony attendees from being forced to watch the shuttle Challenger explode in mid-air and…AND…the Twin Towers fall.
Think about that. All those NYC agents and editors in the audience. Think about it some more.
Yee-HAW. We’re celebratin’ NOW, baybeee…
** images of political leaders flashed on the screen, looking handsome and honorable.
Okay…wait. Let me rephrase. Images of REPUBLICAN political leaders—specifically Presidents Reagan, Bush I and II—flashed on the screen, looking handsome and honorable.
(…)
*** virtually no positive images of women. Lewinsky was there, as noted. Lorena Bobbitt made a showing. Donna what’s-her-name…the one that sunk Gary Hart’s political career? She was pictured. Princess Diana got the full treatment, and—GET THIS—they called her story a FAIRY TALE.
(…)
**** virtually no positive images of people of color. O.J. in his white bronco they got, ad nauseum. Bill Cosby flashed by once, so I’m told, and, as I said, Oprah got a brief mention.
Please, y’all. Please tell me this trainwreck didn’t actually happen.
Is anyone who was there willing to confirm whether this actually happened?
Update! On Monica Jackson’s blog, a couple of people confirmed that this did, indeed, take place.
That dull, thumping sound? The sound not unlike that of a ripe cantaloupe hitting the sidewalk? That’s my head hitting the desk.
My question is: why aren’t more people who attended blogging about this? Or did none of this strike them as incredibly asinine and/or inappropriate?
Or maybe I just need to expand my blog rounds more? Hmmm. If you have linkies, put ‘em in the comments! Eyewitness accounts too.
Hi Sarah S! I’ve changed my screen name to SB Sarah to avoid confusion, but hello there! We do indeed have a popular name! How many Sarahs were in your classes growing up? My max was 4, then one moved to another classroom.
And thanks for the compliments!
Avon’s reasoning for the Ashworth book was ridiculous and insulting. But does anyone really know whether the house is deliberately trying to dial back the eroticism? And if it can be proven, does anybody know whether it’s for moral reasons?
Because frankly, in the case of Kleypas, I think it was a good idea. Too soon to tell of course, but I think Secrets of a Summer Night was better than her previous two, the big-monkey-balls-sucking Lady Sophia’s Lover (my hate for this bk knows no bounds) and Again You. Part of the improvement could be attributed to increased attention to characterization instead of bumpin uglies. Hmmm. On second thought, I’m not sure how much I believe that, but I do think that in general Kleypas’ stories are better when she focuses on character over sex.
Also, Candy, you are so right – is there a romance demographic? Is the split between romance and romantica traceable on political lines? Or is that too black/white/grey?
I do know that France has never sold well – over 2 years ago was an RWR cover story about “What’s wrong with France?” Ditto several other conceits that fall outside the genre standard.
But historicals falling down in sales numbers? Odd, but interesting. I disagree because I love a good historical, but I have also noticed that the Julia Quinn Bridgerton series is coming to an end, and I wonder what will happen with her upcoming books.
But does anyone really know whether the house is deliberately trying to dial back the eroticism? And if it can be proven, does anybody know whether it’s for moral reasons?
Very good points, anu439. We should have a disclaimer here: “A lot of what you’re about to read is rampant speculation, people thinking out loud and, occasionally, completely talking out of their asses (not that I’d ever done that, of course, koffkoff. Exercise appropriate caution.”
Because frankly, in the case of Kleypas, I think it was a good idea. Too soon to tell of course, but I Secrets of a Summer Night was better than her previous two, the big-monkey-balls-sucking Lady Sophia’s Lover (my hate for this bk knows no bounds) and Again You.
Lady Sophia’s Lover is a terrible book that I enjoyed in spite of myself. I think Kleypas has the signal honor of doing this more often to me than anyone else I can think of. And another question: did Kleypas lower the heat level voluntarily, or did she receive editorial pressure from Avon to do so?
Ahhhh, more rampant speculation. Loves it.
Why don’t people love reading about France? OK, the time around the French Revolution is pretty difficult to write about, what with all the bloodshed, terror and turmoil, but I think a great romance can still be set there. Think of The Scarlet Pimpernel. Dude, I’d kill to have a fun, adventurous romance written along the same lines as that book. Or even a big, meaty, serious historical.
Anyway, I would so dearly love to read more historicals set in non-Anglo countries. I’m really excited about Jade Lee’s new book, for example, even though White Tigress received only a lukewarm grade from me. Why? Two words: Shaolin monk. Two more words: Fuck yeah.
I think the reason Avon is toned down the luvin is because they are gathering authors for erotica anthologies. I believe they are trying to figure an erotica line.
Cripes. Bad grammar attack. has toned down the luvin.
Why don’t people love reading about France? OK, the time around the French Revolution is pretty difficult to write about, what with all the bloodshed, terror and turmoil, but I think a great romance can still be set there.
More rampant speculation! I wonder if the hesitation to plot a book in pre-revolutionary France is related to our reservations about reading Native American/settler romances (no pun intended) or romances set in scenarios that don’t deal adequately with the real issues that the couple will head towards historically speaking. Can you enjoy a romance knowing that, unless they were lucky, the characters, if royal, were likely driven out of the country in exile or just outright killed in the revolution? It’s a rather depressing nagging thought to have in the back of one’s mind.
That said, I know of a completely campy romance set in France that I loved so much I swiped it from the library – some royal daughter hides out from the French court for some reason that has to do with her father’s habit of gambling and forcing his daughter to help him cheat. She ends up living in a rustic cabin in a provinical town, and all I can think of right now is the colors on the cover, but not the title itself. I wonder if I have it on my bookshelf.
Also, I find it very peculiar that romance publishers are scaling down the bumpity bump with perhaps the intention of forming an erotica/romantica line. Again, rampant, wild and unfettered speculation here, but there’s a difference between a romance novel with descriptive sex scenes and a romantica/erotica novel, be it contemporary or historical. So to divide on the lines of descriptive sex seems to me to give erotica/romantica the shaft (HAR!) in terms of acknowledging what it is as a genre.
In a good erotica/romantica novel, sex is almost a character in the book. It’s an issue and sometimes a matter of some conflict, and part of the developing storyline. It’s not just something that happens at the appropriate climactic moment (HEH!) in the relationship so as to cement the couple’s devotion to one another.
Can you enjoy a romance knowing that, unless they were lucky, the characters, if royal, were likely driven out of the country in exile or just outright killed in the revolution? It’s a rather depressing nagging thought to have in the back of one’s mind.
Here’s the thing: France has such a long, rich history. Why the hell does a French-set historical have to BE right before or during La Revolution? And even so, extremely depressing settings can still yield wonderful stories that are ultimately uplifting and hopeful. Barbara Samuel set one of the best damn romance novels ever in 14th-century Germany, during the height of the Black Plague breakouts. The heroine is the daughter of a local baron. The hero? A Jew. Yeah, during an era when pogroms were distressingly common. But despite all these difficult and intensely depressing elements, Samuel still made this work, and work well.
Whoops, pimping the title might be helpful too: A Bed of Spices.
Those of you who can find a copy of this out-of-print novel, I suggest you latch onto it. It’s a slim novel, one of those skinny Harper Monogram thingies published in the early 90s, but it’s hands-down one of my all-time favorite romances.
I totally agree that a romance set in a difficult time period can be wonderous in the right hands – but I have to say that such a romance is a rare bird indeed. Just like France, black plague 14th century Germany is probably a hard sell in today’s market.
Imagine that sales meeting: “Ok, so she’s got this boil, right? But it’s, like, not red yet, so she’s got some time!”
Regarding the question of the shrinking of the historical market, here’s something posted anonymously on AAR:
“If you are a historical fan, you are definitely feeling the crunch. New historicals published each month are down about 25-30% from 10 years ago (example 38 books in august 1995 vs. 27 in august 2005). Among these 27, very few are established midlist authors.”
Publisher’s Weekly ran an article not too long ago on this issue, as well, but I can’t pull the text up online. Signet and Zebra are also discontinuing their trad Regency lines (I’m definitely hoping for more historicals beyond the Regency, but I don’t know if these endings will open up historical Romance to new geographical/temporal locations).
In terms of the latest Kleypas book, I loved it, and I disliked the one before it (Again the Magic). I absolutely agree that she seemed to be letting the sexuality overwhelm the characters there in the last few books before SOASN, BUT she’s also one of the few Romance authors, IMO, who actually writes a decent and erotic love scene outside of erotic Romance, and I think she’s kind of known for that. I have absolutely no idea if she tamed the sex herself or not, but the whole Ashworth thing has made me suspicious of everything Avonesque these days. There was another thread on AAR recently where someone referred to the “Avonization” (homogenization) of authors there.
Oh, and apparently Deborah Smith is without contract now, as well.
Just like France, black plague 14th century Germany is probably a hard sell in today’s market.
Yeah, I know. The thing is: it shouldn’t be. I think the book should be judged on its own merits, not immediately be discounted just because the setting is not be the one in which all the mega-sellers are set. I think the fact that medieval Germany or 18th-century France or Ming Dynasty China is a hard sell is exactly what’s killing historical romances. Stagnation: what a bitch.
This is all very depressing, since I too would love to read more historicals outside of Regency…
And why is there never any inter-racial romances??
(Coming from the white girl who married a HOT Chinese guy) *grins*
Hi SB Sarah!
Actually, I was the only Sarah in my class. I’m Irish and most of my classmates had traditional names. The most common name in the class was Orla, with variations in spelling (Orla, Orlagh, Orlaith). An all-girls Irish school, what can I say!
Sarah S
I think that what happens, as in many areas of art, is that a thing or two sells well then the industry jumps on the bandwagon and does that thing to death. Then, the stars will align just right and someone will come up with something that’s not “supposed to” sell, but it will become a hit and bang, we’re off in a new direction.
Personally, I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing per se that historicals are selling less. Especially if quantity is being traded for quality. I suppose if historicals were the genre I read exclusively this would be a bit upsetting, but to my mind it means the variety of choices has widened and an opportunity has opened up in another area for authors and audiences to explore. (I’m presuming sales for books falling under the umbrella of “romance” aren’t down, only those within the sub-genre of “historical”.)
This somewhat relates back to the topic earlier of liberal/conservative reading tastes: IF historicals are sold predominantly to socially conservative individuals is that the only or one of the few genres they read in? I’d put myself on the socially moderate-to-liberal side of things and can say for myself that historicals are just one out of several genres I enjoy. I’m thinking it’s likely that the homoerotic or erotica books are mostly sold to those of a socially liberal-esque frame of mind, but that could be oversimplifying things.
Now as for locations of settings, I find I’m a bit of a sheep when it comes to my preference: I kinda’ follow along with whatever’s published and don’t often stop to think of what’s missing. Which is a little ironic given that a few years back I realized how Anglo-centric my reading tastes are outside of the romance world. This is a somewhat obvious point since my native language is English, but what I’m getting at is that there are only a few exceptions to the fact that my favorite authors/books are from the US and Britain. Therefore, I’ve been consciously trying to expand my horizons when it comes to books outside of the romance genre, but I never really thought about how 99.9% of romance books are also Anglo-centric in setting in that they are set in the current/former British Empire areas. I seem to recall as a kid that some of my favorite romances were set in Africa, Thailand, Sri Lanka, etc. (and I LOVED how I always felt like I was learning a little bit about some exotic place in the world), but there’s a real dearth of that kind of thing now. An interesting phenomenon given how real life is more global now: the more reality makes us “think globally”, the more romances have retreated back to traditionally “comfortable” places.
Finally, I’ve long had a niggling idea of doing a kind of thesis paper (but for my own “pleasure” only) on how romance books can be seen as a kind of temperature gauge for the culture at the time they are written. More accurately, I guess I’d say they are more like a temperature gauge for the culture about 5-10 years prior. This entire discussion seems tailor-made for my pet idea and if I ever develop it further I’m coming right back here for some research materials. :).
The whole defining romance thing was ludicrous, because it doesn’t matter how we (yeah, I just rejoined RWA) define it, it’s how the publisher labels and markets it that defines romance, for all practical purposes.
Barb,
At these GMs, do they not have the old Roberts Rules (I think) where someone can make a motion and someone second it? Couldn’t that be done with the erotic romance awards category? Then it would have to be put before the members, right?
Also, if someone’s worried about kiddie porn or bestiality being a part of RWA, why not just used the same basic exclusionary guidelines that erotica publisher use to avoid having people send them porn—no under age, no non-consensual, no bestiality etc.???
Sarah said:
“But mess with the awards presentation and the national convention’s gala evening? Gloves ARE OFF, Y’all. It is no-holds-barred bitchslapping time.”
Maybe it was the cumulative effect? Or maybe it was having it happen, right there in front of them where they had to react explosively. I’m glad I wasn’t there. I’d have had to do something to keep from screaming. One of my favorites is to start a food fight. Unfortunately, there was no food to throw. Yes, I really think I would have had to seek out the plug to the projector. Yeppers.
And:
“I do know that France has never sold well – over 2 years ago was an RWR cover story about “What’s wrong with France?†Ditto several other conceits that fall outside the genre standard.”
Judy Cuevas’s two books (her best IMO), Bliss and Dance were set in France around the turn of the 20th Century, I believe, maybe a bit later. I have no idea how their numbers compare with other similar books, pubbed at that time, though.
*********
What’s so weird is that while one line may be dialing down the sensuality, the same house may be opening up a no-holds-barred line. I don’t know. Maybe they’re trying to contain the hot stuff so that, if a real moral backlash happens, they can just cut their losses and kill that one line.
According to the replies I’ve received from the board, Tara Taylor Quinn, our illustrious prez, was the liason in charge of the production.
So there ya go. That’s where the buck stops.
Greetings from a a mystery writer seriously procrastinating by reading all of this.
I did, however, work at a video production house that put these kind of presentations together. You would always have people coming in, thinking that it was just the easiest thing in the world to throw together a retrospective.
If you get anyone just “doing their own thing,” not keeping how the audience would react first and foremost, it’s deadly. As obviously happened here. I would have told a client that if they wanted OJ, they would have to balance it with 4 or 5 positive images.
On a personal note, I expect that the people who created this presentation have bought so completely into the idea that white, married-with-kids, small-town/suburban America is the “real America” that they can’t even recognize it as a myth. Sad, but you see it on the nightly news every evening, so why shouldn’t you believe it’s true?
I know Lani and I both worked in television, so we both know that editing something like that at the last minute would be very labor intensive to do it well and expensive, if it was contracted out.
Assuming the music was a track on the video, which would be the most likely, then you’d have not only the video portion to edit, but the audio portion, too. They could cut portions of the video without touching the audio, sooo, unless they just cut out all tracks at Oklahoma and 9/11, rather than just editing out the video, that could explain the weird pairings of some of the music.
However, from what people have said, I think that’s unlikely – too much of it was obviously intentional. That’s why I said “just pull the plug.” :g:
Or, if it was on tape, steal the tape. Heh. I have the sould of an outlaw.