When did writing stop becoming about the author’s talent, and slowly become replaced with political, fragile stepping stones?
I have submitted countless scholarship requests for writing contests, book club consideration submissions, proposals, and even unsolicited manuscripts over the last few months. However, I still had to pass on the majority of applications for nothing in my control.
The most shocking was not the proximity phase; but the mere qualifications based purely on ethnicity, culture, and demographics.
I was shocked. When did writing stop becoming about writing?
I expected some cultural based writing requests There was a need for it; but where did the rest of us fit on the pages of books or published works anymore? Where did the road for those older millennials who never got a chance to showcase their own talented, growing literary craft?
Writing is a hard career even without ridiculous guidelines.
Furthermore, the inclusive desires of publishers and those with open submissions was oxymoronic. I did not get to pick my ginger hair color, freckled skin, female anatomy, or any other minority demographic requests. Truly, it’s already completely assigned the moment the sperm meets the egg with our parents. None of the applicants allowed could pick their own genetic qualifications either.
I was a minority by statistics and even recessive genetics, but not by cultural politics.
The Harvard Crimson seemed to parallel with my confusion,
“But who counts as a “minority” in affirmative action? Unfortunately for Ms. Fisher, adorable gingers are not considered a minority (despite red hair occurring in only 1-2 percent of the world population). So clearly, not just any minority can qualify as a “minority.”
Perhaps affirmative action is meant to help those who have historically been discriminated against. It would be hard to overlook women and Jews when considering historical punching bags. However, women and Jews are indeed overlooked in the affirmative action policies of most schools.” (Source)
I was not committing racial slurred judgements. I respected women, children, and men. I loved people; but it did not matter because my own value was degraded by cancel cultural disillusions.
The conundrum of oxymoronic behavior has made the wind fall out of my sails for a brief moment. Still, I press on with the full intention of being considered again one day. When will we once again stop looking and judging by the color of skin— and honestly start looking at the talents on the paper?
Don’t you want to be chosen based on the quality of your work alone? I want to be judged by character— and I want that right for every writer. I could care less about your physical appearance. All our physical beauty fades, but our character and hearts will always be a delight.
Every writer deserves to be told they are excellent, because of their talented words written on the page. Everyone deserves the right to win at work life fairly.
Your work can be beautiful— and demographics without curated talent should have nothing to do with success.
Whoever has the grit to write well, let them earn the opportunity equally.
Sincerely,
A Genetic Minority
Please judge me by my skill alone, and give me the single opportunity to show you the work of my hands.
Simply Blooming Grace 