I have several young adults coming to the store requesting the Urban Lit and / or the erotica fiction. NONE of them have ever requested the likes of McFadden or J. California Cooper or Ellison or Yerby. Isn't because these authors are not talented or relevant, but because the drama. The baby-mama drama, but not stories of espionage or secret spies; the under cover / down low preacher, but not the story by an expatriate of Judas and Jesus having similarities. The covers are enticing and the drama is exhilarating. These books are a rush similar to reality television!
What we have to pay attention to isn't simply the context, but our behavior toward reading. Some customers will be introduced to a book and immediately say, "I will wait until the movie arrives." Really?!?! You would rather forgo a damn good story to wait for production? Patterson (although not black fiction) writes his chapters like 20 second scenes from a television show. People prays him for that style, but his characters show no growth and are very predictable - yet he is a great writer. It's fiction for goodness sake. . . .
Again, look at our reading behavior. In an age of INSTANT plots, summaries, and marginalized character growth, maybe our literature is languishing because we are wanting our story lines solved NOW. If Tyler Perry stories were in print would they fly off of the shelf? In comparison, would Spike Lee's stories do the same or better? Are we tired of reading the black experience? OR are we not expanding the black experience in our literature to go beyond what is being currently printed (sex, booties, hood, threesomes, drama, down low)?
I do agree with Angela when she stated that we must DEMAND better in our literature. But when we discuss what we read, bring the writer's talents to light. Bring out what captivated the reader so quickly or what it was lacking. DISCUSS the book, not just the context of the drama.
Oh yeah . . . Cynique, excellent post regarding the distinction in fiction types. Thank you.