What an Old White Man Taught Me About Racism

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Actions Speak Louder Than Words, Advocacy, All Lives Matter, Charlotte, Civic Duty, Civil Rights, How to Do Right, Roberta Trahan, Social Justice

I was born in the midst of the civil unrest of the 60s – just months before the assassination of JFK. I was also born white, to an educated middle class family, in the socially progressive bubble of the Pacific Northwest. My father was nearly 50 when I was born, and he struggled with the challenges of parenting on a lot of levels. But wherever else he may have failed, he got the most important things right.

When I was in the seventh grade and Portland Public Schools began desegregation, my father made a radical suggestion. I had been lamenting how unfair it was that my new friend, an African American girl who was bussed from her familiar surroundings every day to an all white neighborhood far from her home, never got to spend any time with schoolmates outside of class or recess. Invite her to come home with you after school one day this week, my dad says. He even offered to drive her back to her house after he finished work.

Just the idea, at which I was simultaneously awed and terrified, was shocking. Even at 12 years old, I understood that what my father was advocating was more than a little risky. It was provocative, if not dangerous, bringing a person of color into our neighborhood. And equally provocative, if not dangerous, for my father to drive her home – a white man with a black child (especially a girl) in an all black neighborhood. But my father made the offer and encouraged me to act on it without addressing any of this. It was an ordinary, everyday extension of hospitality.  He was teaching me not to treat others differently just because they looked differently, no matter what others might think or say or do, without ever saying the words. Because he knew that the words could never ever be as powerful as his behavior.

I remember how hesitant my friend was to even entertain that invitation, and we both were pretty sure her mother would never allow it. But, she did. And that’s how Jackie came over to my house after school one day. It was fun. But it wasn’t lost on either of us how nervous my mother was when it was time for dad to drive Jackie home, especially when he allowed me to come along for the ride. We all knew what was at stake, and we did it anyway.

A couple of months later, I took a punch defending a friend from a schoolyard bully. Two years later, with my father’s guidance, I reported a city bus driver for forcing a black child off the bus claiming she hadn’t paid her fare. She had, and everyone on the bus knew it. And that was just the beginning.

In the decades since, I have never once questioned who I am or what I stand for or what to do about it. I have always known to the core of my being where my line is drawn and to what lengths I will go to hold it. In case you’re still wondering, THAT is what it looks like to stand up for what is right in this world. DO right, even if it means you might be putting yourself in harm’s way. Because, though you might not realize it, you already ARE in harm’s way.

I’ve seen a lot of folks struggling to find a way to respond to recent events, and a lot of social media peeps advocating for donations to various civil rights organizations and social justice activism groups – which is awesome. By all means, throw your support behind the folks already fighting on the front lines. However, if that’s ALL you do, if you’re not actively pushing back against injustice when you see it happening in your daily lives, I’m sorry, but you are part of the problem. You are, and you need to own that.

But if you ARE pushing back, if you are calling out bad behavior and shouting down hate when you’re faced with it, then for goodness sake, ease up on yourself a little. You’ve already got this. And I should know, because an old white man taught me so.

 

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Practicing Objectivity – A (Very) Liberal Discourse on How to Think For Yourself

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Citizenship, Civic Duty, Critical Thinking, Democracy, Liberal Arts, Make America Great Again, Objectivity, Personal Responsibility

“There is a tide in the affairs of men. Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat, And we must take the current when it serves, Or lose our ventures.” (Julius Caesar Act 4, scene 3, 218–224)

I am proud of my liberal arts education. As much as it prepared me for life as a professional communicator, it also prepared me for adulthood in ways many other people never get the chance to experience. A liberal arts education doesn’t just produce teachers and journalists and historians and scholars, it produces thinkers.

As a student of the arts, I was introduced to a vast array of social, political, historical, cultural, philosophical and theological perspectives. I was expected to examine opposing schools of thought and expose myself to disparate experiences across the whole of human existence. I was required to acknowledge my limited understanding and reach beyond it, to explore outside myself. These lessons translated to life skills, and I was made better for the objectivity that my university education instilled in me. Who wouldn’t be?

The liberal arts approach to learning helped me to develop a willingness to question and challenge my personal perceptions. I discovered that by framing my beliefs and values with a scope much wider than my individual view would ever allow, whatever my conclusions might be, they are informed by the cumulative wealth of fact, historical record, and the collective experience of the greater world, not just one thin slice of it. The result is a justifiable and defensible confidence in my own convictions.

I think most everyone believes they are already engaging in this kind of analysis. Maybe they are, but my experience is that while people generally believe they are regularly exercising their critical thinking muscles, in actuality, they are not. Let’s be honest. If they were, our society would not be in the muck it is today. Sadly, too many have succumbed to the persistent and perpetually self-sustained illusion that our virtual inter-connectivity keeps us informed and involved. But the reality is we really aren’t as connected as we think we are – not to each other, or the big issues that matter to our well-being.

Social media allows people to feel engaged without having to show up, do the work, or give any of it much thought. It encourages reflexive responses. We are too quick to take Talking Heads at face value (especially the orange one), or maybe we don’t, but then neither do we hold them accountable for what they say – even when they lie. Somehow information and propaganda have become indistinguishable from each other, and hard facts are now fluid. We invest our funds and our faith in whoever tells us what we most want to hear, no matter what the real outcome might be.

But that’s not how things work in a functioning republic, at least not for long. Eventually the consequences of abdicating our duty to make informed decisions catches up to us. And yet, even when the consequences are inescapably dire, too many of us are still willing to be blindly led rather than look directly at the facts, draw independent conclusions, and act accordingly. And apparently, given recent election results, we’re okay with that. Except that some of us aren’t.

Over the years, I’ve discovered that I am incapable of turning a blind eye to anything. Believe me, I’ve tried. But in the end I came to accept that how I walk and talk in this world matters. I believe that I am accountable to and for others, and I strive to conduct myself with that thought first and foremost in my mind. To do that, I practice objectivity in my daily life, the same way others practice spiritual or religious tenets. For some of us, objectivity is a core value.

Objectivity is not a state of being or a quality of character. It is not tolerance or neutrality or acceptance. Objectivity is, simply put, a method for evaluating everything you encounter – people, places, ideas, information and events – without bias or prejudgment. It is exhausting, exasperating, and often overwhelming. But it is the only path to truth.

Becoming a critical thinker is only one of the many civic duties in a democratic society, though it might be the most important. Do you practice objectivity? Everyone should, often if not always. If you do, some or all of the steps on my personal checklist will sound familiar. If not, you might want to give some or all of them a try.

A 7-Step Guide to Critical Thinking:

• Seek first to understand – not just to validate your preconceptions and prove yourself right.
• Gather all of the available data, not only the information you’re comfortable with or that which is easily found.
• Challenge the veracity of your sources, no matter how tried and trusted they are.
• Do the tough work of separating fact from opinion and acknowledge the truth of things, even when that truth contradicts what you already believe. Especially then.
• When your conclusions don’t align with those of people you generally respect, wonder why. Re-examine your point of view before dismissing someone else’s.
• Weigh what you learn against what you know, but keep your finger off the scales. Let them tip on their own. One side will usually outweigh the other.
• Then and only then, make up your mind. Whatever course of action you follow from there depends upon what you hope to gain, but at least you’ll know what you’re getting yourself, and others, into.

It’s time for everyone to show up, do the work, and give everything some real thought. Use my guide, or create your own. Share it. Challenge people to follow your lead. Hold yourself and others accountable for the decisions they make and the actions they take. THAT’S how we make America great again.

Black Moon Rising

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Black Moon, Eve & Lilith, Lilith Moon. Supermoon, Moon Mythology, Supermoon

Also known as the dark moon, today’s lunar super-phenom is synonymous in folklore with the Lilith Myth – Eve’s shadowy alter ego. Historically depicted as a demoness and cast as the wanton woman in cautionary tales, the Lilith spirit more accurately and appropriately represents the fiercest and most independent aspects of the divine feminine. For feminists, Lilith calls to mind the qualities of free-will, self-determination, strength, and power.

Here’s a particularly informative and detailed article on the history of Lilith, with links to more reading:  The Lilith Library

Another article on the metaphoric relationship between the Lilith Myth and the perceptions of women in history and religion : Eve and the Identity of Women

And for the more scientific minded moon watcher, there’s some good information on why tonight’s moon is so special over at Universe Today .

Ageism in Fiction – When did I get so OLD?!!

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ageism, ageism in fiction, ageism in SFF, love after forty, mature protagonists, relationship angst, Roberta Trahan, The Dream Stewards, The Well of Tears

One of the most unexpected responses to my debut novel, THE WELL OF TEARS, was the negative reaction from younger female readers about the age of the protagonist in the book (she’s around 40), and the fact that she has a long-standing, functional, and happy life partnership.

Really?!!

THE WELL OF TEARS is more or less a multi-generational family saga  with characters who range in age from 19 to 153. The lead protagonist, a sorceress called Alwen who embarks on a quest she has waited half her life to complete, must face a host of complicated challenges and heart-rending losses – the kind that come to someone who has lived long enough to acquire the obligations that come with adulthood – duty to family and community, and to self.

Concepts that are, apparently, inaccessible and / or alienating to younger women.

Really?!!

As a wife, mother, sister, aunt, and feminist – this pains me. It seriously pangs my heart to discover that the only kind of relationship angst some young women want to experience in their reading is whether or not the girl gets the guy. As if there isn’t far more riveting relationship angst to come after the hook up?

Wow. Come on, ladies. Dream bigger.

How I wish I’d been able to find a heroine in the stories I read in my twenties to model the woman I wanted to become, rather than female leads who merely made me feel less alone in my own romantic quagmires. But then, maybe I shouldn’t expect more from readers who are still giving jell-o shot syringes five star reviews ;).

So tell me, young(er) women readers of SFF – why is an older protagonist so unappealing to you? I really wanna know.

Why Peggy Carter is My Hero

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ABC, Agent Carter, EEOC, ERA, Feminism, Hayley Atwell, Marvel, Peggy Carter, Sexism, Suffragette Movement, Superheroes, Title IX, Women's Rights, WW II

I am a woman of a certain age – meaning I am now referred to as “ma’am”, and “mature”, and “experienced”. I am a a card-carrying member of Generation X, and AARP, and therefore can claim to know a thing or two.

I find myself mildly annoyed by professional, educated women under the age of 40 today, who vehemently protest the lack of equality for their gender in today’s society – as if no progress has been made. They tend to overlook the fact that they are carrying on a fight that in very large part, has already been won. The BIG battle was fought for the legal right to equality – which, thanks to the generation who came before mine, has been ours since 1972.

Now, I am NOT in any way suggesting that sexism doesn’t still exit. It does, and there is much work yet to be done. But I am suggesting that the younger feminists of this society sometimes fail to acknowledge that they have it much easier than the women who came before them. So. Much. Easier.

I was born in the 60’s and came of age in the early 80’s, in the midst of the second most profound feminist movement of the last century (I count the Suffrage movement as first, because without the vote, well…) I have the legitimate right to claim real understanding of economic and social oppression and the fight to gain equality for women through the ERA and EEOC – because, hell, I lived it. I was also lucky enough to be a part of the generation that changed it.

I was a first – the first woman hired into professional level jobs that had previously been held exclusively by men – in the first three professional jobs I was hired to do. At three separate companies, in three separate industries.

It was a big deal, but I didn’t really understand it at the time – the significance of it, the challenges I would face, and the out-and-out anger and resentment and abuse I would experience. After all, I had been raised to believe and presume that all paths were open to me. I was raised to believe and presume that equality was an inalienable right.

The problem was, that wasn’t really true. Title IX (equal opportunity for girls in school sports) was passed and implemented when I was in the 5th grade. Girls weren’t allowed to wear pants to school in my district until 1974. And the ERA was not fully enforced until I was a college student in the early 1980’s.

My first career level job was a paid internship for The Seattle Times advertising department – a position I was awarded after working my way through a highly competitive selection process in which candidates had to be nominated by an adviser in one of three specific fields of study. Only three schools in the region were invited to submit candidates, and only one candidate from each university was allowed. I was the only female candidate. I got the job.

This scenario played out two more times in my career – in my next successive positions, both at Fortune 500 companies. The experience was the same in all three situations. I was the first (and only) woman hired into the job class / office / district / region – as a result of EEOC compliance requirements. And I was unwelcome.

What does unwelcome look and feel like? I could go into gruesome detail, but to do so would require digging up a painful set of memories I have worked hard to bubble-wrap and pack away. It was openly hostile. It was openly abusive. It was openly threatening. And there was nothing I could do about it but stand my ground – or quit. I was alone on the front lines, without a sympathetic chain of command and few allies. No one of my gender had come before me, so there was no one to call on for help. We women had gotten what we had asked for, and now we had to suffer the cost of victory. Change often comes at a very high, and painful, price.

But it got better. So much better. In fact, so much better that my now twenty-one-year-old daughter grew up having no idea that girls didn’t always get to play on sanctioned basketball teams and go to college on sports scholarships. It never even occurred to her that there was a time when women couldn’t be police officers or firefighters or anything else they wanted to be. She was never educated about the origins of the modern feminist movement in her very progressive suburban school system. I had to tell her.

And I continue to tell her, and all of her friends, and countless other Generation Nexters and Millennials I encounter about the realities of blood, sweat and tears they won’t have to shed because their mothers and grandmothers and great-grandmothers slugged it out for them. Things still aren’t great, sure, but they are better. So. Much. Better.

Which brings me to why I admire the ABC / Marvel min-series AGENT CARTER. There are only two cultural epochs in modern US History which parallel my personal experience as a professional woman in a time of change – black men (and eventually black women) entering the job market in white corporate America following the Civil Rights Act, and the plight of women in the work force and society at large after the end of World War II.

AGENT CARTER harkens to and pays homage to women who were every bit as essential to the defense of their country as the soldiers who were celebrated. And it does so with humor, and honesty – and a fair measure of accuracy.

Peggy Carter’s world of women is one that begs and deserves to be honored and represented well and truly. It is one which today’s young women need to understand and appreciate, in the same way my generation needed to understand and appreciate it. Because we all stand on the shoulders of super heroes.

So carry on, young women of today – fight the good fight. But do so acknowledging that even though it might not feel like it, you have the privilege of denouncing sexism from a platform elevated by a struggle you will (hopefully) never experience.

And Peggy Carter? She friggin’ rocks.

The Chrome-Assed Bitch Club – We Want YOU!

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47North

Last week’s blog post (see “An Elegant Epitaph: She Was a Chrome-assed Bitch”) inspired a lot of conversation in my author circles about the role and importance of older female characters in SFF – not just as protagonists, but also antagonists and supporting characters. The older female is too often relegated to the ranks of “sage advisor”, who, while often found in a position of power, is static – implying that she is past her prime or has no more need for growth. There seems to be a prevailing idea that once women have attained maturity (i.e. midlife) they are no longer adventurous – physically, emotionally, philosophically, sexually. In some cases the opinion is that these women are no longer interested, and in some cases the opinion is that these women are no longer capable. Neither could be further from the truth, and yet it seems readers (and book reviewers) have a hard time embracing a mature woman on a journey of any kind.

So, of a spark and a roar, a new author / reader discussion group was born. Teresa Frohock and I have opened up a little salon on the interwebs to explore some of the aforementioned issues and celebrate some of the truly remarkable characters and storylines that feature the Chrome-assed Bitches of SFF. There’s some great conversation happening, and a fabulous reading list. Come and check us out!

Chrome-assed Bitches FB Group

Life doesn’t end at 40. In many ways, it’s just getting started. The problem is that mature women are too often devalued, if only as a result of a mistaken perception. We are strong. We are powerful. And we are not to be effed with.

What woman of a certain age hasn’t secretly invoked Kathy Bates’ infamous line in Fried Green Tomatoes: “Face it, girls. I’m older, and I’ve got more insurance.” And on that note, I leave you with the rallying cry of older women everywhere.

TOWANDA!!

An Elegant Epitaph: “She Was A Chrome-assed Bitch.”

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47North, A Dribble of Ink, ageism in SFF, Aidan Moher, Chrome-assed bitches, Jane Navio, mature heroines, Miserere, MJ Locke, Roberta Trahan, Teresa Frohock, The Dream Stewards, The Well of Tears, Up Against It, women in SFF, Women Made of Chrome

When I set out to write my debut novel, THE WELL OF TEARS, I took some pretty big risks. I hybridized the genre, I layered multiple story lines using many characters with unpronounceable names, and perhaps riskiest of all, I chose a mature female protagonist.

Alwen is a 40-something wife and mother who is also a skilled sorceress and wise leader who is heir to a powerful magical legacy. She is smart. She is strong. She is resilient. She is masterful. And she is a far superior version of herself at 40 than she was at 20. Life has honed her into the “chrome-assed bitch” she needs to be to outsmart a more powerful and far more diabolical mage and destroy the demon horde sent to obliterate her people.

The older the woman, the more dangerous she becomes. Older women didn’t need weapons to take the world down; they changed the course of history with a whisper. A word in the right ear brought down kings and queens, or maneuvered their kin into power. Chrome-assed bitches don’t need guns or swords, they have their brains.

I pulled the above quote from a recent article by Teresa Frohock, author of MISERERE: An Autumn Tale, which was one of my favorite reads of 2012. This quote kind of says it all. Teresa’s stunning debut dark fantasy novel features both a protagonist and an antagonist who are chrome-assed bitches in their 40s. These women have not only fought their way to respect and authority, but they have also acquired the mental discipline, social savvy and emotional seasoning it takes to survive and succeed along the way. With age comes experience.

I’m still surprised by the reviewers who disdain my choice of a mature heroine – calling her “old” and “unrelatable”. Without exception these reviewers are 20-something young women, who I suspect are still finding themselves and lack the foresight to envision the chrome-assed bitches they might yet become. That makes me a little sad.

Here’s the link to Teresa’s article on the blog A Dribble of Ink (edited by Aidan Moher). Teresa’a post includes a list of remarkable women in history worthy of the “chrome-assed bitch” epitaph. Check it out:

Women Made of Chrome by Teresa Frohock (Features on A Dribble of Ink)

So what do you think? Is an over 40 heroine unappealing to you? If so, why?

The History Behind the Fantasy ~ Hywel dda, the Ara Pacis, and a FB Party!

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A Novel of Cleopatra's Daughter, Ara Pacis, Cleopatra Selene, Daughters of the Nile, historical fantasy, historical fiction, Hywel Dda, Roberta Trahan, The Dream Stewards, The Keys to the Realms, The Well of Tears

Hywel ap Cadell, the legendary king at the root of the mythology in The Dream Stewards series, was an intelligent, learned leader who modeled his leadership after the successful rulers of reference in his day. A pilgrimage to Rome in the early days of his reign is often credited as the point of inspiration behind Hywel’s greatest legacy – the codification of a written body of law that long survived him.

The reach of the Roman Empire was vast, and has naturally inspired and influenced the writing of many of my fellow history lovers. Author friend Stephanie Dray has invited me to help her celebrate the release of her new historical fantasy. DAUGHTERS OF THE NILE!

Join me and many other historical & fantasy authors for a full day of fun discussions, contests, and prizes!

On January 30th, from 12pm EST to 10pm EST, an impressive roster of historical fiction authors and bloggers are hosting a Facebook party in honor of historical fiction, the 2,023rd anniversary of the Ara Pacis, and the release of Stephanie Dray’s newest book, Daughters of the Nile: A novel of Cleopatra’s Daughter.

Readers can win free books, lunch at the next Historical Novel Society meeting, swag, gift cards, and other prizes from some of the hottest authors of the genre. Please join us, and RSVP!

Tiny Furies ~ Dueling Hummingbirds

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Hummingbirds, Nature Photography, Roberta Trahan, Sarah Chorn Photography, spirit animals, The Well of Tears

I am obsessed with hummingbirds – everyone who knows me well knows this. My office is decorated with them, feeders hang in every corner of my yard – including outside my office window. Have you seen my website? Hummingbirds are all over it. Can’t get enough of these awe inspiring creatures. I am absolutely mystified by their power, grace, and beauty.

This amazing photo was taken by one of my favorite online friends, talented photographer Sarah Chorn:

Territorial Dispute (Sarah Chorn Photography)

The Folklore of Cornwall: Piskies & Spriggans & Browneys, Oh My!

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47North, Browneys, celtic traditions, Cornish Faeries, Cornish Folklore, Cornwall, Faeries, Fairies, Fantasy, Giants, Knockers, Piskeys, Roberta Trahan, Spriggans, The Fairy Room, The Well of Tears, Wee Folk

The week my novel THE WELL OF TEARS (Book One of the Dream Stewards) was released, a new and growing E-zine called The Fairy Room featured the book and an excerpt from my blog post “For the Love of Lore: Why I Write Fantasy” on their site. It was an unexpected and delightful surprise – the support for the book, but also the discovery of this incredible web space devoted to magic and mysticism and faeries and folklore.

Today, the lovely people at The Fairy Room are featuring an original article on Cornish faerie folk that I wrote just for them! Come on over and take a peek:

The Faerie Folk of Cornwall