"Race-Fishing" Book Covers Is More Than Just Problematic
First published in 2009, The Blue-Spangled Blue poises itself as an immersive sci-fi epic filled with an enormous cast of characters. On the cover was seemingly the protagonist of this ensemble: a beautiful dark-skinned Black girl with braids, standing in front of a deep indigo background and starry outline of a man. An absolutely beautiful cover, promising what appeared to be a sci-fi tale of a Black heroine embarking on an adventure amongst the cosmos—or finding a memorable, star-crossed romance. Unfortunately, however … that ended up not being the case. A few hours after Bowles reveal...