After strong backlash to author Jeanine Cummins’ controversial new novel “American Dirt,” the book’s publisher canceled Cummins’ remaining tour dates, including a at Tattered Cover in Denver, citing safety concerns.
Before learning of the eventap cancellation, Latinx writers in Denver were planning to host a protest reading in front of the shop during Cummins’ appearance. But now, they’ve been invited to participate in an official reading at the bookstore sometime this spring.
“Tattered Cover has a long history of hosting controversial events,” said Len Vlahos, owner of Tattered Cover. “Regarding ‘American Dirt,’ we have not been blind to the controversy; in fact, it has inspired vigorous discussion and reflection among our staff. Regarding the event, we had chosen to let our readers decide for themselves. That is, of course, now moot.”
“American Dirt” — which obtained a coveted slot in Oprah’s popular book club — was supposed to be one of 2020’s biggest hit novels, a story delving into immigration and life on the Mexican/American border. But as the novel’s buzz began to swell, so, too did the anger, particularly from writers of color who vocalized frustration over an author of mostly white descent being afforded the opportunity to write about immigration and cartel violence for a major publisher.
“You think of ‘American Dirt’ — there was probably not a person of color in the process from writing to editing to publishing, someone to ask, is this an accurate representation of Mexico and Mexicans?” said Manuel Aragon, a Denver writer currently writing a book called “Nortenas,” a “collection of speculative fiction short stories centered in the Northside, a Mexican and Mexican- American centered part of Denver, and the people, ghosts, and demons that live there.”
For Aragon, there are more issues with “American Dirt” than just the contents of the book. For him, itap also about who is given the opportunity to write high-profile novels like this one — especially when telling Mexican stories.
“I think itap been boiled down to who gets to tell what stories, which is an oversimplification,” Aragon said. “Itap not only who gets to tell certain stories, but what happens when certain stories are excluded from publishing.”
Aragon runs a Denver group for writers of color, and recently, much of their discussion has shifted to “American Dirt.”
“Over Facebook, some of us started discussing ways in which we could use this moment to highlight actual stories of immigration and started to discuss what that could look like in terms of a counter-protest, something that would take place just outside of Tattered Cover highlighting actual stories of immigrants and immigration,” Aragon said.
But just as they were organizing the counter-event, the publisher canceled Cummins’ remaining book tour dates. Still, Vlahos said, he understands and respects efforts to organize disparate events in reaction to the controversial book.
“We respect and honor our local community of writers, and respect and honor anyone’s right to express their point of view,” he said. “Discourse is what indie bookstores are all about.”
In fact, once the “American Dirt” event was canceled, Vlahos reached out to Aragon and invited him to host the protest reading as a sanctioned event at the shop sometime this spring.
“We’re meeting with Manuel in February to find a date and sort out details,” Vlahos said.
In the meantime, anyone who purchased tickets to this weekend’s canceled “American Dirt” event will be issued a full refund, Vlahos said.
