I don't think anyone says "I'm going to focus on a vast majority of white dudes this year."

True - it just happens, natural as breathing, right? What can you do.

This reminds me of when record producer Joe Boyd (Pink Floyd, Fairport Convention, Nick Drake, REM, etc. etc.) announced he was no longer listening to demo tapes or attending gigs by white people singing in English. It's been done, and you miss too much that way.

This debate takes me back to when I was a little girl and I believed that I could be successful at anything I had a true talent for and worked very, very hard at. Fuck, I'm old and broken.

Only liberals can play the race card and get away with it.

Can you to help convince KEXP to do the same with their music programming? Other than their specialty shows (which are great), it's nonstop depressing, white, and (mostly) male musicians. It gets really old.

white guys just need to stop producing so much art. let's take a break this year, guys. let's just abide. i know i will.

More of an attention-grabbing stunt than anything else. You can pat attention to minorities without making it about you.

I repeat my comment to the previous thread: you st yourself a worthy goal, and should continue to pay attention to this and to related issues - but your public self-flagellation on the topic is showy and attention-grasping, and isn't justified by the numbers. Last year, 17 of the 42 books you reviewed were written by women; the difference between that number and half is not even nearly statistically significant, and yet you repeatedly make a big production out of that difference. Resolving to try harder is entirely a good thing - but, as #7 says. when you reach like this you're making this issue about you.

I'd get a kick out of seeing ghost town Slog, if all white males stopped commenting. HaHa. Max Solomon, show us how it's done. HaHa.

It wouldn't have an impact on quality, and it's not like the white guys can't find anyone else to review their books; so why not.

Thanks for the post and understanding of this issue, Paul.

And no, Slog wouldn't be a "ghost town" without all of the white male commenters. There might even be more comments, because many of us leave the comments forever or for extended periods of time because of all the white dude hatred & condescension.

Paul. make the pledge anyway.
Are you saying that you couldn't fill your slot in the Stranger with just women or writers of color? That there are not enough women writers or writers of color in the area to fill up your time?

I say make the pledge and then add in white men IF you cant find women and writers of color. Say it in the paper when it happens. OOPs, had to add a guy for space. Then lets see A) how the guys like it and B) how much more you learn about finding non-whiteguys in this white guy world. It'll be enlightening for us all.

Thank you, Paul, for being aware of and actively working toward creating a more inclusive cultural dialogue.

artists (people, workers, students, etc.) of color=colored artists ((people, workers, students, etc.). don't use one term if you wouldn't use the other.