Fresh-Faced Bookworm Meets Crone-filled Canon
This is a space to honor two seemingly opposing sides of reading. On the one hand, this is a place for my readers and me to celebrate stories that we love. If you have spent any time in spaces where literature is discussed, you have seen people bashing books. Frankly, if you’re like me, you felt ashamed for liking your favorite books–directly or indirectly. This could have manifested in various ways. For instance, in my case, I have picked up classics (and literary genres that excluded people like me), and I was frustrated, alone, and embarrassed. Have you felt the same feelings (or feelings neighboring these)? You’re not alone. So, come join this dialogue.
Even though I majored in English (twice—graduate and undergraduate levels), I still felt like I didn’t belong in discussions around books. While writing papers on classics, I had a constant internal battle around my intelligence, self-worth, identity, and belonging. So, I hid my young adult books. At various points, I had discarded my favorites. I traded them in for classics. One of my main qualms with classics was that they were exclusionary. A series of white men (mostly) and some white women created what is often deemed as “serious” literature.
Part of this website is a want to read stories that interest me. My website is a safe space to express complicated thoughts and emotions toward stories. There are no easy answers. I doubt there are clear answers at all. I am here to wrestle with stories and ideas in all kinds of mediums. I am here to celebrate new and honest interpretations of stories.
This brings us to the second goal behind this website: I aim to untangle my enjoyment of stories from the prevailing white-author-heavy canon. Here, so-called silly questions are welcome (if not encouraged). At Dinasoaur, I am celebrating stories that make me happy, empowered, and hopeful. I am also stepping into stories that once felt unwelcoming, unreachable, and inaccessible to me. With that, I will approach stories with an open mind and ask questions. Come say hi—and feel free to join me on this journey.
Thanks for stopping by!