“I'm wary of being put in boxes. But at the same time, it's important that I embrace my identity as a writer who happens to be gay, and in my own way I do that.” ImportantIdentityGayEmbrace Author:Ayana Mathis
“In America, and no doubt elsewhere, we have such a tendency toward the segregation of cultural products. This is a black book, this is a gay book, this is an Asian book. It can be counterproductive both to the literary enterprise and to people's reading, because it can set up barriers. Readers may think, "Oh, I'm a straight man from Atlanta and I'm white, so I won't enjoy that book because it's by a gay black woman in Brooklyn." They're encouraged to think that, in a way, because of the categorization in the media.” ThinkingMenBookReadingEnjoyBlackDoubtGayEnterpriseBarriersElsewhereBlack WomenSegregation Author:Ayana Mathis
“I couldn't imagine a book with many characters in it and one of them not being gay. It would have felt like a glaring and problematic omission for me. But I also wanted to write that character as a person, not just a gay person.” WritingBookCharacterImagineGayBeing Gay Author:Ayana Mathis