at the south central starbucks
This shit is just the greatest thing I’ve read today.
Angela and I were all atwitter over this story. Want to know what’s so great about it? Several things (loosely transcribed from my chat with Angela):
me: on the one hand, fuck her. but on the other, no one would have TOUCHED that book if it was written by a black woman who had actually experienced that shit
Angela: I am utterly giddy over what this exposes about publishing and journalism.
This is awesome.
me: oh my god, this so ties in with the wire this season! and how good people lie and do wrong things in order to get the good things done…though i think she was more of a fame-seeking turd
but still
Angela: Oh, this story gets better and better. Fucking Inga Muscio referred this asshole to the editor in the first place!
Angela: “Ms. Seltzer added that she wrote the book “sitting at the Starbucks” in South-Central”
Kelly. This story is making my day.
me: THE SOUTH CENTRAL STARBUCKS OMFG
me: “Ms. Seltzer added that she wrote the book “sitting at the Starbucks” in South-Central, where “I would talk to kids who were Black Panthers and kids who were gang members and kids who were not.””
so the black panthers and the bloods and the crips all gather at starbucks.
compelling stuff
Angela: We should totally visit there and write a book.
me: oh my god, seriously
“g-money and i bonded over lattes. but i was intrigued by his choice of soy milk”
“and i thought, ‘someone should give these people a voice.'”
March 4th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Wow, I say we ditch the blogs – clearly the real money is in fake memoirs written by White People With Hard Lives.
March 4th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
Do you think anyone would be interested in the fact that I was raised by reindeer in Lapland until I was 24? It’s DONDER, not DONNER, dammit!
March 4th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
I told you Starbucks wasn’t a white person thing – EVERYONE is hanging out that, obviously.
Really though, I think it’s funny that her sister was the one that turned her in. Seriously, even if I’m doing some shady nonsense, I half-expect that you and my brother (and be association, your son) have my back…. or, you know, at least tell me you’re going to do it before you rat on me. Hahaha. Whatever.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
“and i thought, ’someone should give these people a voice.’”
BWAHAHAHAHAHA
btw, I drink soy lattes, so let me know if you need to interview me.
March 4th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
The NY Times featured this woman’s house in last week’s garden section. Something about the story didn’t seem right to me.. “yeah, gang members visit me all the time”, “im still a gang member, but Im not active”– wouldn’t this cause annonymous looking cars to start parking outside one’s home 24/7?
March 4th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
My question is, “How much of Inga Muscio’s book about race was based on conversations with this woman, and does this finally mean I can shout from the rooftops that I don’t think Inga la Gringa is that good a writer?” I want to answer this question without actually rereading that book, though.
March 4th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
Jackie: YES YES YES YES YES. Exactly.
March 4th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Hahaha!
I get it if you’re lazy and don’t want to fact check the WHOLE book. But the girl went to school with the Olsen twins! One Google search would help you out, so-called fact checker.