Sometimes We Get It Wrong…

I would like to apologize to our Australian readers including Australian Aborigines and to anyone who’s felt the sting of cultural appropriation.

I would like to thank the people who pointed out to me that words I published were hurtful. You are right. I’m sorry.

As writers, we’re encouraged to step into someone else’s shoes, wear them around, and try to write their story. Try. Sometimes we get it right. Sometimes we get it wrong.

We all have our own biases, our own bubbles of knowledge and ignorance that make up how we perceive the world. I’m afraid there are some egregious blind spots in my bubble. I try to rub them out. When someone is brave enough to point them out, I’ll acknowledge they are there and work on fixing that. Well, this is me admitting. Apologizing. Now to fixing.

The hurt of having your experience misrepresented is something I’m not even going to try to tackle. If you haven’t felt it, you’re extremely fortunate. When it does happens to you, you are completely justified in being angry, offended, and every other emotion in the book.  I’m sorry if you felt that way this week. To those of you who did, mea culpa.

All my best,

Anna

Publisher, Flash Fiction Online