Blog Post 7: Author Presentation Reflection
Though I felt I did as much research on Danyel Smith’s personal background as I could, there wasn’t much to go by on the internet and I had a difficult time attempting to understand her voice in her work. Smith has impressive credentials and I felt inspired reading her list of achievements, but I didn’t get a sense of who she is inspired by as a writer nor as a scholar. I also feel that because she primarily plays the role of narrator and most of her works were celebrity features, she wasn’t able to insert herself fully into the narrative. Nonetheless, I feel that she is a trustworthy source that backs up her points with facts, and there is nothing I find about her as a writer or as a person that is unsettling.
Perhaps the work that best presents her as a literary journalist and distinguishes her from traditional journalism is her debut novel “More Like Wrestling.” In this piece, I believe she was most able to reveal aspects of her upbringing through her characters, as she and both the main protagonists were born in Oakland. Throughout the novel, the voice is unique, present, and realistic, and I felt that the story conveyed such a rhythm that invites readers into the time period. I thought that Smith did a fantastic job of presenting the true essence of Oakland during the 80’s, which is a nod to her ability to conduct factual research. She mentioned authentic places, landmarks, and cultural nuances within the African-American community. However, my critique of this novel, along with several of her other articles, is the lack of background on issues that have affected her main characters. I often finished a piece of her with unanswered questions, though this could partly be due to my lack of ability to properly analyze the work. Overall, through this experience, I learned the importance of ensuring the appropriate maintenance of character development as a literary journalist.
