American Dirt

The plot of American Dirt, a novel by Jeanine Cummins, involves a Mexican woman and her son fleeing to the U.S. after the rest of her family has been massacred by a drug gang.  

(Warning:  I have not read the book–yet.)  The book has inspired controversy because the author is not Mexican, and therefore, in today’s society, not qualified to write about Mexicans.  In fact, the author has received death threats for her “cultural appropriation.”

This drives me nuts.  I am a poet.  My poems are sometimes from the viewpoint of old men, teenagers, African Americans, women, Indians, chickens, and trees.  I believe that nobody has the exclusive rights to write about his or her culture, race, religion, language, or identity.

The question should not be: Is this author a member of a particular subset or group?  The question should be:  Is this writing good?