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| My screenshot of the YouTube video of WBUR’s January interview of Jeanine Cummins |
My review of American Dirt got more social media attention than any other post I’ve written in the 15 years and nine months I’ve been writing this blog. Since then I’ve read lots of criticism of the novel and everyone catches different details. Many were irked by Jeanine Cummins’ descriptions of skin colors. I was more annoyed by her editor’s decision to write “Estados Unidos” without “los” in front of it. People who grew up in Mexico called out problems with Cummins’ depiction of the country.
But I feel like YouTube is where I hit gold. If you want to know how Jeanine Cummins felt after the criticism of her book started, watch this interview she did with WBUR in January. Apparently, Cummins did this interview soon before her publisher stopped her public appearances about her novel.
This week Oprah Winfrey discusses Dirt on her show Oprah’s Book Club. It includes Cummins and some critics of the book, but that series airs exclusively on Apple TV+. For those who can see it, keep in mind that it’s not just Winfrey’s ego that keeps her from backing off her praise of Cummins’ novel. She’s tight with the publisher of Dirt. Flatiron Books published Winfrey’s memoir and she has a stake in Dirt doing well.
But everyone can watch the YouTube video of Cummins from January. There are two interviewers and an audience of NPR listeners. It’s almost an hour and a half long, but be patient. You’ll hear Cummins answer questions like why she went ahead and wrote this book after she had doubts about it being her place to do so. It’s a rich display of Cummins’ mindset and emotions and it might be a video she and her publishers wish could be deleted and never seen again.
Relevant posts:
Book review: American Dirt
What should I read instead of American Dirt?