Beyond Borrowed Voices: Reading for Authenticity

Karen and Jonelle tackle when imaginative empathy crosses into cultural appropriation. Jonelle defines appropriation as writers “taking ownership… and not giving honor, research, or credit to its heritage”. She flags 2024 data: more than half of novels with LGBTQ protagonists were written by straight authors, proving demand often outruns authentic representation. Karen defends artistic freedom yet agrees readers must verify whose stories they consume. Both hosts celebrate Mad Honey, co-authored by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan, as a blueprint where a cis writer shared the pen with a trans collaborator, allowing lived expertise to shape every page. The duo ends with an “authenticity audit” for every nightstand: Who profits? Who is missing? Who was invited into the writing room?

Calls to Action

• Shelf audit – List your last ten reads by author identity and subject, then fill the glaring gaps with own-voice titles.
• Source check – Before recommending a book, skim the acknowledgments or author note to see who consulted on lived experience.
• Credit-check club – Add one standing question to your book group: How did this author honor the communities portrayed?

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