In June, I won a contract from Sourcebooks for a progressive historical western series. What does the “progressive” part mean? Traditionally, western novels have featured more than their fair share of racism, misogyny, and erasure of history. Major retailers such as WalMart are anxious to turn the page, so to speak, with western novels that are more respectful of women, indigenous people, and people of color who helped settle the west. For example, 20% of the Plains Army was comprised of black men, mostly formerly enslaved, who saw the Army as a gateway to a better life – the so-called “buffalo soldiers”. Their presence and contribution has been largely ignored by Hollywood and historical fiction in general. Or, that most of the so-called “Indian Wars” erupted when the government made treaties with plain’s tribes and then broke them. Yet historical fiction has treated these tribes as the aggressors rather than people fighting to maintain what was promised them.
You might say, “This is just political correctness.” I’d say you’re half right – this is correctness. My first job as a historical author is to get the history right. Not forgetting what happened and who participated is the first job of a historian. As a result, my novels will feature all the people who played a role in the panorama of western migration, and from their perspectives. If I do it right, I can participate in a new wave of western novel that opens eyes and unlocks doors.
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