In America and no doubt elsewhere we have such a tendency toward the segregation of cultural products. This is a black book this is a gay book this is an Asian book. It can be counterproductive both to the literary enterprise and to peoples reading because it can set up barriers. Readers may think Oh Im a straight man from Atlanta and Im white so I wont enjoy that book because its by a gay black woman in Brooklyn. Theyre encouraged to think that in a way because of the categorization in the media.