Lois Becket writes about race, racism, romance and “relatability” in romance, the Romance Writers of America and the Rita awards. “People say: ‘Well, I can’t relate,’” [Beverly] Jenkins told NPR a few years ago, after watching white readers simply walk past her table at a book signing. “You can relate to shapeshifters, you can relate to vampires, you can relate to werewolves, but you can’t relate to a story written by and about black Americans?” (Via Claire Napier)