I need your help. I'm conducting a survey and have circuclated a query for a paper I'm writing. The subject matter here is generic and anyone can respnd based on your individual persuasion. An author friend of mine during an intense discussion on the state of Black literature posed a question that I had to ponder for a minute. She stated adamantly that there was a distinct difference on how men and women write and create their story lines. I had to admit that I was taken aback. I tended to agree to a certain extent, but the more I thought abut it my mindset fluctuated back and forth to pros and cons to the issue. I readily surmised that the enduring legacy that we, writers of color, should instill and inspire for our progeny is to maintain continuity for the written word, and write exponentially across the board. And this should be done with us writing quality work and giving substance that they can use and emulate. I'm also aware that the African-American literary Diaspora has grown by leaps and bounds since 1985.

We are writing across all genres and our voices have proliferated beyond margins we've associated ourselves with, real and imagined. The distaff side of this remarkable phenomena has showcased the talents of quite a few women, and in recent years men have stepped up to prominence too. This certainly gives us strength in numbers. I would like to hear your opinions on this subject. Think deeply on this and give your honest thought on whether there truly are creative differences between the writings of male and female. Do women tell their stories from another viewpoint than do men? Have there been, or are there levels of comparison perhaps where there's room to tell the same story better?