There is a tendency to presume autobiography in fiction by women or minorities. Guys named Jonathan write universal stories, while there's this sense that everyone else is just fictionalizing their own small experiences.
Interpretation
The quote highlights a bias in how fiction is perceived based on the author's identity, particularly for women and minorities.
Rumaan Alam's quote reflects on the systemic bias in literature where works by women and minority authors are often deemed autobiographical and limited to personal experiences, while male authors, especially those named Jonathan, are allowed to tell 'universal' stories. This illustrates a double standard in the literary world that marginalizes diverse voices and restricts the broader interpretations of their narratives.
In practice
In a discussion panel about representation in literature, this quote can highlight the need for diverse storytelling.
All told, she owned fourteen books, but she saw her story as being made up predominantly of ten of them. Of those ten, six were stolen, one showed up at the kitchen table, two were made for her by a hidden Jew, and one was delivered by a soft, yellow-dressed afternoon.
I know I'm a rare person, a trained scientist who writes fiction, because so few contemporary novelists engage with science.
If one believes that words are acts, as I do, then one must hold writers responsible for what their words do.
You want in all cases for the story to get through the writing.
When I read interviews with people like Kevin Barry or Colin Barrett, who I hugely admire, they don't really seem to come up against the question of likeability even though their characters, in some instances, are really horrible.
In a memoir, your main contract with the reader is to tell the truth, no matter how bizarre.
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