Shadowshaper

Shadowshaper is an urban fantasy novel with supernatural elements and mystical creatures, but it also deals with real-world issues Sierra and her community face. One example of this is in Chapter 5, when Sierra notices the mural of Vincent, Bennie’s brother. Like the mural of Papa Acevado, Vincent’s mural has changed from its original form, which contributes to the supernatural strangeness surrounding Sierra. However, the mention of Vincent’s mural also addresses the issue of police brutality. Sierra notes that Vincent was killed three years ago by the police, treated as a dangerous criminal, though he is memorialized in the mural as the friend, brother, and son that the neighborhood knew him to be: “[…] smiling that terrific Vincent cheeseball grin he’d flashed after making a really stupid joke” (33). By including this moment, Older reminds the reader that amidst the fun and fantasy of Sierra’s journey, there are also very real issues in Sierra’s neighborhood that shouldn’t be overlooked or ignored.

Sierra’s journey to discover more about Dr. Wick takes her to the campus of Columbia, which is a different world to Sierra, even though it’s so close by: “It was hard to believe that the wide-open, ultramanicured campus of Columbia University was in the same city as Bed Stuy. Sierra marvels at the “perfect temples of knowledge” that seem so foreign and distant to her (44). When Sierra tries to gain access to the university’s library, she’s denied for not having an ID card. The white students nearby treat Neville with suspicion because he’s a black man: “His towering frame, slick suit, and dark skin put him in stark contrast to everyone else around” (46). Older uses these instances to make a critique of higher education, which is often geared toward the privileged and elite. Many times, this means that people of color are ostracized, treated with suspicion, or barred entry from receiving the same access to knowledge and resources.  

Fortunately, some individuals—like the anthropology archivist, Nydia Ochoa—manage to overcome the barriers put in place by higher education and use this opportunity to help others achieve the same goal. Sierra and Nydia bond over their shared interests and their similar backgrounds, both women of color in a predominantly white, male space. Nydia is critical of many of the practices of the university, and she wants to create her own path for the distribution of knowledge. Nydia shares her plan to open her own, more inclusive library in Harlem, “like a people’s library, not just for academics” (50). In some ways, Nydia seems to be a stand-in for Older in the novel, reflecting some of his views on education and the distribution of knowledge. Like Nydia, Older wants to highlight these issues in a way that will be more engaging and palatable for non-academics, including them in a story with supernatural elements and fantastical creatures.

With these supernatural, mythological elements of his story, Older also uses Nydia to explain some of the potential pitfalls of higher education. Nydia describes Dr. Wick’s work as an anthropological study of different cultures and their magic and folklore. While both Nydia and Sierra find this topic interesting, Nydia also explains to Sierra that anthropological studies have sometimes overstepped boundaries and manipulated cultures for their own gain. She describes “all that old-time medical anthropology type of research way back when, and you know that’s some icky ish this grand ol’ institution was into, grave robbing and worse” (51). While Older has also interwoven elements of his fantasy story with real-world culture and history, he carefully distinguishes the difference between honoring the traditions of a culture and exploiting it. Older acknowledges Columbia’s role as a repository for anthropological information, including it in his book as a key setting for Sierra’s journey; however, he also critiques the university and some of its practices through Nydia, holding the school accountable for its mistakes of the past.