There is no such thing as neutral or universal writing.

Kate Tuttle edits The Boston Globe’s books coverage. She has served as a judge for the National Book Awards.

When The New York Times published “The Literary World’s D.E.I. Checklist,” by conservative columnist Bret Stephens, it lit up my bookish corner of social media.

Stephens, a Times opinion writer since 2017, proclaims that the books and authors on the fiction and nonfiction long lists of the National Book Awards represent a dangerous trend that is “deforming and hollowing out literary culture in America.” In a nutshell, Stephens argues that “the National Book Award has become a D.E.I. checklist: Only authors with preferred identities, preferred topics and preferred politics stand any realistic chance of winning.”

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No, the National Book Awards aren't a 'DEI checklist'