Writing A Novel Without Experience Of Issue - Cancel Culture (1 Viewer)

[wikkidpissah]

You might need to unpack that one more someday for me. 

Shirley. The amuse bouche of it would be that there's as much innovation in art as there is in tech, but has suffered unto the same corporate & bureaucratic squelches. O, are we the poorer for it when the best aren't free to rush to the head of the class. That holds especially great truth for emerging cultures, but it don't mean that anything swarthy or distaff or whatever has value on its own neither. Excellence will always out, or we suffer.

 

[Ilov80s]

I think our hangup is about the Mashable article rather than the reviews it discusses. I think it's fair for both of us to have our reactions to it. I'm really not invested in it other than what has been posted in this thread. I think it's a comprehension issue on both our parts in some way. Outside of that op-ed, I further get what you're saying but I think we part ways there. That's a discussion for another day. I'm willing to have it, but we'd likely walk away licking wounds or salt or something. 

Greene is a lion. I'm thinking I'd give him a pass. YMMV. 

eta* That was all typed to Tammi Terrell and Marvin Gaye duets. They're sublime. 

Greene is among my favorites and he always seemed rather insightful. The Quiet American basically nailed the Vietnam conflict and how America would bungle it in 1955. 

 

[Ilov80s]

A couple of thoughts.

1. Isn't this pretty much the standard procedure for every book on her list?

2. This is still 100% on the path of "promote and sell a ton of books". Probably even more so know that it drives more interest. Are people ok with that too?

1. Not sure. This discussion is going to stream on Apple TV. Does she do that for all the books she picks? No clue but I prefer this to her saying, “never mind, this book and is bad is off my list.”

2. Yeah this thing is likely only going to sell more due to the dust up. Everyone is benefiting from this. Oprah, the publishers, the author, the agents, the critics, other authors who wrote about similar topics, etc.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Seems like everything here is fair. She wrote a book. Some people liked it and some critics hated it. Doesn’t this happen everyday? How is this different?

This completely normal, everyday discussion of the book's literary merits has resulted in the book tour being cancelled because of concerns for the author's physical safety.  

 

[Ilov80s]

This completely normal, everyday discussion of the book's literary merits has resulted in the book tour being cancelled because of concerns for the author's physical safety.  

That is very sad and unfortunate that there are crazy people sending her threats. I did see the publishers are setting up a series of town hall meetings with the author instead. I think discussion of the book is important and I haven’t read anything hostile amongst the critics. Knowing twitter and Facebook and the like, it doesn’t surprise me that people there are sending threats though. I am sure there were going to be protests and tough questions but hopefully not actual violence. In the world though one is often best to play it safe. 

 

[parasaurolophus]

I think discussion of the book is important 

Why? 

 

[Judge Smails]

I don't really understand the big deal. Its a fiction book. If people like it great. If they don't, fine.

But the attacks on writing outside your lane are stupid. The attacks on "stereotypes" in the book is dumb. You can't on one hand argue that immigrants are fleeing gang violence, drug cartels, and organized crime but then get mad when characters in a book get portrayed that way.

The market will determine if it’s worthwhile. Agree that you should be able to write outside some make believe “lane”.  Do your research and write away. If I like it, I’ll buy. Especially if you write it better than someone writing in their lane. 

 

[saintfool]

And if I'm understanding the argument, it seems like it's a similar thing with food where people are criticized if they have a restaurant offering food that is not aligned with their race. 

i'm not sure what this means, honestly.

I think the issue may be with purporting it as somehow "authentic" or truly XXXXXXX food when the chef and/or restaurant is not. authenticity has nothing to do with race, imo, but instead with culture. race and culture are decidedly different. 

 

[Ilov80s]

Why? 

It speaks a lot to some of the issues with the current state of books and publishing companies. 

It’s about a rather significant issue of our time and if it has been deemed “the book” about this issue, it should be discussed just as Grapes or Wrath or All Quiet on the Western Front are.