It has been incredible. The speed at which Sturgeon crumbled and how lots of formerly ignored failings have suddenly been brought kicking and screaming to light is fascinating.
The reaction the Time to Think book is also interesting. It would appear that Amazon did not order enough copies either -- someone was on twitter complaining about the expected delivery date being pushed back. As it is still being released on the 23rd, it means the publisher is probably already into reprints.
I personally do not think telling people that they have blood on their hands for writing a book or an article etc does a cause any good. The people responsible for the murder of the teen are the pair who have been charged with it, the people who used the knife. To say otherwise is to offer an apology for their actions and diminish their culpability. It also binds v vulnerable people closer into the cult imho.
At least the tide is starting to turn and it’s nice to read that for a change. I was shocked to read the NYT answer to the open letter but it felt like the paper might have grown a backbone and started to act like the paper I used to read daily and loved.
I’ll be ordering Time to Think. Glad to see publishers doing the right thing and resisting pressure.
Great article by Stock. For the past several years I had started to think that the vast majority of people in Scotland were over the top when it concerned the whole gender self ID thing and people on the left here in the US as well. It would seem that people here in the US will take a lot more persuading. Baby steps for the house of cards to fall.
TY for Northumberland Calling and this link, Ma'am. Will postpone reading other articles for now. Just add: "HA!"
Also been meaning to "say" that I really admire You and all authors of fiction. To have the imagination to paint a movie of a reality-of-the-mind is truly incredible. I can never get over it, and only wish I had such a talent.
I am far easier to live with when I put my over active imagination into creating stories rather than in to worrying about my family. Makes for a happier life altogether. LOL
What is it is called is Presentism and part of the speech I was prevented from giving at the Society of Authors agm dealt with this issue.
They changed what Matilda reads from Conrad to Austen, and Kipling to Steinbeck -- it alters his meaning as Conrad and Kipling created self reliant heroes who were able to do things. Kim's game which is about noticing things on a tray and things have been moved etc is actually influential. Steinbeck is not inspiring but depressing and he of course famously was handed another author's notes without her knowledge or consent (her boss at the agency where she was filing the reports sent them) about the Dust Bowl which he turned into Grapes of Wrath.
I have already signed this! I thought hte letter v good. The Dahl thing is still in the papers.
And of course the chair of the SoA says it is not censorship, it is just business. Even the Bookseller published an article on that -- saying she had a v old fashioned idea of censorship.
Steinbeck is an interesting character. He was a writer and had an idea. He wrote it. The disgusting bit is that the editors and PTB decided one novel on the subject was enough. They should have published the woman's book. They may have even thought she copied some of Steinbeck's ideas. Who knows. I believe it was only published just before she died and not to every great acclaim in the 1980s. Anyway, the things one learns -- Ken Burn's Dust Bowl was hugely interesting.
Because I get up in CA, little town called Mtn View -- not a place you'd readily admit to being from when I grew up, I understand that has altered now -- LOL. I knew about some of the problems with big agriculture etc.
Thankfully Sir Salman Rushdie feels the same way as we do and called it censorship. Maybe it will force more people to wake up to the growing problem of Presentism. I am working on an essay.
Oh and I was v pleased the sister paper of the Guardian, the Observer, made Time to Think their book of the week (this is a huge step forward) and the reviewer gave some of the arguments I gave back in Sept which the publisher had picked up on as to why everyone should pay attention to it. Small gratification.
My thoughts exactly. You get an entirely different character through reading Austen etc. Dahl chose those authors for a specific purpose. Equally read Steinbeck too soon and you will be put off reading -- it is v social activist and American regional writer. Kim is an important book and did have enormous influence. Kipling of course walked the streets when he was a reporter in India.
The changes are about dumbing down the language, and making the books into palatable pap so the Dahl cash cow can continue. Puffin should be looking to invest in new authors, rather than recycling old ones. And they should look to contextualizing Dahl with introductions etc.
What a week across the pond. It seems as if there is a small light at the end of a long dark tunnel. Thanks for your report!
It has been incredible. The speed at which Sturgeon crumbled and how lots of formerly ignored failings have suddenly been brought kicking and screaming to light is fascinating.
The reaction the Time to Think book is also interesting. It would appear that Amazon did not order enough copies either -- someone was on twitter complaining about the expected delivery date being pushed back. As it is still being released on the 23rd, it means the publisher is probably already into reprints.
I personally do not think telling people that they have blood on their hands for writing a book or an article etc does a cause any good. The people responsible for the murder of the teen are the pair who have been charged with it, the people who used the knife. To say otherwise is to offer an apology for their actions and diminish their culpability. It also binds v vulnerable people closer into the cult imho.
At least the tide is starting to turn and it’s nice to read that for a change. I was shocked to read the NYT answer to the open letter but it felt like the paper might have grown a backbone and started to act like the paper I used to read daily and loved.
I’ll be ordering Time to Think. Glad to see publishers doing the right thing and resisting pressure.
Oh and because I have just read this -- Kathleen Stock is totally on fire with this: https://unherd.com/2023/02/nicola-sturgeon-is-rewriting-history/
Publishers will resist more when they realise it is in their financial interests to do so.
Both Ursula and Mark are really decent people in my humble experience. Refreshing.
Great article by Stock. For the past several years I had started to think that the vast majority of people in Scotland were over the top when it concerned the whole gender self ID thing and people on the left here in the US as well. It would seem that people here in the US will take a lot more persuading. Baby steps for the house of cards to fall.
It will take baby steps. Slowly and then suddenly all at once.
I have to hope the NYT stands firm and starts really poking its nose into it.
It will be interesting to hear the Witch Trials of JK Rowling on Free Press.
The more sunlight on this, the better.
Yeah. I was mistaken in that I thought the majority of Scotlanders thought like Sturgeon. Now that she's gone, WSS (We Shall See).
More sunlight. The better. The answer.
Unfortunately, here in the US that's seems a difficult proposition. California has *been* admitting men to women's prison cells. Few know of WoLF's lawsuit against them. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wolf-sues-california-department-of-corrections-to-restore-single-sex-prisons-301427144.html Why is this memory-holed?
Small group against the state of California and the ACLU. Prospects not good, unless case determined based on merits instead-a power.
TY for Northumberland Calling and this link, Ma'am. Will postpone reading other articles for now. Just add: "HA!"
Also been meaning to "say" that I really admire You and all authors of fiction. To have the imagination to paint a movie of a reality-of-the-mind is truly incredible. I can never get over it, and only wish I had such a talent.
All that to say... Congrats on the paycheck!
I am far easier to live with when I put my over active imagination into creating stories rather than in to worrying about my family. Makes for a happier life altogether. LOL
That's it!! THE Solution to all the world's problems!! Everyone should just start writing fiction!!
(Or, for others like me who have no such talent, read fiction all day. :-)
Because it strikes me that you might enjoy this article -- The Times magazine ran a piece on Bari Weiss. https://archive.is/H1spL
I have worked out how to search for archived articles...
You were struck right, Ma'am. Great article.
And since You can find archived articles, I'll probably cancel subs to The Times and Telegraph. TY Michelle.
TYTY, as *always.* (Have a good 'un. :-)
For those in the US we can order Kindle version.
Brilliant. I didn't know. I have now added this fact to my comment on the TGIF.
I plan on doing just that.
What is it is called is Presentism and part of the speech I was prevented from giving at the Society of Authors agm dealt with this issue.
They changed what Matilda reads from Conrad to Austen, and Kipling to Steinbeck -- it alters his meaning as Conrad and Kipling created self reliant heroes who were able to do things. Kim's game which is about noticing things on a tray and things have been moved etc is actually influential. Steinbeck is not inspiring but depressing and he of course famously was handed another author's notes without her knowledge or consent (her boss at the agency where she was filing the reports sent them) about the Dust Bowl which he turned into Grapes of Wrath.
I got this link from a charity I've supported:
http://go.thefire.org/uncensor-dahl
Thought You all may be interested.
I have already signed this! I thought hte letter v good. The Dahl thing is still in the papers.
And of course the chair of the SoA says it is not censorship, it is just business. Even the Bookseller published an article on that -- saying she had a v old fashioned idea of censorship.
SoA = *pathetic.*
Oh! I fergot:
GOOD ON YOU! (You hear me? ;-)
TY M Bosanko and Yourself, Ma'am. The Authors agm was a travesty.
As are these changes. Can't tell You how disgusted I am. (And now disgusted with Steinbeck. Did *not* know that about him.)
Steinbeck is an interesting character. He was a writer and had an idea. He wrote it. The disgusting bit is that the editors and PTB decided one novel on the subject was enough. They should have published the woman's book. They may have even thought she copied some of Steinbeck's ideas. Who knows. I believe it was only published just before she died and not to every great acclaim in the 1980s. Anyway, the things one learns -- Ken Burn's Dust Bowl was hugely interesting.
Because I get up in CA, little town called Mtn View -- not a place you'd readily admit to being from when I grew up, I understand that has altered now -- LOL. I knew about some of the problems with big agriculture etc.
Thankfully Sir Salman Rushdie feels the same way as we do and called it censorship. Maybe it will force more people to wake up to the growing problem of Presentism. I am working on an essay.
Oh and I was v pleased the sister paper of the Guardian, the Observer, made Time to Think their book of the week (this is a huge step forward) and the reviewer gave some of the arguments I gave back in Sept which the publisher had picked up on as to why everyone should pay attention to it. Small gratification.
Too bad I don't have time for Ken Burns' film.
Sir Salman is right. These books should be required to list themselves as "Censored."
No small gratification to be so far ahead of the crowd!
My thoughts exactly. You get an entirely different character through reading Austen etc. Dahl chose those authors for a specific purpose. Equally read Steinbeck too soon and you will be put off reading -- it is v social activist and American regional writer. Kim is an important book and did have enormous influence. Kipling of course walked the streets when he was a reporter in India.
The changes are about dumbing down the language, and making the books into palatable pap so the Dahl cash cow can continue. Puffin should be looking to invest in new authors, rather than recycling old ones. And they should look to contextualizing Dahl with introductions etc.
"Dumbing down." The current age we're in.