Can you separate an author from his or her work?

Elf Witch · Aug 3, 2014

goldomark said:
I did not know you were a woman. All I thought was that you were a very old teenager.

I see.

A question if I was a straight man leaving with a another straight man basically my situation but the sexes reversed would it be some how less acceptable? I am just curious.

I do know that some people can't accept that some people have no desire to be married or to live with a romantic partner and that some how it makes you emotionally broken.

I realize in my case while I enjoy relationships I suck at living with a romantic interest and I would be the same way if I was a lesbian I still would not want to live with a romantic partner.

Living with my roommate solves several issues there is companionship, help with finances, sharing hobbies, sharing household responsibilities. But since we are not romantically involved there are none of the issues that go with please get out of my face now I need to be alone which can last for days or the other compromises that go with living with a lover/spouse. Not saying that we don't have to make compromises we do but it is different. This works for me and for my roommate because we feel the same way about a lot of this.

Kramodlog · Aug 3, 2014

Elf Witch said:
I see. A question if I was a straight man leaving with a another straight man basically my situation but the sexes reversed would it be some how less acceptable? I am just curious.

Depends who you ask. There is a lot of pressure on men in Western cultures to be independent. You're seen as a loser/lazy if you still live with roommates passed a certain age/period (generally once you leave school).

To be a man is to live in a very harsh world. Lots of various pressures and lots of consequences if you do not meet certain standards, social isolation being one of them. There are reasons why the homeless are generally male (but this is changing).

Jester David · Aug 3, 2014

I personally wondered about this after the reminders that Orson Scott Card has questionable politics and my late discovery that Lovecraft's views on race was as horrific as the subject matter of his stories.

I think you have to judge the art separately. What's acceptable changes over time. Shakespeare, Dickens, and others likely had questionable views. So long as the work itself does not preach unacceptable values.
Art is not inherently corrupted. If Bradley had recanted on her deathbed, begged forgiveness, and and tried to make restitution it would change how we feel but not alter a word of her books.

trappedslider · Aug 3, 2014

Jester Canuck said:
I personally wondered about this after the reminders that Orson Scott Card has questionable politic.

That's what i was thinking recalling the outcry about Ender's Game and O.S.C's views....I enjoy reading L. Ron. Hubbard' Battlefield Earth and I don't much care for his views, but they don't stop me from enjoying the book.

Crothian · Aug 3, 2014

As long as the viewpoints are not a major part of their work I usually can separate the artist from the work especially when the person is dead and it has been decades since they had these views. I am more likely to stop reading an author over things they say in interview or even worse in their blogs. Their are a couple of writers that I don't support now because of things like that.

Elf Witch · Aug 4, 2014

goldomark said:
Depends who you ask. There is a lot of pressure on men in Western cultures to be independent. You're seen as a loser/lazy if you still live with roommates passed a certain age/period (generally once you leave school).

To be a man is to live in a very harsh world. Lots of various pressures and lots of consequences if you do not meet certain standards, social isolation being one of them. There are reasons why the homeless are generally male (but this is changing).

Jester Canuck said:
I personally wondered about this after the reminders that Orson Scott Card has questionable politics and my late discovery that Lovecraft's views on race was as horrific as the subject matter of his stories.

I think you have to judge the art separately. What's acceptable changes over time. Shakespeare, Dickens, and others likely had questionable views. So long as the work itself does not preach unacceptable values.
Art is not inherently corrupted. If Bradley had recanted on her deathbed, begged forgiveness, and and tried to make restitution it would change how we feel but not alter a word of her books.

Crothian said:
As long as the viewpoints are not a major part of their work I usually can separate the artist from the work especially when the person is dead and it has been decades since they had these views. I am more likely to stop reading an author over things they say in interview or even worse in their blogs. Their are a couple of writers that I don't support now because of things like that.

I agree with you on men being judged more harshly at times by society. I have seen it as a mother of a son. Right now my roommate and I are living with my son and his roommates. He has gotten flack for living with his mom. But the fact is my roommate and I ran into finical problems and my son invited us to move in with his friends and him in a house to help us. Yet the assumption is because he not married and in school in his thirties he is one of those geeks who live in his mom basement.

If MZB had recanted on her death bed I still would most likely not read her works but that is because I was abused as a child and I am not sure I can that reading her work knowing what I know now that I would not be reminded of my own abuse. I can't be 100% sure on this and I don't even know if I will feel differently down line once the shock has faded.

The issue of it not being in her work is an interesting point because there have been scenes of child rape in at least the Mists of Avalon. I found the scenes distasteful but I didn't think oh this is something she practices. Now in hind site it can change that.

Homicidal_Squirrel · Aug 4, 2014

Can you separate an author from his work?

Can I? Sure. You can rationalize anything in any way to help you ignore what a person has done. Do I separate an author from his work?? No. Neither fiction nor its creator exist in a vacuum.

In the case of Orson Scott Card, I don't separate him from his work. He earns money from his work which allows him to continue to spew his hateful beliefs and politics. I did not watch the Ender's Game movie as I do not want to give such a hateful person any of my money. Besides, he is overrated.

trappedslider · Aug 4, 2014

Homicidal_Squirrel said:
Can I? Sure. You can rationalize anything in any way to help you ignore what a person has done. Do I separate an author from his work?? No. Neither fiction nor its creator exist in a vacuum.

In the case of Orson Scott Card, I don't separate him from his work. He earns money from his work which allows him to continue to spew his hateful beliefs and politics. I did not watch the Ender's Game movie as I do not want to give such a hateful person any of my money. Besides, he is overrated.

Do you do the same with Lovecraft? I ask because he was also pointed as having different views to put it lightly regarding race.

Homicidal_Squirrel · Aug 4, 2014

trappedslider said:
Do you do the same with Lovecraft? I ask because he was also pointed as having different views to put it lightly regarding race.

Can you name a recent movie adaptation of one of Lovecraft's books/stories you've paid money for?

trappedslider · Aug 4, 2014

Homicidal_Squirrel said:
Can you name a recent Love Craft movie you've paid money for?

I was thinking of his books/stories in his case since Guillermo del Toro hasn't gotten around to making that Mountains of Madness movie

Can you separate an author from his or her work?

Elf Witch

First Post

Kramodlog

Naked and living in a barrel

Jester David

Hero

trappedslider

Legend

Crothian

First Post

Elf Witch

First Post

Homicidal_Squirrel

Adventurer

trappedslider

Legend

Homicidal_Squirrel

Adventurer

trappedslider

Legend

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