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In Defense of David Gilmour; In Defense of Literature

27 Friday Sep 2013

Posted by John Hanson in Censorship, Literary, Politics, Prose, Writing

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Tags

controversy, criticism, david gilmour, national post, opinion, preference, random house, sexist

So David Gilmour expressed an opinion about male and female novels, about the differences in writing between male and female authors. The literary world is in an uproar, and everybody is calling Mr. Gilmour sexist. What a bunch of hypocrites. What a bunch of close-minded, narrow-thinking, unappreciative know-it-alls.

Sexual preference exists. These same amateur literary critics also likely jump all over homophobes arguing that freedom of sexual expression is a right, it is fundamental; you cannot and should not degrade, legislate, or demean sexual preference. Yet when a university professor expresses a sexual preference, you raise your arms and voices and tap the keys harder.

Are there really differences between male and female authors? Are there fundamental, sexual differences in the writing characteristics of the two sexes? Google chatter says there are differences. Aren’t male written stories more plot driven, more active? Aren’t female stories more character focused, more internal? Ask any literature professor, any avid reader, or any well-read author and the answer is a resounding yes.

Cannot a male reader prefer books written by male authors? Cannot female readers prefer books written by female authors? Well of course they can. It would be excessively silly to suggest otherwise. Ask yourself which you prefer. If you had to choose three books to read for enjoyment, for the ultimate literary escape, would the authors of those three books be male or female? It’s likely each of our preferences swing one way or the other, but whatever you do, never express your preference lest you are labeled a sexist bastard.

If you accept there are differences in style between the sexes – and doubtless many do not accept this premise – can we not at least acknowledge such differences exist? Shouldn’t we? The mass-opinion that David Gilmour’s opinion is unacceptable suggests the answer is no. You are saying that opinion is wrong, that expressing such an opinion is wrong, and that teaching a course based on such an opinion is wrong. But isn’t this filtering, censoring? If we extend this opinion over the accepted style differences, are you not expressing the opinion that such style differences are wrong? Are you not saying we should lump all literature into one category? Let’s run with this idea. Let’s filter all sexism, all sexist elements out of literature and write standard prose, standard themes, standard characters, standard styles. Let’s do away with the primarily plot driven novels, those generally male written, externally focused stories. Let’s ban all of the Lee Childs and Elmore Leonards. On the other side of the ledger, let’s also do away with the chick lit stories, romance novels primarily read by women. Let’s kill all internally focused, character driven novels women are so much better than men at writing. Aloha Miriam Toews and Lisa Moore – two female novelists I love but cannot Jesus understand – and while we’re at it, let’s do away with all zombie, vampire, and werewolf literature, all trash, in my humble opinion. Let’s require all literature to be middle ground, a balance of internal and external conflict, light, funny, David Sedaris stories.

Do I sound like Fahrenheit 451? How dare I ban books? How dare I prescribe a writing style? How dare I suggest filtering what people read? How dare I suggest it’s even okay to bash other peoples’ opinions of what is or is not good fiction? But isn’t that what you David Gilmour bashers are doing? Aren’t you saying it’s sexist to prefer male novels? Aren’t you saying it’s wrong to take sexists views? Isn’t this a slippery slope? Sexism now, socialism later?

I hope literature always pushes the edges of convention. I hope authors and readers always express their true feelings and preferences. When we cave to convention, literature dies. Civilization dies. You do not need to agree with David Gilmour. You do not need to agree with anybody. All I ask is you accept the need to focus on the edges, to push the boundaries. The last thing I want is for David Gilmour or any other professor to teach a watered down, fluffed up course to hurt nobody and please everybody. That’s not how we’ve grown as humans. That’s not how we work. That’s not how we read.

*John is currently writing a novel that Donald Maas might label 21st Century Fiction — a story with a strong external plot and a deep character transformation, a male-female cross-breed, if you will.

Censorship

30 Wednesday May 2012

Posted by John Hanson in Censorship, Diabetes, Nutrition

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

blogging, caveman, censorship, diabetes, grok, legal, nutrition, opinion

Ponder some simple questions:
– should your words ever be censored?
– what is censorship?
– are there legitimate cases where you shouldn’t be allowed to write particular words?

Censorship has been a contentious issue ever since we started etching stone slabs. People have always wanted to supress words for moral, religious, security, political, and financial reasons. I think most bloggers are aware that words can stir emotions and impact real world events. Our words can harm as much as they can help. But does that mean we should never be able to write our words? Should I not be allowed to write an anti-holocaust post or an anti-African American post or a post criticizing all of the Pope, President of the United States of America, and judges of The Supreme Court all in one fell swoop?

These topics have been bantered about for ages, and frankly I have no desire to revisit them. Seriously, I don’t. But there is a new case on the block, an interesting and relevant to bloggers case. I don’t know if you realize it or not, but at least one blogger has attracted the attention of his government with his words. He was threatened with litigation, but they backed down. Now he’s turning the tables, and with the help of the Institute for Justice he’s taking them to task. His name is Steve Cooksey, his blog is The Diabetes Warrior

There are a few issues involved in this situation, and I think it’s important to seperate them.

Is nutrition advice medical advice and can it be controlled?

This is not such an easy topic. Dietitians and the USDA claim it is. I claim it can’t be. Food is fundamental to life. It’s essential. Without it we die, and without proper nutrition we get sick. Life has evolved over billions of years on this planet and in all that time life has eaten other life. We have naturally selected the foods that made us grow as a species. And now, particularly when the food being pushed on us by these “offical” bodies is anything but natural — how many of you grow wheat in your gardens or make your own corn and canola oils? — and the results of following such advice have been frankly disastrous, how does it make any sense to censor movements back to our evolutionary good senses?

Should governments be able to restrict speech to specific groups?

Should individuals be allowed to give medical advice to someone? What is the impact and what is the remedy? Someone could take your advice, make a wrong decision, and die. What can their family do about it? They can sue you, and because you have no liability insurance, you are going to lose everything. That’s not good, but is it wrong?

Dialogue is necessary to find the best answers. We need to use words to express ideas, to find truth. If we are not allowed to talk about medicine or food or holocausts, if we are not allowed to challenge convention, regardless of subject matter, then we are in trouble. Ideas then spread unchallenged.

Is advice opinion?

When my doctor advises me to take a statin — which by the way I refuse to take — he states that he’s making that recommendation based on the best experts’ opinions. Nobody knows whether any professional advice will work. Nothing can be guaranteed in medicine, finance, politics, religion, auto-mechanics, engineering, or any other subject matter. All advice is clearly opinion, in my opinion anyway.

In my opinion we should never censor opinion!

Links:

Censorship in Action!
Caveman Video
Video – Should You Need the Government’s Permission to Work?
Interview with IFJ
Blog: reason.com
Blog: Free The Animal
 

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