“Yin recommends that writers, dwelling on identity, ask, ‘Are you an appropriate messenger for this content?’”
I don’t know what “appropriate messenger” means in this context. As far as I’m concerned, identity (politics) doesn’t determine whether someone can write convincingly about another person’s experience. A black woman can write a white man’s story. A heterosexual man can create lesbian characters. The question is whether the writing is compelling and truthful - is it well-written?
Struck, too, by your example of your student who worried that the noun Jew might be offensive. Isn’t one of the best guides what people actually call themselves? Several Jewish friends of mine have happily said, “I’m a Jew” or “As a Jew.” That seems a better starting point than assuming a certain group needs outsiders to decide the correct language on their behalf.
Incisive, balanced, and for those of us (writers, editors, agents) caught in the gears of this purity contraption, necessary. What strikes me most is the "conscious style" advocates' contempt for the creative imagination. Can a white writer write a black character? Does she have that right? If the answer is 'no,' we're looking at something like the end of art, because then a male black writer can't write a white character, or a Latino character, or a female character, and a cisgendered, white male writer like myself sure as hell can't write a novel about a pair of conjoined, slave-owning men of Asian descent (the Siamese twins). Bottom line? Artists should be judged not by the subjects they choose, but by the power and accuracy of their imaginings.
The word choice of "itch furiously," from the line about how this whole economic/cultural/political/linguistic situation "might cause the reader to itch furiously," is giving me a very pleasurable rash.
How about dropping all politics from writing/editing. Focus on the text alone. Who cares about the ethnicity or identity of a writer or editor. Both the left and right wings are bent on censorship, just under different names. The readers will vote with their dollars for what's best. This foolishness over PC/woke/virtuous has done enough damage. Stop. We already see damage in the market and loss of confidence in mainstream publishing.
Good writing and editing has nothing to do with ethnicity/identity and everything to do with the text and its ability to connect with readers. Check all this political crap at the door and focus on what the reader wants. Publishing is doing itself a huge disservice with and worse, doing its customers a disservice, and those readers are where the money comes from that keeps them in in business.
"Szetela’s book provides a moving image of Yin’s project: a brigade of language cops, increasingly isolated, secure in the purity of their efforts, deaf to good sense, blind to the ruin in their wake."
Every day I think about the earlier liberal humanist world that these monsters stole from us. Hatred is not too strong a word for how I feel about them.
I don’t know, my latest dystopia breaks many of the most stringent correctness rules and Kirkus nonetheless gave it their thumbs up. Agents, editors, and their publishing affiliates would never have taken it, but at least there are people in the business still willing to give a renegade their fair attention.
“Yin recommends that writers, dwelling on identity, ask, ‘Are you an appropriate messenger for this content?’”
I don’t know what “appropriate messenger” means in this context. As far as I’m concerned, identity (politics) doesn’t determine whether someone can write convincingly about another person’s experience. A black woman can write a white man’s story. A heterosexual man can create lesbian characters. The question is whether the writing is compelling and truthful - is it well-written?
Struck, too, by your example of your student who worried that the noun Jew might be offensive. Isn’t one of the best guides what people actually call themselves? Several Jewish friends of mine have happily said, “I’m a Jew” or “As a Jew.” That seems a better starting point than assuming a certain group needs outsiders to decide the correct language on their behalf.
Beautifully said. I'd like to think this point of view will eventually percolate down to the people currently making the decisions.
"The question is whether the writing is compelling and truthful - is it well-written." In this writer's opinion, it's the only question.
Thanks, Mark. Let’s hope so 🤞🤞
Incisive, balanced, and for those of us (writers, editors, agents) caught in the gears of this purity contraption, necessary. What strikes me most is the "conscious style" advocates' contempt for the creative imagination. Can a white writer write a black character? Does she have that right? If the answer is 'no,' we're looking at something like the end of art, because then a male black writer can't write a white character, or a Latino character, or a female character, and a cisgendered, white male writer like myself sure as hell can't write a novel about a pair of conjoined, slave-owning men of Asian descent (the Siamese twins). Bottom line? Artists should be judged not by the subjects they choose, but by the power and accuracy of their imaginings.
The word choice of "itch furiously," from the line about how this whole economic/cultural/political/linguistic situation "might cause the reader to itch furiously," is giving me a very pleasurable rash.
...sometimes until I bleed.
Oh, wow, there's also a website, so you can jump right in! https://consciousstyleguide.com/
How about dropping all politics from writing/editing. Focus on the text alone. Who cares about the ethnicity or identity of a writer or editor. Both the left and right wings are bent on censorship, just under different names. The readers will vote with their dollars for what's best. This foolishness over PC/woke/virtuous has done enough damage. Stop. We already see damage in the market and loss of confidence in mainstream publishing.
Good writing and editing has nothing to do with ethnicity/identity and everything to do with the text and its ability to connect with readers. Check all this political crap at the door and focus on what the reader wants. Publishing is doing itself a huge disservice with and worse, doing its customers a disservice, and those readers are where the money comes from that keeps them in in business.
Amen!
Brilliant.
"Szetela’s book provides a moving image of Yin’s project: a brigade of language cops, increasingly isolated, secure in the purity of their efforts, deaf to good sense, blind to the ruin in their wake."
Every day I think about the earlier liberal humanist world that these monsters stole from us. Hatred is not too strong a word for how I feel about them.
I don’t know, my latest dystopia breaks many of the most stringent correctness rules and Kirkus nonetheless gave it their thumbs up. Agents, editors, and their publishing affiliates would never have taken it, but at least there are people in the business still willing to give a renegade their fair attention.
All I can say is 'Rat on, bro, although that's probably not going to play in an ms going to the
Big Five, or it is Big Four, now?