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booked
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 12, 2003 - 11:29 am: | 
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Hi, all
I have a question: does knowing personal information about an author affect the way you read his/her work? Or whether you read it at all? Does knowing an author is/was racist affect how you read his/her work? Does knowing an author is/was gay affect how you read/interpret his/her work? Does knowing an author has certain political convictions (communism, for example) affect how you read/interpret his/her work? Can you forget about the authors' beliefs when you read his/her work, or is it always in the back of your mind? Actually, this question could apply to watching certain actors as well; for instance, whenever I see Wesley Snipes in a movie, I always recall some unflattering comments he made about black women once in an article in Ebony, and, much as I hate to admit it, it takes away from the movie a bit.
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Chris Hayden
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, April 14, 2003 - 10:13 am: |
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booked:
Yes my knowlege of personal information about an author not only affects the way I read the work, but whether I will read it at all.
Certainly, if I know, for instance, that that author who extols the beauty of black women and insists we do the same beat his wife I have to wonder why he is not practising what he preaches.
This is not limited to black authors--Nietchze was a nearsighted, mild mannered little introvert but he wrote all those purple, thundering exhortations--it makes it like some sort of comic book.
Certainly I temper it in the case of some fiction, after all the author is somewhat of a role player, and I can forget about his personal life if he/she is writing well--as long as his personal beliefs or philosophies are not too far out for me. |
Tee C. Royal
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 16, 2003 - 11:19 am: |
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Hey Booked...I would say yes and no. For example, there are two authors that I simply DO NOT care for their personalities. For this reason, I've never read any of their work and I won't run out to buy their books when they hit. I'll wait as long as necessary to get the book for next to nothing. And, I doubt I will ever read them, but I'm a collector, so they have to go in my collection.
On the other hand, there are authors that I know personally and those that I know "of" and I try not to let that over-shadow my enjoyment or lack thereof when reading their book. I try to tell myself to let the writing stand alone and come to the forefront. To date, I think I've done a pretty good job separating the two.
I doubt I'd read work by someone that I knew was racist or that falls in my other areas of things I won't tolerate...it would mostly be a case-by-case scenario. I don't have a problem with gay authors, but I'd probably have a problem supporting an author I knew molested a child or something of that nature.
-Tee |
Kola
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 16, 2003 - 01:58 pm: |
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Hey, Tee (love ya)
The vast majority of "child molesters" are hetero-sexual males.
I thought I'd mention that...because some folks might misinterpret your post and take it the wrong way--which I knew exactly what you meant.
Hope all is well. Hope we get to meet at your 2004 book expo for Rawsistaz. Much love.
Kola
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Tee
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 16, 2003 - 06:06 pm: |
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Hey Kola, what could be interpreted the wrong way?
-Tee |
sisgal
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 17, 2003 - 04:40 pm: |
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Bookwise, I can't think of any author...but in the entertainment industry I have to say, I'm having a difficult time enjoying R.Kelleys music...and I kind of like that new song of his, but then I think about what he's done and well, it just ain't the same. When Wesley Snipes made his comments about black women, well, I wasn't too happy with him either, but I still watched him in movies. I met an author once, she wasn't very personable and after buying her book and reading it, I decided I wasn't crazy about her or her book..so that's it for her. When someone approaches your table, to buy a book, at least act interested, instead of walking away so you can go mingle with other well-known authors...
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Cynique
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 17, 2003 - 05:25 pm: |
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I know it's petty, but because of her conservative politics and close affiliation with Republician George W.Bush, I passed on reading Condoleeza Rice's biography. |
akaivyleaf
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, April 21, 2003 - 03:57 pm: |
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I guess I don't delve into author's personal lives and I've not met a great deal of them either, so it's pretty easy for me to pick up a book and read it. I'm sure I'll feel differently when I get to know an author but for the most part I try to enjoy the story.
Cynique... as far as Condi- I've tried repeatedly to read the book but there is a mental block there for me along the same lines as her ties to "Dubya" and I just cannot get into the book. It is sitting in the TBR pile again. |
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