We Write!
I have no problem with parents deciding for themselves - and for their families - what they consider morally and ethically correct, appropriate and normative. That's their job. My wife and I have our own standards, which are not shared by all of our friends, but all of us respect each other's different points of... Continue Reading →
This is going to be a stream-of-consciousness sort of post. Over the past few weeks I've been heavily involved in editing; planned and made a start on a brand-new series (so far including a huge amount of research and only a little writing); and spent a few days with a scratched cornea, which made extended... Continue Reading →
A recent article in the American Spectator started me thinking. ...there are consequences from severing rights from individuals and attaching them to groups. If groups can transfer benefits to their members, they can also transfer debits as well. . . . ... insistence on attaching rights to the identity-group means detaching them from the individual.... Continue Reading →
It's an awkward time to be a writer in these (dis)United States. We see the ravages of identity politics destroying almost everything that held us together as a nation. Both because of and in response to that, reactions to those holding different views are getting more knee-jerk, more emotional, more extreme from one day to... Continue Reading →
Dorothy and I are enjoying a convention weekend - not the usual literary conventions, which have been disrupted by COVID-19 since early last year, but a small local con that was the inspiration of fellow author, blogger and friend J. L. Curtis (a.k.a. Old NFO). In April last year he organized the first Foolzcon, named... Continue Reading →
... and mainstream publishing has already done much the same thing to the authors it publishes. Now Amazon has decided it can stop the sale of books that don't fit its politically correct criteria. Can this be on the horizon for author-published books as well? Well-known independent journalist Matt Taibbi analyzes the purge of non-PC... Continue Reading →
So-called "cancel culture" is spreading like wildfire across the literary landscape. It's got to the point where employees of publishers are trying to exercise a veto over what books their employers publish. As one progressive commenter put it, "Nobody has a human right to a lucrative book contract without regard for whether their opinions are... Continue Reading →
With a new Administration in Washington, D.C., and the oligarchs of Big Tech now dominating US politics, we as writers have to expect a new wave of pressure - initially "voluntary", but very likely regulated or even legislated in due course - to conform what we write to the policies of the powers that be.... Continue Reading →
In our increasingly intolerant society, it's encouraging to see at least some writers, creative artists and educators take a stand against censorship and de-platforming in all its forms. An open letter signed by well over a hundred notable figures seeks to alert us to that danger. Here's a lengthy excerpt. The free exchange of information... Continue Reading →
“I’m just a big wolf. Stupid, brutish and vicious,” said Rolf. “There’s nothing to understand.” “I thought you were,” admitted Liss. “But I’ve changed my mind.” “Women do that all the time,” said Rolf dismissively. “And it’s no use baiting me. I’ve got that figured too now. You do it every time I ask questions... Continue Reading →
Mad Genius Club 