see, it's like this

[rm]

yuki_onna has a great post about why it's perfectly easy to boycott books of people who say appalling bigoted stuff on the Internet.

It is not, as so many people seem to think, some dogmatic decision to only engage with people who think exactly like me. Rather, life is short, books cost money, and when it comes down to deciding what I want to read -- allowing for a few cases of staggering genius that actually makes these decisions complex -- I'm not going to read stuff by people who are hateful, threatening and rude to me and mine, online or off.

Comments

[eac.livejournal.com]

It is not, as so many people seem to think, some dogmatic decision to only engage with people who think exactly like me.

Good lord. Is that what people think? There's a vast distinction between engaging with people who disagree with you about things (even things that effect you personally) and buying the books of people who rant hatefully and are threatening about those things. One is the exchange of ideas; the other is signing up to support someone who terrorizes people.

Blah.

[jgcr.livejournal.com]

I think Winter's Tale is an excellent floor for "so good i'll ignore your crap". On the other hand, there's levels of crap, and therefore levels of "I'm unlikely to consider at a book by you again."

There's another factor I use, which distinguishes between living authors and dead. Not so much due to different standards of the day (though that too) but because I'm actually afraid of where my money would go. I don't want to be funding politics I despise through some roundabout route (see: Orson Scott Card), and I *really* don't want to be funding crazy people who might someday snap and try to take some people out in a blaze of glory (see: Dave Sim).

That last one hurts, because I think there you're looking at true genius lost to his demons.

[laufeyette.livejournal.com]

I spent the better part of yesterday/last night fuming about that delusional fuckwit. I even had dreams about the situation. I've written to his publishers. I'm debating taking the time to write reviews of his books on Amazon with links to his livejournal, but at this point I'm not certain if that would do more damage to him or myself.

I know I need to let it go. I just don't know how right now.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

I don't give my money to people who will use it to harm me and mine. Period.

I don't drive for Covenant Transport.
I don't shop at Hobby Lobby.
I don't eat at Chik-Fil-A.

And I don't buy books from known homophobes.

[gallo-de-pelea.livejournal.com]

What happened with Hobby Lobby? (aside from most of their art supplies being low quality :P) Google isn't revealing much.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

They are a major funding source for the theocrats.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/2/7/163753/4705/414/452169

I knew something was up back in the mid 90s when they decided to close on Sunday. I worked there in 95 and we did about 1/3 of the week's business on Sunday. (we did about 1/2 of it on Saturday)

[elionwyr.livejournal.com]

Yeah; my guiding rule is, basically 'vote with your money.'

[imaginarycircus.livejournal.com]

I really like the idea of emailing TOR to tell them they have lost my business:

questions@tor.com

[imaginarycircus.livejournal.com]

And this is one of the many moments in which I am an idiot. I did not realize yuki_onna has a book coming out from TOR. She made a good case for not throwing out the baby with the bathwater--but I have to think about this for a bit. I'm really not sure if I can buy from TOR at all anymore even if they are doing some good work alongside supporting several yahoos.

[xtricks.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I find myself in a strange place ... I am really coming to like the concept of boycott as an effective way to present concequences to people who seem to need it and at the same time I'm a foaming at the mouth anti-censorship person.

Which ends up being, I'm perfectly happy to encorage people not to buy whats-his-name's books (and publicize the fact so he knows *why*), but not so comfortable with encoraging/asking publishers not to publish something based on an author's politica/other views.

I spend far, far to much time watching/listening to how a handful of fundies just like the author succesfully censor tv/books/libraries/websites etc based on creator's other work/subject matter to be easy with the idea - no matter the direction of the issue.

Which doesn't mean I expect or want anyone else to act the same BTW. It's one of those areas where I'm still not sure what I think and don't think it's an easy issue to wade through.

[rm.livejournal.com]

That's sort of where I am. I've not written to Tor, but I will totally tell people what's up and if Tor happens to drop the guy because his sales fall -- AWESOME.

[demotu.livejournal.com]

Okay, but here's the standard racism vs. homophobia comparison. If an author spewed that kind of venom against (insert minority racial group here) people would be demanding his publisher drop him. That's what really gets me these days - is that it's still politically correct to say a homophobe is "entitled to their opinions" and shouldn't have any consequences on the grander scale over them.

I totally realize I'm preaching to the choir here, obviously, but IMO we'll never get anywhere in gay rights until we stop apologizing for telling them they're wrong and full of hate. I don't think homophobia should be a political view that we accept anymore than racism, but it is and changing that would make the whole fight a lot easier. (I think, blahblah insert disclaimer here.)

[xtricks.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's much more acceptable to do that sort of stuff for racism issues and (sometimes) for more overt forms of sexism but I wouldn't participate in a campaign to boycott the distributor/publishing co either. I'd take it directly to the author. It makes me significantly more uncomfortable to do that when it's about racism etc (because, as you mentioned, homophobia is more acceptable) but I *think* that's where my intentions lie.

The caveat being that works with book writers (more or less) but not so much with many other forms of media (where the writers are only one of a large team) and so TV shows and movies need pressure on the companies that 'own' the product. Though I still think voting with one's feet is important since networks do look at viewing numbers - part of the reason why I don't watch Supernatural.

[ladypeculiar.livejournal.com]

Damnit!! I really love Dan Simmons. I can't convey the disappointment I feel clicking through some of these links.

[genmaicha.livejournal.com]

I've been struggling with this concept, so it's nice to see others' thoughts on the matter. I've been wondering the what-if. What if it's a book that's been one of those old dear friends, one of those books I turn to when I need the familiarity of a warm hug and a cup of tea and an afternoon of being in a place that's comfortable...and then I realize that piece of comfort is made of the words assembled by someone who has also assembled words of hate? I don't know what I'd do about that. Feel betrayed, yes, that someone whose works I enjoyed so much apparently thinks very little of my status as a fellow human being. Would it taint the book? Probably; this has happened before, on small-scale, where an unfavorable interaction with someone thought to be a friend turns a gift given by them into something less than comfortable for me to keep around, and I've had to struggle with the idea of whether I want to reassociate it as mine or if the association with someone who hurt me is too strong to break, or if it's worth it. I'd probably end up unable to return to it anyway. Which saddens me, that someone can do something I enjoyed so much and yet be someone whose views are so toxic.

The question of continuing to support is a bit easier, I guess. Once you know, then it's easier to just turn away from the new releases, or the ones you haven't read yet. Hurtful if it's part of a story you were enjoying and this is the conclusion you've been waiting for. But it's easier than when it's a book you already held so close.

At least, these are my thoughts on it. I'm eager to listen to others, because I'm still trying to come to terms with it, and determine what feels effective for me personally.

[darthhellokitty.livejournal.com]

Yeah - there are so many books I'd love to read, thousands and thousands more than I'll ever have time to - it's not much of a deprivation to take a few off the list (if they were ever on there to start with).

I suppose that if you were dying to read something written by someone you don't want to support, buying it used would be the way to do it. The writer gets nothing, you get cheap entertainment.

[silmaril.livejournal.com]

Limited lifespan divided by number of books it's possible to consume due to vagaries of money and mortality equals _I am not buying your books if you behave like a fuckmuppet in public._

That there is the key point, right there. I wish there was some writer's academy, so that this could be explained to all authors in great detail.

Then we come across the problems of authors with Major Issues who manage to not air those Issues to all and sundry, but still hold Major Issues, and by that I mean hateful opinions, privately. But I guess that case makes it easier for us to "separate the art from the artist."

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

I approve of boycott as I've seen the changes it can bring, though I've generally only seen work with chain stores and countries with fucked up regimes and policies :P

It is not, as so many people seem to think, some dogmatic decision to only engage with people who think exactly like me.
*Snort* OMG tell me about it. I dunno if you saw a recent post of mine about being accused to being "closed minded" and "insulting" because I think things are fucked up.
Priceless, I say. Abso-fucking-loutly priceless.

[tod-hollykim.livejournal.com]

Exactly. I mean I am not going to throw money at people who are bigoted and want to harm people I care about.

If I really wanted to read someone's work without giving them money, I can always go to the public library and get them for free. The library already bought the books.

But I, myself, will not spend money on them.

[devvieish.livejournal.com]

If I was one of the people who seems to think the boycott is about not engaging with people you disagree with - well, that's not what I was trying to say. (And if I wasn't one of the people you had in mind, I probably shouldn't draw attention to myself, but oh well.)

My point was that seemingly every comment on all the fail!posts was in complete agreement about the fail (except for the ones that were arguing about off-topic points). So I see some people saying "the fundies only listen to people who agree with them" and it looks like... pot meet kettle.

(None of this means people shouldn't boycott, or that the bigotry in the post on question is okay, cause it isn't.)

[rm.livejournal.com]

Nope, your post came in way after this.

[jackolantern.livejournal.com]

Yep. I'm involved in Infinite Summer, and there are plenty of other books on the waiting list. (http://infinitesummer.org/)