I was just was just posting some comments over on Scott Nicolays FB page about racism in various writers and how they are still honoured. Mr Nicolay is firmly of the view that Lovecraft should still be read, but should not be honoured (due to his - HPLs - racism). (Perhaps a case could be made that the World Fantasy Award should indeed not be fashioned in the shape of any one individual And likewise for the Mystery Writers of America Award which has long been in the shape of a bust of Poe). Mr Nicolay has criticism Mr Joshi on his (Nicolays FB page) as having enormous hubris for having dared criticise S. Joshi as having enormous hubris for having dared to criticise China Mieville. Now Mieville is an enormously intelligent writer and also someone who (rightly in my view) supports leftist/radical views on social justice and equality. S.T. criticises him only for the silliness of turning his HPL WFA Award faced to the wall. Seems fair enough to me. I think some who have taken offense at S.T.s defense of HPL on his blog (such as Mr Nicolay) have not addressed the many valid points S.T. raised in his extended argument. They also overlook S.T.s own considerable contribution to publishing on social justice in volumes such as IN HER PLACE: A DOCUMENTARY HISTORY OF PREJUDICE AGAINST WOMEN & DOCUMENTS OF AMERICAN PREJUDICE: An Anthology of Writings on Race from Thomas Jefferson to David Duke. I also detect axes grinding behind the scenes between a couple of different camps in the writing scene over there. Unfortunately S.T.s plain-spokenness rubs many up the wrong way even when (if looked at objectively) his viewpoint is pretty accurate. (I think S.T. follows the model of such satirists as Bierce, who also pulled no punches - not to mention Poe, who was apt to be almost vicious in his criticism at times). Well, the chips will fall where they may. I am a devoted admirer (though not sycophant) of STJ and I also happen to have enjoyed Nicolays debut volume. So there.
Posted on: Sun, 31 Aug 2014 00:23:28 +0000
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