Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg
Most books I read are major publisher non-fiction likely written only after acceptance of a book proposal and receipt of a research-funding advance. If a book proposal isn't accepted, one wouldn't know for sure whether there were non-commercial considerations.
When a weekly periodical column is spiked, as with Andrew Sullivan a few weeks ago, you can see it. With a non-fiction book, you cannot.
Fiction is different because novels are often a one-person project, and, if any good, are usually open to multiple interpretations. So any cancel culture effect more likely reflects hostility towards the author than the book. That can be seen by googling:
author fired
Are there many examples there? No. But there aren't many novelists who are on salary, and other examples would be hidden.
I don't think the Harper's letter signatories would make up this being a real problem. Historically, I see more societies without strong freedom to read than with it, and thus a need to be vigilant.
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I don't mean to sound dismissive. And Lordy knows I could have misread your meaning. But it sounds to me like you are saying that you just
know it's a problem even though there's no proof of it.
All I have seen so far is proof against it. I can buy
The Black Witch (which was the poster child for this phenomena) right now, along with the sequels.
So while I don't disagree that the author went through undeserved hell on Twitter, I don't see that her book (or any of the other high profile examples) was really cancelled.