I was scrolling, scrolling, scrolling through my socials one morning not long ago and a post popped up that recommended the Mists of Avalon by Marian Zimmer Bradley as a classic read. After muttering a few disgusted expletives, I had a quick flick through some of the comments. They varied between ‘great book and a must read’ to ‘fuck right off, the author is a monster’ along with a whole bunch of comments like ‘I loved this book, and it broke my heart when I discovered MZB was complicit with her husband’s child abuse.’
MZB isn’t the first author I’ve loved who turned out to be a fucking horrific human being and she’s certainly not the last. But reading the comments made me ask the question: What do you do when one of your favourite authors turns out to be a real-life villain?
When Remains to be Told: Dark Tales of Aotearoa was published, I was thrilled that my short story, Fires of Fate, sat cosied up next to a poem by Neil Gaiman. I was so excited that I even posted a video of me flicking between my story and his poem on my socials. Since then, there have been multiple accusations of sexual misconduct and assault against him, including more this year. Now, my story, in all its feminist rage, leans away from his poem, trying to distance itself from the space I was so proud to share. Being such a fan of Gaiman’s work, this betrayal of trust cuts extra deep.
I never read J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter series, although, I do confess to reading one of the books she wrote when she was pretending to be a man. I have numerous trans friends and acquaintances. So, why would I support someone who actively goes out of her way to incite hatred and denial of their right to exist, and uses the earnings from her books to support her crusade?
I’ve seen many arguments along the lines of ‘you can love the art but not the artist’, and, to an extent, that can be true, but where does the line between the two exist? In buying the art, you're supporting the artist. When you check the book out from the library, you're supporting the author. And, yes, streaming their movies / series is supporting the author. As much as I loved series 1 of The Sandman, I won't be watching series 2.
Do I think that J.K. Rowling, Neil Gaiman or the beneficiary of Marion Zimmer Bradley’s ongoing income give a shit about me not buying their books? Of course not, but the point is—it’s very important to me. I give a shit. And, if enough of us share that sentiment, then maybe they’ll notice.
There are so many talented and worthy authors out there writing amazing stories. Most of them aren’t problematic and, often, aren’t financially comfortable. So, why would I give my money and tacit support to those who are?
My answer is—I won’t.
MZB isn’t the first author I’ve loved who turned out to be a fucking horrific human being and she’s certainly not the last. But reading the comments made me ask the question: What do you do when one of your favourite authors turns out to be a real-life villain?
When Remains to be Told: Dark Tales of Aotearoa was published, I was thrilled that my short story, Fires of Fate, sat cosied up next to a poem by Neil Gaiman. I was so excited that I even posted a video of me flicking between my story and his poem on my socials. Since then, there have been multiple accusations of sexual misconduct and assault against him, including more this year. Now, my story, in all its feminist rage, leans away from his poem, trying to distance itself from the space I was so proud to share. Being such a fan of Gaiman’s work, this betrayal of trust cuts extra deep.
I never read J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter series, although, I do confess to reading one of the books she wrote when she was pretending to be a man. I have numerous trans friends and acquaintances. So, why would I support someone who actively goes out of her way to incite hatred and denial of their right to exist, and uses the earnings from her books to support her crusade?
I’ve seen many arguments along the lines of ‘you can love the art but not the artist’, and, to an extent, that can be true, but where does the line between the two exist? In buying the art, you're supporting the artist. When you check the book out from the library, you're supporting the author. And, yes, streaming their movies / series is supporting the author. As much as I loved series 1 of The Sandman, I won't be watching series 2.
Do I think that J.K. Rowling, Neil Gaiman or the beneficiary of Marion Zimmer Bradley’s ongoing income give a shit about me not buying their books? Of course not, but the point is—it’s very important to me. I give a shit. And, if enough of us share that sentiment, then maybe they’ll notice.
There are so many talented and worthy authors out there writing amazing stories. Most of them aren’t problematic and, often, aren’t financially comfortable. So, why would I give my money and tacit support to those who are?
My answer is—I won’t.
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