09-11-2016, 08:37 PM
I think misogyny or racism are very minor personality issues in a writer. It can limit their work and its appeal, which is punishment enough.
But what would be really interesting is if there was a writer who was so far gone to the other side, that redemption was impossible, and yet wrote powerfully. Like a serial paedophile or Nazi war criminal. Or a KKK grand master personally implicated in several lynchings. Now that would be a real test of how well we can separate the dancer from the dance.
Religious books not counting, obviously, because God does all of these things regularly.
But what would be really interesting is if there was a writer who was so far gone to the other side, that redemption was impossible, and yet wrote powerfully. Like a serial paedophile or Nazi war criminal. Or a KKK grand master personally implicated in several lynchings. Now that would be a real test of how well we can separate the dancer from the dance.
Religious books not counting, obviously, because God does all of these things regularly.
~ I think I just quoted myself - Achebe