DOIN IT WRONG

[skirmish_of_wit]

FAIL, ELIZABETH BEAR.

"I am tired of all of these insults, Internets! I was trying to MODEL what GOOD BEHAVIOR looks like even though my critics were DEAD WRONG. So all of you just STOP TALKING NOW. I am turning this Internet around and going home! You are all grounded! And if you're a POC and if you're upset? SAVE IT FOR WISCON, where those

Comments

[thaliontholwen]

... the hell? Is it bad that the first thing I thought of when I looked at that post was "tl;dr"?

[skirmish_of_wit]

No. It is. I just linked to show to what extent that summary was not exaggerating her statement at all.

(Icon for her, not you, of course.)

[cacophonesque]

I've not bothered to read most of her post, but I've been following a lot of this stuff through littlebutfierce, who is amazing.

Although, I'd heard enough crap about Elizabeth Bear being a shitty "ally" years before this. So, you know, color me unsurprised.

[skirmish_of_wit]

Her post isn't really worth reading: it's just rage-inducing. Before all of this I had never heard anything much about her, and I actually liked her books well enough. Now I can't read them without thinking about all of this bullshit.

But the silver lining of this failcloud has been the number of people who I have discovered to be fantastic, mostly through rydra_wong's linkspams.

[breathingbooks]

It's my fault because I accepted criticism of my book that I knew to be untrue, that I knew to be based on a shallow and partial reading (a reading of the first chapter of a 160,000-word novel), because I felt it was important to serve as an example of how to engage dialogue on unconscious institutional racism.

What? Regardless of what happened after, I'd liked her first post, which seemed to say "Hey, I tried to do this, but there's still a problem here, and it sucks, and I'm sorry I couldn't do it better." And after repeating various places that the critiquer had a point she comes out with this pompous oh-by-the-way-I-lied-but-it-was-for-your-own-good crap? No.

Edited because I think it sounded like I thought something I didn't think.

[skirmish_of_wit]

That's how I read the original comment, too. :)

And exactly. Pursuant to which incredible, blinkered arrogance I will be selling the books of hers that I own and not reading any of her further work.

[moondancerdrake]

You touched on something I didn't even think about. She's suggesting to have the conversation at a place where many POC and allies might not be able to make it to. Hmmmm I figure that's why we talk about these things on the internet, cause it's a cheap way to get together to talk. Good point.

[skirmish_of_wit]

Yeah -- I can't remember who exactly has been making comments now (rydra_wong's linkspams are so comprehensive that it's nigh impossible for me to keep track), but I know that I've read several posts in which PoCs have mentioned how they are seriously reconsidering going to WisCon. In this economy even more so than usual, the simple fact of attending a conference not in one's own backyard indicates a good deal of privilege. I've never been to a con myself, and honestly have little desire to attend one, but I'm pretty sure that they're generally white spaces.

[moondancerdrake]

Wiscon has been the best of the "safe spaces" where POC are concerned of any convention I have ever been to. I still plan to go, and I hope to see many of my friends there. There will be conversations needing to be had, several important panels I think will be good to be part of. At the end of the call I am hopeful possitive steps will be made, rather than steps back.

[skirmish_of_wit]

I am glad to hear that -- not that you or anyone else need my approval, of course, but I have always heard about Wiscon as a safe space for women in particular. So it seemed like an indication of just how uncomfortable some people felt with this whole giant morass of fail that they were reconsidering whether Wiscon is still a safe space. At any rate, I will certainly be following reports from Wiscon with interest this year.

[beachlass]

I am turning this Internet around and going home! You are all grounded!

*snorts*

[skirmish_of_wit]

It seems like somewhere in there should be a threat that she'd wash our mouths out with soap, too.