I'd never heard of Lionel Shriver before yesterday. There's a lot of authors--many of them, very famous--I've never heard of. Such is a world in which we live. I saw a link of her speech from The Guardian on Facebook post recommended by a local author friend. He enjoyed her words and felt it necessary to tell his many followers that this was something worth our time to read.
It's a long speech and I read it all.
Instead of my friend's reaction (sort of a "high five" because she so masterfully articulated what many writers feel is happening in modern fiction writing today), I had a different reaction.
You can read the entire speech about cultural appropriation: HERE. It is long, but I found it fascinating.
I usually avoid political opinions on this blog. I've never wanted it to be a platform to argue one point or another. So, if you are interested in this topic, read her speech. I know many writers already know about the things she brings up--they've been dealing with it for years. If you don't know what's going on, I feel it's an important story because it deals with the mindset of modern writers and how it affects the art they produce. And if you think what people write and what readers read isn't that important, think of how the things you've read in your life have helped mold the person you are today.
No, I had a different reaction from my friend. While he seemed excited someone with credibility in certain circles was finally saying what he and others have said for a long time, I was a little sad. You see, I don't believe what she said in her speech as necessarily political; it was pure common sense. The reason I was sad is because she had to even say it in the first place.
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