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I read a post by another writer who said that he would still read the work of an author he couldn’t stand. To me he was essentially saying he could separate the person from his work.
I gave that some thought.
Some years back I sat in a session at a writer’s conference given by a very famous writer. Very famous.
I couldn’t stand the guy. To be frank (pardon the pun) I found the guy a total dick. He also openly and with great relish dumped on other writers’ work. Named names. And the bulk of the audience was “in there” with him!
I was stunned.
And I was gonna buy one of his books. I didn’t.
To this day I can’t think about one good thing to say about this guy, that’s how off-putting he was to me.
I can’t support a writer (or any other person) if I can’t stand that person. If I find them abhorrent in whatever way bugs the shit out of me.
Why would I possibly want to support a livelihood if I don’t like the message?
I mean, I might possibly find an exception in the future and eat my words, but today I cannot think of a single exception to this rule: if I can’t stand you or your message I more than likely will not read your work. It’s hard for me to separate the two. I will wish you well and personal and spiritual growth (please have some spiritual growth…), but I will not be supporting your habit.
Now, I’m sure there are probably some authors I read who are jerks and I just don’t realize it. True. But if I do, I will most likely not continue to support them. There are just too many other books out there to read, and if this reasoning culls the herd for me, so be it. I wish you all (even the jerks) peace and growth in your journey through life…I just don’t want to be a part of it.