I have no answers but many of the same concerns and I appreciate hearing an author muse while she is *in the middle* of these questions, without certain answers or a fixed conclusion. A great conversation!
Dec 1, 2023Liked by Andromeda Romano-Lax, Caitlin Wahrer
This is so so interesting. I feel like it’s just the beginning of the conversation. It’s scary to bring these things up because if you are on bookstagram or booktok, you know the community can be extremely self righteous to the point it shuts down discussion.
I see this forming into two bits - one about profiting off someone else’s story, and two about the manipulation of truth into fiction. Obviously they go hand and hand but they could be seen as two distinct crimes against subjects. It makes me think of all the insanely obvious Law and Order episodes that are so clearly based on real life cases. We all knew. To me it was removed enough it still felt like fiction, but I could absolutely understand the pain of someone who sees their own distorted truth in the image.
What do we owe public figures? What do we owe to our readers?
I don’t really know where to go with this but it’s got me thinking for sure!
Dec 1, 2023Liked by Andromeda Romano-Lax, Caitlin Wahrer
This is so coincidental….this week I wrote a book review about YELLOWFACE by R. F. Kuang where I also brought up these very questions about who owns a story. I merely asked. I didn’t come to any conclusions. Literary life sure is complicated. https://shelleyburbank.com/book-review-yellowface-by-k-l-kuang-part-i/
Caitlin, I've been hanging on to read this for when I have the time to truly sit and read it calmly, to digest it, and I think it's so thoughtful, thought-provoking, nuanced and careful. I've thought about this topic so much, and what you relay about Amanda Knox is incredibly heartbreaking. Have you seen this article at NYTimes? (You can listen to it too): https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/05/magazine/murder-podcast-debbie-williamson.html?searchResultPosition=6
I am asking these same questions right now!! And also don't have answers, and am trying to just write a draft and let it be what it's going to be before I start to really address these concerns. But this is so helpful in thinking about it, and I hope you continue to talk about this! Thank you!
I have no answers but many of the same concerns and I appreciate hearing an author muse while she is *in the middle* of these questions, without certain answers or a fixed conclusion. A great conversation!
This is so so interesting. I feel like it’s just the beginning of the conversation. It’s scary to bring these things up because if you are on bookstagram or booktok, you know the community can be extremely self righteous to the point it shuts down discussion.
I see this forming into two bits - one about profiting off someone else’s story, and two about the manipulation of truth into fiction. Obviously they go hand and hand but they could be seen as two distinct crimes against subjects. It makes me think of all the insanely obvious Law and Order episodes that are so clearly based on real life cases. We all knew. To me it was removed enough it still felt like fiction, but I could absolutely understand the pain of someone who sees their own distorted truth in the image.
What do we owe public figures? What do we owe to our readers?
I don’t really know where to go with this but it’s got me thinking for sure!
This is so coincidental….this week I wrote a book review about YELLOWFACE by R. F. Kuang where I also brought up these very questions about who owns a story. I merely asked. I didn’t come to any conclusions. Literary life sure is complicated. https://shelleyburbank.com/book-review-yellowface-by-k-l-kuang-part-i/
Caitlin, I've been hanging on to read this for when I have the time to truly sit and read it calmly, to digest it, and I think it's so thoughtful, thought-provoking, nuanced and careful. I've thought about this topic so much, and what you relay about Amanda Knox is incredibly heartbreaking. Have you seen this article at NYTimes? (You can listen to it too): https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/05/magazine/murder-podcast-debbie-williamson.html?searchResultPosition=6
Love, love, love all of these articles!
I am asking these same questions right now!! And also don't have answers, and am trying to just write a draft and let it be what it's going to be before I start to really address these concerns. But this is so helpful in thinking about it, and I hope you continue to talk about this! Thank you!