Yes, to #1 - I fully expect that if my first novel were ever published, it would be banned from any number of states and schools for its gay sexual content. It's certainly not pornography - I worked very hard to depict only the bare minimum of actual details - but the theme does center around a certain type of gay power relationship and some less-than-mainstream sexual practices, and I absolutely THRILL at the thought of Ron DeSantis holding my book up at a press conference and screaming "ICK!" 🤪🏳️🌈🤣
Brilliant -- I'm rooting for that press conference!
There are so many kinds of censorship and you bring up another good point of self censorship -- in order to be read or published. At times, we may do just enough of a topic so as entice and not repel or to slide in without being hushed. I think about this in terms of writing about the topic of miscarriage as well in this novel or Annie Ernaux on abortion in Happening. All these very common human experiences need to be explored through fiction, I think.
In terms of gay relationships specifically, I often look for a good text for high school students when I've got them or designing curriculum. Dorian Gray is a great text and allows us to talk about and read parts of the incredible real trial of Oscar Wilde (and where truth lies in fiction...since the prosecution used his novel as evidence), but it doesn't allow a real discussion of gay relationships today. Giovanni's Room as well. Do you have suggestions - or shall we just read your book when it's finished? I know there's more contemporary stuff out there but I haven't found one to use with students yet.
📚📚🏫🌈🙆🏼♀️
ps power relationship also very interesting! Foucault? History of Sexuality?
Oof - this is a huge subject - if you wanted one classic alternative to Dorian Gray, you might consider Mann's "Death in Venice" - an equally veiled treatment of the subject with a sort of classical exploration of beauty and love twisted into stereotypically sinister tropes about homosexual pedophilia - you could pair it with a screening of the 1971 Visconti film and discuss how the sadness, subtlety and beauty of the novella were strong-armed into a propagandistic indictment of the emerging gay rights movement. For extra credit, a comparison of the modern "Tiepolo Blue" by art critic and scholar James Cahill in an intentionally referential update of DiV. ;)
#1 Imagine a draft where the author may risk receiving a fatwa if they don't change/rewrite/omit certain passages. We may think, oh, that will never happen to me. Well, there is a fatwa against Pokemon. I did some research while working in the game industry on what is permissible in what country and where you would run into censorship or worse, risk your life.
Pandas in games? Tricky in countries where it is sacred. Bones, depiction of skeletons? Impossible in certain countries, you won't be able to market your product legally, even.
In my novel Spherean, I don't think I would run into any problems with any regime per se, but given that it's thematically close to 1984 and Neuromancer, who knows...
#2 My Dystopian scenario does not allow for any extracurricular thoughts, speech or activity, everything is programmed, you follow the program and you love it. Trust in GAIN. 😅
#3 I wouldn't call that censorship but good writing!
I'm going back for text recs and don't know how I missed this! Great examples. Did not know about Pokeman.
It's impossible to please everyone...this is why I think it's so important education opens us up to different perspectives and why / how a fiction is created.
2) this is a great point that I've never fully considered and it's a brilliant exercise to do so. This would certainly apply to Precipice where there is censorship that exists between the upper and lower cityscapes, but the journalism aspect... 🤯 I wonder if I can weave something in.
3) fascinating point. My mind has always thought about Less Is More in terms of prose and dialogue.
I wonder for #2 in your case if journalism takes a totally different form completely. I don't know what that would look like! How people get their information...so many directions you could go with that.
Yes, to #1 - I fully expect that if my first novel were ever published, it would be banned from any number of states and schools for its gay sexual content. It's certainly not pornography - I worked very hard to depict only the bare minimum of actual details - but the theme does center around a certain type of gay power relationship and some less-than-mainstream sexual practices, and I absolutely THRILL at the thought of Ron DeSantis holding my book up at a press conference and screaming "ICK!" 🤪🏳️🌈🤣
Brilliant -- I'm rooting for that press conference!
There are so many kinds of censorship and you bring up another good point of self censorship -- in order to be read or published. At times, we may do just enough of a topic so as entice and not repel or to slide in without being hushed. I think about this in terms of writing about the topic of miscarriage as well in this novel or Annie Ernaux on abortion in Happening. All these very common human experiences need to be explored through fiction, I think.
In terms of gay relationships specifically, I often look for a good text for high school students when I've got them or designing curriculum. Dorian Gray is a great text and allows us to talk about and read parts of the incredible real trial of Oscar Wilde (and where truth lies in fiction...since the prosecution used his novel as evidence), but it doesn't allow a real discussion of gay relationships today. Giovanni's Room as well. Do you have suggestions - or shall we just read your book when it's finished? I know there's more contemporary stuff out there but I haven't found one to use with students yet.
📚📚🏫🌈🙆🏼♀️
ps power relationship also very interesting! Foucault? History of Sexuality?
Oof - this is a huge subject - if you wanted one classic alternative to Dorian Gray, you might consider Mann's "Death in Venice" - an equally veiled treatment of the subject with a sort of classical exploration of beauty and love twisted into stereotypically sinister tropes about homosexual pedophilia - you could pair it with a screening of the 1971 Visconti film and discuss how the sadness, subtlety and beauty of the novella were strong-armed into a propagandistic indictment of the emerging gay rights movement. For extra credit, a comparison of the modern "Tiepolo Blue" by art critic and scholar James Cahill in an intentionally referential update of DiV. ;)
p.s. You're on the right track with Foucault... ✊
Oh that’s a good idea! And yeah always like to bring in comparisons and extensions. Gracias ☺️
#1 Imagine a draft where the author may risk receiving a fatwa if they don't change/rewrite/omit certain passages. We may think, oh, that will never happen to me. Well, there is a fatwa against Pokemon. I did some research while working in the game industry on what is permissible in what country and where you would run into censorship or worse, risk your life.
Pandas in games? Tricky in countries where it is sacred. Bones, depiction of skeletons? Impossible in certain countries, you won't be able to market your product legally, even.
In my novel Spherean, I don't think I would run into any problems with any regime per se, but given that it's thematically close to 1984 and Neuromancer, who knows...
#2 My Dystopian scenario does not allow for any extracurricular thoughts, speech or activity, everything is programmed, you follow the program and you love it. Trust in GAIN. 😅
#3 I wouldn't call that censorship but good writing!
I'm going back for text recs and don't know how I missed this! Great examples. Did not know about Pokeman.
It's impossible to please everyone...this is why I think it's so important education opens us up to different perspectives and why / how a fiction is created.
😅 Substack needs a comment queue for authors to see which comments have not been seen/acted on, you know, like any good website, even YouTube has it 😂
YES. Bring it.
I just find it amazing that you seem to hit on everything I've been thinking about with my new story. I mean, censorship in Nazi Germany? Maybe...
Great minds 🧠🧠 !
That’s great. I hope it helps you think about it.
1) nothing I'm aware of (yet).
2) this is a great point that I've never fully considered and it's a brilliant exercise to do so. This would certainly apply to Precipice where there is censorship that exists between the upper and lower cityscapes, but the journalism aspect... 🤯 I wonder if I can weave something in.
3) fascinating point. My mind has always thought about Less Is More in terms of prose and dialogue.
I wonder for #2 in your case if journalism takes a totally different form completely. I don't know what that would look like! How people get their information...so many directions you could go with that.
Thanks for the comments, Nathan!
Definitely. I was already thinking some form of electronics comms, but perhaps there's something more nuanced and interesting.
This is great!
Thanks Corie! 🩵