Did you ever read something about an author that made you question being a fan?
Sulebol@aol.com
After having read about Anne Perry's rather shocking past I have been unable to read, let alone buy or borrow, any of her Victorian mysteries. And am now sorry I read any of her books at all.
Joyka234@aol.com
I LOVED Stephen King's books, read them all, and even used excerpts from Misery and The Mist to teach writing to students! Then someone told me he had said in an interview that he was stoned out of his mind when he wrote. I was crushed. Say it ain't so!
avadianneday@redshift.com
This kind of a question encourages readers to think of the character of the author on a par with, or even above, the content of the book. It should be the other way around. The book should stand on its own merit regardless of who wrote it. I think this is a very dangerous tendency in our culture to continue to be more interested in celebrities than in any other type of person. The celebrity thing affects about 98% of legitimate authors in an extremely adverse way. For example, say Michael Jordan, who is a nice guy aside from being a great basketball player but let's fact it, he already has more money than God, gets an advance of ten million dollars from Putnam to write a novel about Whatever. How many good mid-level Putnam writers, who are busting their guts to get to where they can make a living on their writing, are going to get paid less or perhaps even dropped by that publisher, in order to pay Mr Jordan this 10 mill he doesn't even really need? Next question, please.
JOCKMOU@aol.com
When I read that Walt Whitman had been tarred and feathered by a Rhode Island communty when he was a teacher there for inappropriate relations with a boy, I was pretty upset. My favorite American Poet - a pedophile!
Editor's Note: This rumor about Walt Whitman has never been substantiated by scholars, although it continues to persist.
JWells7908@aol.com
Interesting~ that it would surprise anyone that ATLAS SHRUGGED the novel "was written to demonstrate Rand's controversial philosophy, "objectivism." What author doesn't write to expose their views, philosophy, etc.? What’s the question here? As for Ms. Rand's personal objectives, she doesn't bother me. I read The Fountainhead at 15 and it gave me self esteem which lasted for many years except that, as a young woman, I didn't realize my self worth in the '70s and '80s in Los Angeles, but finally do now that I got away. Some authors are exposed, but who isn't flawed as a human being? I don’t even care IF Salinger beat his girl friend (he didn’t) because he wrote a classic: Catcher in the Rye and a beauty Franny and Zooey. Robert Frost was a terrible husband & father; so what? Frost wrote the best poetry in modern America. Along with Robert Lowell who was in and out of mental hospitals as a manic-depressive. Who is perfect? Nobody can be a great author (or man/woman) without flaws and defects. Thank you for the survey.
JEarh13191@aol.com
Yes, Faulkner's drinking problem and King's drug problem --- no wonder writers have such a bad reputation. curmudgn@texas.net No, but I don't fall into the trap of confusing an author's personal life with his works. Any number of authors, from Rabelais to Celine, had morals and personal habits that would disgrace a self-respecting ax murderer, but that has little to do with their talent or craft, save in that an author's experience informs his writing.
Gzmigz@aol.com
In response to your question, the answer is no. But I have a met an author and wondered whether or not I should continue to be a fan. I was excited to met this writer and showed it through my voice and facial expression only. She looked at me as if to say get over it, will you. All I said was is that (blank blank)? The look she gave me was quite uncomplimentary. This incident happened at a writer's convention. It was not like I her met on the street. I was in line to purchase books and she happened to be sitting at that particular table signing autographs in her books. This is a children's author and her books were always about teaching family values and morals. After that meeting, I believe I bought only one more of her books. The way she writes about family issues did not match the personality I met that day. Who knows, she maybe she was having a bad day.
WTHRGUESSR@aol.com
Yes: When I read that R. Block was a pseudoname for another name. It made me wonder what he had to hide?! I tried two of his books under his true name and couldn't finish them. I now will not read either, though I had enjoyed his Block novels.
Cujo lcarter2@triad.rr.com
No. I think the whole truth (as opposed to crass sensationalism or irresponsible gossip) only makes the celebrity more human. In many cases, my admiration may increase, depending upon how the individual handled the circumstances in question. But too many famous people are put on pedestals these days anyway. A truthful, accurate and well-written memoir or biography only adds to the wealth of world knowledge and forces us to take off our Hollywood-colored glasses and truly see that the famous and the infamous are people, also.
ZMEFLYHI@aol.com
I may not LOVE everything that a favorite author writes but they are artists and I don't like every painting, sculpture or even architecture. So I would be disappointed but not put off.
jimart@inct.net
In his autobiography, Isaac Azimov told how he had been unfaithful to his first wife. This is information I do not wish to know about someone whose writing was the most interesting thing about him. I enjoyed the little insights into his life that he included in the books he edited. Now, the fact of his infidelity always pops into my head when I think about him. On the other hand, anything I read about Oscar Wilde is welcome because I find his life as interesting as his writing. I don't know how an author decides to "tell all," but I wish there were more discretion used, especially by younger autobiographers.
Helena1010@aol.com
Yes, have occasionally read something about a popular author, but as long as the book is of interest to me and I enjoy their type of writing, doesn't bother me a bit!!
JSkold4728@aol.com
When I found out Janet Dailey plagarized books from Nora Roberts I got turned off from ever reading something by her again.
Editor's Note: Janet Dailey has acknowledged that in her novels NOTORIOUS and ASPEN GOLD she used ideas and paragraphs from Roberts' books, blaming a psychological problem, and agreed to a financial settlement with Roberts.
DCCJ1@aol.com
The truth can hurt; however, it's the arrangement of words between the covers that counts.
MejJay@aol.com
Graham, the author of, "Should you leave?" makes up a mentor in this great book: surprisingly (to me!). I was a little "put off" when I discovered that in his addendum. Guess I thought he could have asked us to "...imagine a mentor-friend of mine..." since that's what he does with all the other characters! Perhaps I wasn't paying enough attention??????
