Politics and the Artist

The Problem We All Live With, (c)1964, Norman Rockwell

A lot of folks are of the mind no artist can be political.

But we all have our own beliefs and ideas. And those beliefs and ideas are all politicized somehow, someway, in an effort to police thought and behavior.

I've had folks complain about my lead character being women. Or Black. Or how dare a paralegal go through a pregnancy by herself after her boyfriend broke up with her.

I don't think too many readers have realized Chief Justice Anthea is three-quarters Navajo. Or that a majority of the people of Issura are a mix of Celtic, Etruscan, and Chumash. Or that Luc is half Native American and half African.

There's a bunch of people who aren't going to like Queer Eye for the Super Guy because LGBT+ characters are going to take over the 888-555-HERO storyline.

Hell, I had people complain about Bloodlines even though all the major characters would be considered white by today's standards. In that series though, religion was the main driving point.

*ALL HAIL SAM, THE GODDESS OF DEATH*

The point I'm trying to make is we use art to express ourselves. In all ways. Whether other people like it or not. If you don't, the smart thing to do is walk away. Because none of you are going to dictate who and what I write about.

If you don't like my stories, write your own. There are people out there who think like you do. Share your stories with them. There's no reason to police the rest of the world's thought processes. And guess what? You won't succeed either.

Social Conciousness or How to Step into a Minefield Because I Have No Choice

I wasn't going to write this particular post, but I ran across this article about Norman Rockwell yesterday. His bravery and conviction over painting social justice issues during the '60s and '70s made me realize things haven't changed in the fifty-some years since he produced The Problem We All Live With.

One of the big cautions experienced writers tell newbies is not talk about politics or religion. Normally, I would agree when it comes to social occasions. Who needs an upset stomach after a wonderful dinner by arguing with your dinner companions?

Things are a little different when it comes to art. The artists' inner feelings are going to come out regardless of their intent. Sometimes, they don't even realize it. On the other hand, a consumer comes in with their own biases, and those biases color their perception of what the artist has done.

I don't think of my writing as particularly political. My primary goal is to write realistic people in fantastic situations and doing fantastic things, but never losing their basic humanity. Some of the best compliments I received involve the characters of Harri Winters and Aisha Franklin from the 888-555-HERO series. Readers have commented they are the type of girlfriends the readers would love to have in real life. Honest, loyal, and always ready to dish over coffee or wine.

However, there are other readers. While they grudgingly admit my books are well-written, they don't like my themes, or most especially the racial/gender construction of my casts.

I've been accused by readers of being a social justice warrior, a feminist propagandist, and anti-white. I freely admit to being a SJW and a feminist. Few people go into the legal profession without a little bit of those qualities. Civil rights were the basis of the colonies exiting the British Empire, and they should extend to EVERY human in this country.

The anti-white shit comes from white nationalists. The "if you're not with us, you're against us" absolutists.

Uh, no. Definitely not anti-anything except bullies. One great-great-grandfather and his two brothers got the fuck out of Bavaria around the time of the Franco-Prussian War, back when Prussia was pushing for a unified Germany whether anyone wanted it or not. That mentality carried over for the next century, resulting in the devastation of WWII.

Another great-great-great-grandfather fled Ireland in the midst of the Potato Famine.

What do these have in common? It's white on white suppression. It's bully mentality.

As I've said many times before on this blog, I don't like bullies. I don't give a fuck what color they are or what's between their legs. Treating someone else like shit just because you can pisses me off.

I grew up with that crap, mainly from my own family. The only time my mother was proud of me was when I bullied someone else. I'm totally ashamed of my behavior, and once I was old enough to understand what was really happening, I swore never to do it again.

Ever.

And I do my best to do right by other people. I don't always succeed, and I apologize when I know I've fucked up. And if it looks like I don't know I did something wrong, please correct me.

In the meantime, if you think white nationalism is the way to go, then my books are definitely not for you. This isn't a political stance. It's a human one.