Artforum editor fired for open letter; open letter at n+1; statement from Writers Against the War on Gaza; literary "It Girls;" letter from Freeman's editor; editors MIA; jobs; markets + more
So Hamas attacks Israel, rapes and kills hundreds of Israeli women and children, and beheads Israeli babies, but Israel is responsible for “waging war”?
I have often praised your work, Becky, in Lit Mag News, as I think you know, but I never lie about my feelings and so tell you I do not see it as apropos to mix in Halloween with Hell, with a few It girls thrown in and some lit mags shutting down. No doubt some of us writers, like people anywhere, are reacting to one 'cause' or another, but I say, first close your eyes and with your mind's eye see a bright, beautiful morning as 100's of young people, full of live and love, wake to find armed men shooting at them, gunning them down as they flee, shooting up cars as they drive by, raping girls and women at will. Imagine that was you, or worse your sons and daughters caught in this man-made hell. Or maybe it's your grandparents you see being brutally slaughtered, or worse, your infant child. THESE THINGS HAPPENED. An evil on a scale that those of us living in fat freedom cannot comprehend [though Hamas by posting videos of all this indicted itself].
I understand that it's hard to believe such evil can exist [and this specific evil, the killing of the defenseless and unarmed is forbidden even in a 'holy war' or jihad by the KORAN.] I was teaching in Phnom-Penh in 1973-74 and saw some of the brutal things the Khmer Rouge did, even to the poor people they were ostensibly promising to support, yet I never saw the Killing Fields coming--no one did it seems-- and to this day cannot understand that self-genocide.
I don't understand why Jews have been hated so for 2,000 years. The Prophet and the Koran refer to them [and Christians] as people of the Book, i.e., followers of the one God. [And let's be fair: too many Christians forget that Jesus was born a Jew, lived and taught as a Jew, and died a Jew.] Hamas did not care about the Jews they shot, burnt, raped, beheaded, any more than they cared about the people living in Gaza whom they use to hide behind, knowing the expected Israeli response could be used as the most hypocritical sort of propaganda. Funny thing is that Hitler did the same damn thing in his quest to murder every Jew--he did not care that Germany was being burnt to the ground in the meantime.
Excuse one murderer, you excuse all murderers-- but don't expect Allah/Jehovah/God to do so.
Thanks for this, Becky, and the always-helpful lists from the tireless Erika Dreifus and Erica Verillo. I’ve been watching Janus Literary’s and FlashBack Fiction’s websites and twitter all year, but their ‘on hiatus’ status doesn’t change and I’m starting to wonder if they’re going to disappear. Such a pity if they do.
I remember a prof in a sociology class I took saying something like “The maturity of a country is measured by its response to dissent.” So many governments seem to be growing younger, not wiser.
Hi, Becky--I just wanted to let you know that I took your hint from a few weeks back and just nominated you for AWP's George Garrett Award. (I presume I'm not the only one.) Thanks for the hint, and best of luck!!
Thank you for reporting on the curbs on free speech in Germany, Becky. There have also been worrying calls in the UK to do similarly (no equivalent of the First Amendment [or of the Second, thankfully]). Concern for the fate of the Palestinians in no way implies anything but horror at the crimes perpetrated on 7 October, much less antisemitism.
FYI, the lit mag Typehouse seems to be also circling the drain. I was published in the last issue but I didn't receive my honorarium, complementary copy or the copy I bought. There has been no response from the editor.
< Becky Tuch wrote: "you dastardly demons and heart-stoppingly horrifying goblins of gore, you nurses in fishnet stockings and you VAMPIRES with teeth all the better to tear you to pieces my darling, ...." > #QuoteOfTheDay
The pressing issue, at least as far as writers are concerned with their livelihoods, is any measure of censorship based upon the author’s political leanings from a government or government-like entity, regardless of what the leanings are will result in censorship for ALL writers of every political leaning. Censorship is not to be mistaken as having consequences for your actions such as readers choosing not to read your work anymore based on your politics. I have noticed the censorship pattern with many hot button discourse, not as severe as genocide, but still cutthroat, affected every writer whether traditional, self published, or social media published.
Now, if a writer were to present blatant misinformation as truth, that is a different scenario as liability comes into play.
Who are these "Literary It Girls"? The whole thing sounds like young people who want to be influencers and party all the time. What happened to the notion that artists of all kinds work in isolation, work like hell and work some more, fail a few (or many) times and then find success, hard-earned and thereby all the more valuable. Leave chicness and coolness out of the equation.
Apropos to taking sides and staking positions I have little to say. We are all ignorant in our own special ways.
But so long as both sides in this conflict in the "Holy Land" believe that this land was given to them by god there will never be peace. And people will continue to kill each other for generations over imaginary warrants granted by an invisible man in the clouds. Until a secular meeting is arranged where the "parties of god" have no input in the matter, my great-great grandchildren will be seeing the same murder, shame, and grievance as we see now. I'm on neither side so long as nobody can expand their imagination long enough to see the irony in the phrase "war in the holy land." "War" in the "Holy Land." I can't possibly be the only one in the world who sees the stupid irony of such a phrase.
Put me down on the side of the handful of people who say there are interests involved that want these kinds of conflicts to persist. Exclude these kinds of influencers and perhaps a secular council can help solve the issue. So long as imaginary decrees from the clouds are involved this will never cure. So I view statements of "whose side I'm on" as not only useless, but stupid.
So Hamas attacks Israel, rapes and kills hundreds of Israeli women and children, and beheads Israeli babies, but Israel is responsible for “waging war”?
I have often praised your work, Becky, in Lit Mag News, as I think you know, but I never lie about my feelings and so tell you I do not see it as apropos to mix in Halloween with Hell, with a few It girls thrown in and some lit mags shutting down. No doubt some of us writers, like people anywhere, are reacting to one 'cause' or another, but I say, first close your eyes and with your mind's eye see a bright, beautiful morning as 100's of young people, full of live and love, wake to find armed men shooting at them, gunning them down as they flee, shooting up cars as they drive by, raping girls and women at will. Imagine that was you, or worse your sons and daughters caught in this man-made hell. Or maybe it's your grandparents you see being brutally slaughtered, or worse, your infant child. THESE THINGS HAPPENED. An evil on a scale that those of us living in fat freedom cannot comprehend [though Hamas by posting videos of all this indicted itself].
I understand that it's hard to believe such evil can exist [and this specific evil, the killing of the defenseless and unarmed is forbidden even in a 'holy war' or jihad by the KORAN.] I was teaching in Phnom-Penh in 1973-74 and saw some of the brutal things the Khmer Rouge did, even to the poor people they were ostensibly promising to support, yet I never saw the Killing Fields coming--no one did it seems-- and to this day cannot understand that self-genocide.
I don't understand why Jews have been hated so for 2,000 years. The Prophet and the Koran refer to them [and Christians] as people of the Book, i.e., followers of the one God. [And let's be fair: too many Christians forget that Jesus was born a Jew, lived and taught as a Jew, and died a Jew.] Hamas did not care about the Jews they shot, burnt, raped, beheaded, any more than they cared about the people living in Gaza whom they use to hide behind, knowing the expected Israeli response could be used as the most hypocritical sort of propaganda. Funny thing is that Hitler did the same damn thing in his quest to murder every Jew--he did not care that Germany was being burnt to the ground in the meantime.
Excuse one murderer, you excuse all murderers-- but don't expect Allah/Jehovah/God to do so.
Here is a link to another open letter, one that I, and many other writers (including several who I believe also subscribe to Lit Mag News) have signed: https://www.chronicle.com/blogs/letters/open-letter-against-lefts-lack-of-empathy-for-israeli-victims.
Thanks for this, Becky, and the always-helpful lists from the tireless Erika Dreifus and Erica Verillo. I’ve been watching Janus Literary’s and FlashBack Fiction’s websites and twitter all year, but their ‘on hiatus’ status doesn’t change and I’m starting to wonder if they’re going to disappear. Such a pity if they do.
I remember a prof in a sociology class I took saying something like “The maturity of a country is measured by its response to dissent.” So many governments seem to be growing younger, not wiser.
Hi, Becky--I just wanted to let you know that I took your hint from a few weeks back and just nominated you for AWP's George Garrett Award. (I presume I'm not the only one.) Thanks for the hint, and best of luck!!
Thank you for reporting on the curbs on free speech in Germany, Becky. There have also been worrying calls in the UK to do similarly (no equivalent of the First Amendment [or of the Second, thankfully]). Concern for the fate of the Palestinians in no way implies anything but horror at the crimes perpetrated on 7 October, much less antisemitism.
FYI, the lit mag Typehouse seems to be also circling the drain. I was published in the last issue but I didn't receive my honorarium, complementary copy or the copy I bought. There has been no response from the editor.
It's all Becky's fault. She conjured up the undead - - and their sinister spokeswoman! :-)
"Vampire Ventures" - - - my latest walk on the dark side - - - is on NetGalley.
. . . . . > https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/306425
Unless you're over-booked for Bram Stoker's birthday, save the date: 11-08-2023.
I'll read with "The Brides of Bram" in his honor. Free. All welcome.
StreamYard link & details provided upon request.
* * * * * *
Dipity Lit just posted my 3-line poem "Bram Stoker's Recipe" [from "Vampire Ventures"] on Twitter / X - -
. . . . . > https://twitter.com/dipitylitmag/status/1719115301831475644
* * * * * *
🎃 🎃 Happy Hallowe'en! 🎃 🎃
Eternally yours, LindaAnn
< Becky Tuch wrote: "you dastardly demons and heart-stoppingly horrifying goblins of gore, you nurses in fishnet stockings and you VAMPIRES with teeth all the better to tear you to pieces my darling, ...." > #QuoteOfTheDay
The pressing issue, at least as far as writers are concerned with their livelihoods, is any measure of censorship based upon the author’s political leanings from a government or government-like entity, regardless of what the leanings are will result in censorship for ALL writers of every political leaning. Censorship is not to be mistaken as having consequences for your actions such as readers choosing not to read your work anymore based on your politics. I have noticed the censorship pattern with many hot button discourse, not as severe as genocide, but still cutthroat, affected every writer whether traditional, self published, or social media published.
Now, if a writer were to present blatant misinformation as truth, that is a different scenario as liability comes into play.
Who are these "Literary It Girls"? The whole thing sounds like young people who want to be influencers and party all the time. What happened to the notion that artists of all kinds work in isolation, work like hell and work some more, fail a few (or many) times and then find success, hard-earned and thereby all the more valuable. Leave chicness and coolness out of the equation.
Apropos to taking sides and staking positions I have little to say. We are all ignorant in our own special ways.
But so long as both sides in this conflict in the "Holy Land" believe that this land was given to them by god there will never be peace. And people will continue to kill each other for generations over imaginary warrants granted by an invisible man in the clouds. Until a secular meeting is arranged where the "parties of god" have no input in the matter, my great-great grandchildren will be seeing the same murder, shame, and grievance as we see now. I'm on neither side so long as nobody can expand their imagination long enough to see the irony in the phrase "war in the holy land." "War" in the "Holy Land." I can't possibly be the only one in the world who sees the stupid irony of such a phrase.
Put me down on the side of the handful of people who say there are interests involved that want these kinds of conflicts to persist. Exclude these kinds of influencers and perhaps a secular council can help solve the issue. So long as imaginary decrees from the clouds are involved this will never cure. So I view statements of "whose side I'm on" as not only useless, but stupid.
I guess he just wasn't Penske material.
Becky — on the pulse 🫀✅