Authors versus Their Books

One of the best things about reading is being transported to the world of a book, connecting with the characters there, and becoming emotionally invested in those characters. Books that touch us become a part of us.

So what do we do when we learn the author of a beloved book holds views we vehemently oppose? How does an author's personal beliefs change how we see their books?

Take, for example, Lewis Carroll. There is a lot of debate about whether Carroll perceived young girls erotically. He was a photographer for over twenty years and there are thirty of his photographs surviving today that show nude or semi-nude girls.

Several biographies suggest he had an erotic interest in these girls but many scholars disagree. Some point to a cultural view at that time that nude children were an expression of innocence, arguing that the allegations stem from a misunderstanding of the morals of the time.

This is not something that can be answered decidedly. Carroll lived and died in the 1800s, and therefore we have limited information to clarify things.

But what about authors that are still alive? Orson Scott Card is a very popular author who has publicly declared his support of laws against homosexuality and gay marriage. He has faced some backlash because of this but does it affect how we view his books?

And, of course, there's J.K. Rowling. The Harry Potter books have been an integral part of so many peoples childhoods and then, abruptly, Rowling announces she's a massive transphobe and throws herself behind her bigoted beliefs. How does this change how we view her books and the Harry Potter franchise overall?

I think it's easier to look at books as separate from their authors when the authors are long dead and not shouting their bigotry from the rooftops (or twitter feeds). The books have gone out into the world and they've become a part of us. While the sadness and anger we may feel toward a beloved author revealing their true colors may tarnish those works to some degree, the books are bigger than their authors. Their authors wrote them but now they belong to all of us. The art of the novel is separate from the artist who penned the words.

Of course, the idea of these authors benefitting financially from us purchasing their books is another issue. Someone who is using their platform to spread hate is not someone to whom we wish to give money.

There are also video games and collectables and the like based off books whose authors we don't want to support. The authors may not be actively involved with these endeavors; in fact, some are made by people who have tried hard to distance themselves from the author's views, but regardless of how lovely the people who worked on it might be, some money will make its way back to the author.

We each need to figure out how we want to handle the problem of an author and their books. For myself, I've decided that any books I feel the need to buy from these authors will be used books, which will not send any money back to the authors. In regards to games or other things related to the books but not created by the author, I am comfortable buying them, but with a caveat. Anything I pay for an item, I will pay an equal or greater amount to a group fighting for the rights of the people the author disparages. That way, while the author I do not want to support may get some of my money, a group actively fighting against the very bigotry they embrace gets more.

We all have to decide what works for us. We just have to take the time to figure it out for ourselves.