We all have celebrities we view as problematic. Whether it is someone who just holds a different opinion than you, or it comes out that they have done or said something that you feel is wrong. Sometimes, it is hard to reconcile the works created by people we see as problematic with the actions of the person. This month, the Floyd County Library hosted a discussion labeled ‘Divorcing the Author’ which talked about how different people have worked out this problem.
The point of this discussion was to gather differing opinions on the matter so that people could decide whether or not they wanted to ‘divorce the author’ from their works. Divorcing the author essentially means to separate who the author is from what they have written.
The library provided a very welcoming atmosphere for the discussion. One attendee claimed that, “The topic of the discussion is difficult, but having the discussion here was actually very easy.”
The discussion was hosted by the library staff members Sharon Frank, Emma Scheldorf, and Abby Johnson. The discussion was led by faculty from Indiana University Southeast; Dr. Jeremy Wells, and Access Services Librarian Christopher Proctor.
The topics covered throughout the discussion included controversy surrounding JK Rowling and HP Lovecraft, how Cancel Culture affects these decisions, and how each participant handles these decisions themselves. From all out boycotts to just being aware of what the author’s biases are, there were plenty of differing viewpoints on the subject.
Though the discussion covered a variety of topics and suggestions, ultimately there was no definitive answer. It is up to the individual to decide if they want to divorce the author from their works or not.
