Imagine: Jeannette Winterson - My Monster and Me

[Thropplenoggin]

I don't know what this statement means - is it lesbian bashing or as EO says, her attitude to feminism? Forgive my ignorance, I only know her as an author, not much about her past.

Ye gods! Homophobia was the furthest thing from my mind!

My beef was with her ubiquitousness on all media (Guardian, BBC) and the insistent ploughing of the same furrow, (perhaps not the wisest idiom to use in the context ), rehashing her childhood trauma again and again into "bestsellers". Excessive self-exploitation in the name of 'literature'. Fêted by media darlings, she's next in line to have 'National Treasure' bestowed upon her.

She's to child abuse what Paul Auster is to the self-reflexive post-modern novel.

[MrGongGong]

I don't know what this statement means - is it lesbian bashing or as EO says, her attitude to feminism? Forgive my ignorance, I only know her as an author, not much about her past.

Unless you haven't read her first book ? (which is possible, of course)
then surely her "past" IS what her writing IS about ?

[Anna]

Oh, thanks Thropy, for the background and clarification. I confess I had not overly seen her mentioned in the media. I really must read The Guardian more.

Unless you haven't read her first book ? (which is possible, of course)
then surely her "past" IS what her writing IS about ?

Yes, of course I have read her first book. Her subsequent books don't seem to hark on about her past though. And, surely, our pasts all shape what we become but, in her other books I've read, she doesn't seem to bang on about it.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Yes, of course I have read her first book. Her subsequent books don't seem to hark on about her past though.

Exactly - with the exception of her autobiography, of course; a bit difficult to ignore her childhood in such a context. But where is "excessive self-exploitation" of Sexing the Cherry", The Stone Gods, Gut Symmetries, Written on the Body, Weight, etc etc etc? Or, indeed, the "child abuse"? And does a regular column in The Guardian and appearances on last-thing-at-night BBC really constitute "ubiquitousness in all media"?

[Anna]

Ferney, I have pulled Sexing the Cherry and Gut Symmetries from the bookcase. I will reread them over Christmas. Thank you.

[Serial_Apologist]

Jeanette Winterson's critics clearly know a lot more about her and her reputation than I! Such is the publicity afforded trailblazers that he or she who, whether wishing to or merely after self-glorification breaks the mould on behalf of others, thereby gets the plaudits and the brickbats, not they.

[jean]

My beef was with her ubiquitousness on all media (Guardian, BBC) and the insistent ploughing of the same furrow, (perhaps not the wisest idiom to use in the context ), rehashing her childhood trauma again and again into "bestsellers". Excessive self-exploitation in the name of 'literature'. Fêted by media darlings, she's next in line to have 'National Treasure' bestowed upon her.

I think that's grossly unfair.

I haven't enjoyed her later novels - which actually don't 'rehash her childhood trauma', - as much as the earlier ones, but I always enjoy her very much as a speaker and a commentator.

And she's not ubiquitous. There are lots of places where I look and there's no sign of her.

[amateur51]

In her interviews and articles that I've seen and read about the writing of Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal Jeanette Winterson tackles head-on the charge that she is re-hashing her story as told originally in Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit.

She acknowledges her debt to those who have counselled her professionally and as friends and the road that she has gone down to reach her current accommodation with her mother and her past.

I've found making the journey with her highly worthwhile, but then as a gay man in therapy I guess I would

Her novels are always a real challenge, often an exciting and uncomfortable one but never slack or lazy. As such they are worth the effort I think.

[eighthobstruction]

He is a gay man in therapy
He is unfettered and alive
Nobody calling him up for favours
No-ones future to decide
He could go back there (Willesden)
But for the work he's taken on ,
Stoking the post maker machinery behind a popular forum....

[Serial_Apologist]

In her interviews and articles that I've seen and read about the writing of Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal Jeanette Winterson tackles head-on the charge that she is re-hashing her story as told originally in Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit.

She acknowledges her debt to those who have counselled her professionally and as friends and the road that she has gone down to reach her current accommodation with her mother and her past.

I've found making the journey with her highly worthwhile, but then as a gay man in therapy I guess I would

Her novels are always a real challenge, often an exciting and uncomfortable one but never slack or lazy. As such they are worth the effort I think.

Male heterosexual attitudes towards lesbianism have always been contradictory.

The Victorians considered them to be an impossibility - does the Bible refer anywhere to lesbians/lesbianism?
Up to about WW2, most men probably thought women were either incapable of sexual enjoyment, or wanton.
Most 20th century males probably believed sex between women to be inevitably physically unfulfilling.
Some heterosexual men would be accepting of partner infidelity in a same-sex relationship, but not sex with another man.
Could this be because many men do not experience themselves as being "in competition" with another woman?
To many heterosexual men lesbian sex is a turn on, in fantasy or in actuality.

Having fortunately never had to deal with inner conflicts or prejudices of my own towards lesbians or lesbianism, it would seem to my probably naive thinking a good option, were it actually an option as opposed to a natural disposition - which I think it is, as is gay male sexuality.

Asking these questions may be off-topic, but they could be germane (no pun) to Ms Winterson's reputation.

[eighthobstruction]

germane (no pun)

.....I bet you laugh your socks off writing that ....NO PUN!! huh tschhhhhhhhhh

[amateur51]

He is a gay man in therapy
He is unfettered and alive
Nobody calling him up for favours
No-ones future to decide
He could go back there (Willesden)
But for the work he's taken on ,
Stoking the post maker machinery behind a popular forum....

Oh eighth that's lovely

Thank you

[Serial_Apologist]

.....I bet you laugh your socks off writing that ....NO PUN!! huh tschhhhhhhhhh

On the contrary, I wrote it with a completely STRAIGHT face!

[amateur51]

Male heterosexual attitudes towards lesbianism have always been contradictory.

The Victorians considered them to be an impossibility - does the Bible refer anywhere to lesbians/lesbianism?
Up to about WW2, most men probably thought women were either incapable of sexual enjoyment, or wanton.
Most 20th century males probably believed sex between women to be inevitably physically unfulfilling.
Some heterosexual men would be accepting of partner infidelity in a same-sex relationship, but not sex with another man.
Could this be because many men do not experience themselves as being "in competition" with another woman?
To many heterosexual men lesbian sex is a turn on, in fantasy or in actuality.

Having fortunately never had to deal with inner conflicts or prejudices of my own towards lesbians or lesbianism, it would seem to my probably naive thinking a good option, were it actually an option as opposed to a natural disposition - which I think it is, as is gay male sexuality.

Asking these questions may be off-topic, but they could be germane (no pun) to Ms Winterson's reputation.

Some good thoughts & leads here S_A - let's see what develops

[amateur51]

On the contrary, I wrote it with a completely STRAIGHT face!

Why don't we have an emoticon implying a tongue well stuck into cheek