hahahahah. I can totally see him saying that, pausing to look around, and then continuing on, as one does.

Oh short story journals, why so fraught with drama?

In terms of fear of Brust being a sexist douchbag - I think it is a case he has strong correlations but those correlations are an example of correlation is not causation.

Based on reading his blog and discussion with other people, he is a hard drinkin, hard lovin, poker playin, pickup-truck driving country music fan and all around tough guy. Now that is something a lot of douchbags pretend to be, so it is easy to associate it with douchbagger. But really none of those things are causes of douchbagger, just happen to be things many douchbags aspire to. And of course, even if you don't know any specifics of Brusts life, some of this shows through in his "voice". Which inspires some of the fear, because of the correlation.

And of course there are a lot things in his life that don't fit the sterotype (probably because the stereotype associated with these things is wrong to begin with.) For instant he is polyamorous, probably bisexual, and a committed socialist. Also, given who his late mother was, feminism was probably fundamental to his upbringing, not just an intellectual conviction, but deep in his bones and his habits. So I suspect that "woman hating douchbag" is really an unlikely direction for him.

I don't read his blog, so I wasn't drawing any conclusions from his life. Was that directed at Consuela?

No wasn't suggesting anyone was reading his blog except me. I'm suggesting that some of the attitude shows through in his voice - not a douche bag attitude, but some of the other attitudes. And that might be what arouses the paranoia.

No wasn't suggesting anyone was reading his blog except me.

Yeah, I don't read his blog, but frankly, I've become pretty skeptical of much of the SF/F community in recent years. Unless I know someone understands race & gender issues, I tend to err on the cautious side. And I've been burned by writers I'd had good reports of, like Jay Lake.

And then there's Jim Hines, who seems like an awesome human being, and I wish I liked his books more than I do. Sigh.

Well, I'm a couple books behind, and perhaps very dense, but I'd not have read his tea leaves and worked any of that out. Which books do you think it bleeds through in?

Honestly, I don't need them to be saints--just write responsibly (done) and not show their dirty underwear in public (done). They don't have to be the treasurer for QUILTBAG or anything.

I mean, there's nothing for me to be cautious about, I don't think. I enjoy their books until they turn me off them.

just write responsibly (done) and not show their dirty underwear in public (done).

At this point, this is all I am asking for with regards to anyone creating media I enjoy. I don't know if I'll ever be able to read anything by Harlan Ellison again.

Don't tell me about Jay Lake, okay? I really want to continue loving Metatropolis.

I don't know if I'll ever be able to read anything by Harlan Ellison again.

This.

I don't know what I would have done in Connie Willis' place.

ETA: and with that, I went back and read Patrick Nielsen Hayden's comments regarding same, calmer now.

My mom periodically cleans out our childhood books and recently asked me if I wanted the Lloyd Alexanders; I said "yes" without hesitation (my brother got the L'Engles, dammit). She just sent them to me and man, I did not remember there being so many! And yet some are missing! I now have:

• The Illyrian Adventure (which I used to pronounce "IL-y-RY-an""
• The Cat Who Wished to Be a Man
• The Wizard in the Tree
• The First Two Lives of Lukas-Kasha
• The Town Cats and Other Tales
• The Foundling and Other Tales
• Westmark
• The Chronicles of Prydain

Where the eff are The Kestrel and The Beggar Queen? I know we had them. That's my favorite trilogy of his books, somewhat unsurprisingly. I'll have to see if she can find them. Anyway, looking forward to some nostalgic rereading.