You're welcome.

I've got steam coming out my ears, and need someone to remind me not to take things so personally.

I'd been donating books to troops stationed overseas through a program called Operation Paperback. It seemed like a good way to support the troops without supporting the government, and so was a gesture I felt good about making as someone opposed to the war, but from a family with strong military ties. Every few months, I'd ship 50 books or so overseas. Some would be romances because that's a big part of what I read, but I always made sure to have a good balance of genres and only to include romances if I was sure they were going to a unit likely to have a fairly large female contingent.

Anyway, apparently some donors didn't think as carefully and sent boxes of romances to units where there was no audience for them, so the folks who run the program mentioned it as a problem in the last newsletter. Fair enough, except they did it in an insulting way, calling series romance computer-generated drivel written for an adolescent market. And while I don't read or write contemporary series romance myself and admit to privately snickering over some of the cheesier virgin, cowboy, and baby titles, that made me angry. But I thought for sure they'd see the error of their ways and recant, especially since they've gotten a lot of support from romance authors and readers.

So I just got the latest newsletter in my inbox, which included the email they'd gotten over the flap. One was from an author of, as he put it, the very opposite of romance--blood & guts military sf--who said, basically, "You guys are PR idiots. If you'd had any clue at all, you'd have said this instead," and proceeded to explain why you shouldn't send a box of romance novels to an infantry unit while still showing respect for the genre. But they also included the following email:

I suppose all those indignant romance novel enthusiast think that the new genre of "Survivor" and "Millionaire" and "Get Married on T.V." shows are great drama too! Just because romance novels are popular, doesn't mean they are great or even valuable literature. The phrase "lowest common denominator" originated to describe this stuff!

I read that and have been spluttering with fury every since. Yes, many romance novels are crap. So are many novels of every genre. But I've also read so many that were well-written on all levels--character development, writing style, emotional resonance, plot, research--and I've met several romance authors online who are just wonderful people, intelligent and dedicated to doing the best work they can. And, I'm 2/3 through with my own first romance novel, and it just pisses me off that anyone would dismiss it as "lowest common denominator" just because of the genre it's in! It's just so sexist. No one would say that if I were writing a mystery or a fantasy novel.

I know this is just another donor, and he doesn't speak for Operation Paperback. But the fact they just printed both emails without comment, instead of admitting that the first guy was right and they'd made a mistake, is making me never want to send another book through them.

And not to put down our enlisted men, but more than a few of these folks are in the service, because they didn't go to college and hadn't cultivated a trade. They may not all be looking for the next great American Novel.

Just a bit of distraction, I would think, though I have no idea what I would send. Your heart was definitely in the right place.

Susan, howsabout a nice little email back to this testopig, pointing out that since these soldiers are likely living in mud, guts and gore, it's possible that they'd like something just a wee bit more escapist?

You might also point out to him that until you see a few reviews of his stuff by people you respect, he should probably take his snotnosed dick-based assholery and shove it where the sun never shines. Also, could we please see the signed note from God, appointing his sorry ass as Arbiter Of All Taste?

Of course, you may be nicer than I am. But personally, I'd disembowel him and I'd make sure that not only do a lot of other people get to read the disembowelment in email, but that he KNOWS a lot of people are reading and laughing at him.

What a prick. edit: and yes, I know he isn't the author, just another donor, but if he isn't even a writer? WHo in sweet hell does he think he is?

And not to put down our enlisted men, but more than a few of these folks are in the service, because they didn't go to college and hadn't cultivated a trade. They may not all be looking for the next great American Novel.

True. And I figure that being on an overseas posting, particularly in a dangerous or stressful situation, would be the equivalent of one long airplane trip--I'd want something relaxing and escapist.

And I fully admit that the novel I'm writing qualifies as escapist. True love triumphs, and there are pretty dresses, pretty horses, and a pretty man who looks good on the aforesaid horses and is just the kind of person you'd want to have take off your pretty dress. But IMO, there's such a thing as quality escapism. If it's well-written, well-researched, and has believable characters and emotional resonance, it's a good book. And, if anyone told me my book had helped them through a difficult time or kept them turning page after page on a turbulent cross-country flight, I'd be honored.

t on edit--Deborah, I'd love to send this guy a withering email, but I'm sure he'd just use it as fuel for his misogyny.

No, no it wouldn't.

But IMO, there's such a thing as quality escapism. If it's well-written, well-researched, and has believable characters and emotional resonance, the fact that it's escapist doesn't preclude it from also being quality.

I'm not much on romances, but the Outlander series was just what you describe, and made for good reading.

Georgette Heyer.

Which said, I still wouldn't send a box of Georgette Heyer to an infantry unit.

Betsy, I wouldn't send them Thackeray either.

I'd send them Stephen King and Michael McDowell and Peter Straub. Send them Shirley Jackson. Let them escape into horrors that deal with ghosts, demons, hauntings - someone else's horror that they don't have to believe in or share or live in.

edit: d'oh! Mysteries, of course.