Kat and Phoebe are joined by friend and favorite Leigh Stein to discuss bad advice, self-cancelled books, and the accessories of the middle-aged. Links: Roxane Gay's less-than-sound advice: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/18/business/roxane-gay-lgbtq-work.html
[Time 13:50] - Possibly Coordinated activist one- star attack against the book (Feb 2024 publication date); I want to know more about who coordinates these woke attacks. In situations where employee is fired for social media comment, I want to know about the activist interaction with the HR director “Go fire John Doe.” And HR: “Sure we will fire John Doe, no problem.” I want transparency.
I recently received email from The New Tolerance Campaign (anti-DEI) about a female cancer patient who was banned from future care of any kind at her hospital because expressed anti- Gender sentiment. That is discrimination
On a serious note though, here are my thoughts as a Romanian (I left my country 15 years ago but still have family there & my aunt lives a few kilometers from the Ukrainian border).
I am going to focus on literature since that is the realm where Gilbert's book has reportedly caused pain to Ukrainians. Why didn't Gilbert try to open doors for Ukrainian authors in the US? There have been very few Ukrainian translations. Check the translation database if you are inclined. Honestly, as amazing as Andrey Kurkov is, I don't believe he should be the only author to be translated and promoted. He's been ripping most of the rewards of America's current fascination with Ukraine. She could have promoted Ukrainian authors on her social media.
I saw the Gilbert hostage video. The author morse-coded-“I am being tortured” with her eyes.
[Time 13:50] - Possibly Coordinated activist one- star attack against the book (Feb 2024 publication date); I want to know more about who coordinates these woke attacks. In situations where employee is fired for social media comment, I want to know about the activist interaction with the HR director “Go fire John Doe.” And HR: “Sure we will fire John Doe, no problem.” I want transparency.
I recently received email from The New Tolerance Campaign (anti-DEI) about a female cancer patient who was banned from future care of any kind at her hospital because expressed anti- Gender sentiment. That is discrimination
An unkind line from a recent episode of my podcast (it's mandatory to have a podcast lately) said:
"She writes about how to eat, pray and love for an audience of fundamentalist women who clearly have the first of those figured out, at least."
"They went for Paw Patrol" I can't stop laughing.
On a serious note though, here are my thoughts as a Romanian (I left my country 15 years ago but still have family there & my aunt lives a few kilometers from the Ukrainian border).
I am going to focus on literature since that is the realm where Gilbert's book has reportedly caused pain to Ukrainians. Why didn't Gilbert try to open doors for Ukrainian authors in the US? There have been very few Ukrainian translations. Check the translation database if you are inclined. Honestly, as amazing as Andrey Kurkov is, I don't believe he should be the only author to be translated and promoted. He's been ripping most of the rewards of America's current fascination with Ukraine. She could have promoted Ukrainian authors on her social media.
As for understanding the dynamic between the countries in the former Eastern bloc, Americans can now read Goodbye, Eastern Europe by Jakob Mikanowski. Here is a review in The Economist: https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/06/15/the-eastern-half-of-europe-is-united-by-its-diversity
It was reading One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich that first made me want to spend time in northeastern Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic.
Always love the ménages à trois with Leigh!