Commitment to read Raziel Reid's "When Everything Feels Like the Movies" in defiance of calls to strip its Governor General's Award
190 Comments
L
Lynn McClory
11 years ago
It's very important to respect Raziel Reid's Governor General award for his novel. Don't let people with unrealistic, sometimes bigoted, opinion reverse good decisions.
A
Andrew James Paterson
11 years ago
Keep the state out of the libraries, thank you.
A
Andrew James Paterson
11 years ago
Keep the state out of the libraries, thank you.
K
Kristin Knowles
11 years ago
Ridiculous. I searched for books like this when I was a teen - we do not give young people enough credit for the knowledge they possess and the need to see someone that mirrors themselves. Books like Deenie, Forever, Define Normal, and so on fill a need. I am delighted that this is a Canada Reads title.
K
Kristin Knowles
11 years ago
Ridiculous. I searched for books like this when I was a teen - we do not give young people enough credit for the knowledge they possess and the need to see someone that mirrors themselves. Books like Deenie, Forever, Define Normal, and so on fill a need. I am delighted that this is a Canada Reads title.
J
Jane Eaton Hamilton
11 years ago
This should not even have come up. Kids need books like this.
J
Jane Eaton Hamilton
11 years ago
This should not even have come up. Kids need books like this.
D
Daniel Zomparelli
11 years ago
Already read it, loved it, and gave it a proper review.
D
Daniel Zomparelli
11 years ago
Already read it, loved it, and gave it a proper review.
J
Jane Bouey
11 years ago
I have been on a long waiting list of holds at the VPL. Put your hold requedt in too. looking forward to reading.
J
Jane Bouey
11 years ago
I have been on a long waiting list of holds at the VPL. Put your hold requedt in too. looking forward to reading.
E
Emma A
11 years ago
I am buying the book this week.
E
Emma A
11 years ago
I am buying the book this week.
B
belle ancell
11 years ago
I have read it and I will read it again. It is a brilliant first novel from Raziel Reid. Censorship is 'vulgar'.
B
belle ancell
11 years ago
I have read it and I will read it again. It is a brilliant first novel from Raziel Reid. Censorship is 'vulgar'.
A
Amber Dawn
11 years ago
"values-void" and "vulgar" etc, is intrinsically homophobic language—historically used to censor, silence and vilify. Barbara Kay is wasting dollars and dignity in her tirade of hatred.
A
Amber Dawn
11 years ago
"values-void" and "vulgar" etc, is intrinsically homophobic language—historically used to censor, silence and vilify. Barbara Kay is wasting dollars and dignity in her tirade of hatred.
T
Troy Cochrane
11 years ago
As a parent, it is important to me that children be treated like complex human beings.
T
Troy Cochrane
11 years ago
As a parent, it is important to me that children be treated like complex human beings.
K
Kevin Hardcastle
11 years ago
A call to strip this book of any and all awards and accolades, that it has won or may win based on the objective literary assessment of the author's peers, is as ridiculous and out-of-time as any previous attempt by would-be journalists and moralists to ban “obscene” content while holding no reasonable claim to any tangible moral authority necessary to even suggest such a measure. As a journalist or columnist, you do not have to agree with, nor fully understand the weight of the text in question, but you must at least engage with it in some comprehensible way before condemning it as unworthy of its standing as valid literature. In Raziel Reid’s case, the reason that this rule isn’t followed is likely due to the fact that the offended parties do not hold themselves to any recognizable standard with regards to reportage or educated criticism, and, as a result, are in no position to make moral or value-based judgments on the valid work of a professional artist who has dedicated their efforts to craft rather than knee-jerk reactions and pseudo-political rhetoric. It is no shock that writers are still suffering the opinions of columnists who do not hold themselves to any professional standard, but suppose to exert their will on artists that go about trying to express their stories in a professional manner. These opinions and prescriptions are as useless and insubstantial as the qualities of the columnists that spout them, and the papers we are left with that print them. As is the right of the columnist and the printer, you can and will be heard. As is the usual outcome between an actual professional and a hackneyed opinion columnist, your words will simply be used as another marker of what is wrong in journalism and criticism, and will not dictate what good writing is, or what provocative writing should mean to the reader.
It's very important to respect Raziel Reid's Governor General award for his novel. Don't let people with unrealistic, sometimes bigoted, opinion reverse good decisions.
Keep the state out of the libraries, thank you.
Keep the state out of the libraries, thank you.
Ridiculous. I searched for books like this when I was a teen - we do not give young people enough credit for the knowledge they possess and the need to see someone that mirrors themselves. Books like Deenie, Forever, Define Normal, and so on fill a need. I am delighted that this is a Canada Reads title.
Ridiculous. I searched for books like this when I was a teen - we do not give young people enough credit for the knowledge they possess and the need to see someone that mirrors themselves. Books like Deenie, Forever, Define Normal, and so on fill a need. I am delighted that this is a Canada Reads title.
This should not even have come up. Kids need books like this.
This should not even have come up. Kids need books like this.
Already read it, loved it, and gave it a proper review.
Already read it, loved it, and gave it a proper review.
I have been on a long waiting list of holds at the VPL. Put your hold requedt in too. looking forward to reading.
I have been on a long waiting list of holds at the VPL. Put your hold requedt in too. looking forward to reading.
I am buying the book this week.
I am buying the book this week.
I have read it and I will read it again. It is a brilliant first novel from Raziel Reid. Censorship is 'vulgar'.
I have read it and I will read it again. It is a brilliant first novel from Raziel Reid. Censorship is 'vulgar'.
"values-void" and "vulgar" etc, is intrinsically homophobic language—historically used to censor, silence and vilify. Barbara Kay is wasting dollars and dignity in her tirade of hatred.
"values-void" and "vulgar" etc, is intrinsically homophobic language—historically used to censor, silence and vilify. Barbara Kay is wasting dollars and dignity in her tirade of hatred.
As a parent, it is important to me that children be treated like complex human beings.
As a parent, it is important to me that children be treated like complex human beings.
A call to strip this book of any and all awards and accolades, that it has won or may win based on the objective literary assessment of the author's peers, is as ridiculous and out-of-time as any previous attempt by would-be journalists and moralists to ban “obscene” content while holding no reasonable claim to any tangible moral authority necessary to even suggest such a measure. As a journalist or columnist, you do not have to agree with, nor fully understand the weight of the text in question, but you must at least engage with it in some comprehensible way before condemning it as unworthy of its standing as valid literature. In Raziel Reid’s case, the reason that this rule isn’t followed is likely due to the fact that the offended parties do not hold themselves to any recognizable standard with regards to reportage or educated criticism, and, as a result, are in no position to make moral or value-based judgments on the valid work of a professional artist who has dedicated their efforts to craft rather than knee-jerk reactions and pseudo-political rhetoric. It is no shock that writers are still suffering the opinions of columnists who do not hold themselves to any professional standard, but suppose to exert their will on artists that go about trying to express their stories in a professional manner. These opinions and prescriptions are as useless and insubstantial as the qualities of the columnists that spout them, and the papers we are left with that print them. As is the right of the columnist and the printer, you can and will be heard. As is the usual outcome between an actual professional and a hackneyed opinion columnist, your words will simply be used as another marker of what is wrong in journalism and criticism, and will not dictate what good writing is, or what provocative writing should mean to the reader.