purple elephants corner

Both authors have defended their statement insisting that the quote has been taken out of context. Domesticity as a subject is fine they quickly insist and is ‘so often the basis of brilliance in writing,’ but as a style of writing domesticity represents ‘lack of risk-taking’ and is according to Litt and Smith ‘unadventurous.’

I have my suspicions about their cobbled together defence. For a start I find it impossible to believe that the self same word can apparently have such wildly differing appeal depending on the context. Litt and Smith seem to value originality and experimentation (Kate has read some of their work and believes this to be to the detriment of their content) and presumably they are suggesting that this can be achieved by writing about domestic matters but not if we write in a domestic style. It all seems a little narrow minded to me.

Secondly I am always dubious of writers who whinge and moan about being misunderstood and taken out of context. It is the writer’s job to convey meaning through the choice of the best possible words, if several of the audience then start barking up the wrong tree, then nine times out of ten the writer should be held to account, not the reader. As distinguished writers themselves, Litt and Smith should have known that they were not going to use the words ‘women writers’ and ‘domestic’ in the same negative sentence and get away with it. Although the cynic in me can’t help believing that all publicity is good publicity and that there is nothing like a touch of controversy to line our pockets.

I will not bore you by spewing out a list of women writers who do the domestic well, or those who steer well clear of such gutless tedium, but will take it upon myself to point out that writing is a form of self expression. For instance if Yvonne Roberts (scroll down) really believes that there is a need,

‘for a shift into a greater diversity of plots? Into the depths of science fiction, gothic horror, action thrillers? How about female characters who are thoroughly selfish, wicked and unpredictable not because they were sexually abused in childhood or married a bastard but because they are out for what they can get? And how about letting them - unlike Thelma and Louise - get away with it?’

That sounds great, if she wishes to write that masterpiece then I will almost definitely read it. I however do not relish being dictated to about what I can and cannot write, what does and does not constitute style, originality, or domesticity by Toby Litt, Ali Smith, Yvonne Roberts or anyone else for that matter.
I will leave you with a quote from AL Kennedy, whose response is well worth reading in full,

‘The thing is - it's my choice to use whatever words I want, to say whatever I want. You need not like it, pay for it, or read it, but I do have the right to say it. If we lose from our literature the essential freedom of communication between individuals, if we lose the ability of one human being to tell the truth to another, the private truth of our senses, our emotions, our dreams, if we lose the freedom to enter into the consciousness of others - male others, female others, dead others, happy others, sad others, unimaginable others, others like ourselves - then we have given away its soul.’