First, I want to thank you all for reading and commenting on Stephanie Cleveland’s essay “Why I’ll Never Be a Bookslut” that was featured in Gently Read Literature’s June issue. The discussion inspired by the essay has been for the most part fruitful.

But as the editor of the site, I felt the need to come to the aid of one of my contributors if only to re-contextualize things (there have been a surprising number of rather insipid and down right hateful comments submitted that I have felt had no place in the discussion, although none from any of you and I thank you).

Cleveland’s essay comes out of the radical feminist tradition (i.e Dworkin, et al) and while not representative of the whole of feminist thought (nor was it ever meant to be) it does raise some valid questions/concerns that need to be addressed–specifically the social construction of language. And this was the reason I chose to put the essay in the issue, because it raises a vital critical, aesthetic concern. The discussion that has ensued has been, as I’ve said before, mostly positive. But it’s important to realize that though not at all a mere exercise in opinion the essay is by no mean prescriptive, proscriptive, or normative; it is speculative, meaning it’s an attempt to figure out just what exactly we, all of us, mean to say and what that entails both connotatively and denotatively.

There is no comment that is currently on the site that does not in some way contribute to the discussion nor is there any sentiment expressed that does not have legitimate critical value. But it is vital that we do not fall into the easy confusion of muddled thought (Cleveland is not personally attacking Crispin), rather Cleveland is trying to reason from subjective experience to objective knowledge.

I hope that you all will give the current issue of Gently Read Literature a thorough reading anand continue to return to GRL in the future.

Take Care

With much thanks

Daniel Sumrall, editor

Gently Read Literature

My comment was removed,btw,which is the right of Mr. Sumrall to do and I respect that. I don’t appreciate being lectured,however,about the delicate nature of what his contributor meant(especially since she even added her own comment to the others already on there) and how folks need to understand the “speculative” nature of her essay.

As I said in my original comment,sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me..UNLESS YOU LET THEM! Then again,I did add a YouTube link to a certain scene about language from Clerks II,which may have offended some but it was of a “speculative nature” as well. Well,one thing is for sure,I won’t bother with Gently Read again.

I’m still wondering why she is bothered by what some idiot said to her – and if she had the good sense to tell him to go to hell at the time.

“Another insult”? Um, “nice tits” isn’t an insult, it’s a compliment. It’s also harassment, but to call it an insult is a case of taxonomic confusion.