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"Ladyqueers" Is an Excellent Term, Actually
Thursday, 13 August 2009 12:17Oh, this is so special. Nick Mamatas reflects, and gives some context, to Bev Vincent's story of an editor mistaking him for a woman and criticizing him for not being able to write a convincing male protagonist. Because he doesn't know how men think, you see.
"I’ve heard female writers talk about gender bias in the industry before, but it’s always been an abstract concept to me. Not something I’ve ever experienced. Oh, sure, people often think I’m female based on my name—it’s a common enough mistake, which I’ve had to deal with all my life. I like to tell the story about how I was almost assigned to the women's dorm at university. However, I’ve never before had an editor criticize my writing based on a false assumption concerning my gender. Or make blatantly biased statements about the male perspective."
There's such an assortment of pearls in the article from this unknown editor, I don't know whether to laugh or cry. When I pick up a book with a male protagonist, or even any male characters, and see that the author has managed to give them more depth than the trifecta of rage/greed/lust, I am so happy. I love male characters. I love good male characters. I just don't get to see that many of them.
This is why I was (and am) so obsessed with the new Battlestar Galactica. Male characters with emotional range! Male characters with vulnerabilities. Half my favorite characters on the show are male. And these aren't vulnerabilities with a wink and a nudge, a la BTVS's Xander Harris, "So sorry I have feelings, I know it makes me an epic wuss." Finally. Characters who can grieve and fear and cry without apologizing for it all the time. Without claiming there's something in their eye, or rushing everyone else out of the room. Finally characters who actually care about the people around them.
If that's the type of "unconvincing" male character that Bev Vincent writes about, I'll gladly read his entire output.
"I’ve heard female writers talk about gender bias in the industry before, but it’s always been an abstract concept to me. Not something I’ve ever experienced. Oh, sure, people often think I’m female based on my name—it’s a common enough mistake, which I’ve had to deal with all my life. I like to tell the story about how I was almost assigned to the women's dorm at university. However, I’ve never before had an editor criticize my writing based on a false assumption concerning my gender. Or make blatantly biased statements about the male perspective."
There's such an assortment of pearls in the article from this unknown editor, I don't know whether to laugh or cry. When I pick up a book with a male protagonist, or even any male characters, and see that the author has managed to give them more depth than the trifecta of rage/greed/lust, I am so happy. I love male characters. I love good male characters. I just don't get to see that many of them.
This is why I was (and am) so obsessed with the new Battlestar Galactica. Male characters with emotional range! Male characters with vulnerabilities. Half my favorite characters on the show are male. And these aren't vulnerabilities with a wink and a nudge, a la BTVS's Xander Harris, "So sorry I have feelings, I know it makes me an epic wuss." Finally. Characters who can grieve and fear and cry without apologizing for it all the time. Without claiming there's something in their eye, or rushing everyone else out of the room. Finally characters who actually care about the people around them.
If that's the type of "unconvincing" male character that Bev Vincent writes about, I'll gladly read his entire output.
