M. Ocampo McIvor's Blog: Reviews and Musings
June 19, 2020
Juneteenth and the New Jim Crow
It's Juneteenth. Let's get educated on TODAY'S version of slavery/lynching...
A CASE STUDY OF COMPOUNDED DISADVANTAGE
A black mother is thrown in jail for a minor infraction (smoking weed?!); they set the bail money so high that she can't afford it, and they keep her locked in prison; meanwhile her children are thrown in the foster care system, and the next generation is pretty much effed, manifesting in homelessness, mental and other health issues, and producing petty criminals, angry and frustrated with the world. Now this cycle goes on and on and on with subsequent generations. Fair?
Hands up if you've ever smoked weed, had a bit too much to drink, got a speeding ticket, or was late paying a bill. If you're still able to get a good job, hold your kids close to you, send them to good schools, get approved for loans and mortgages, and generally been spoken to with respect and understanding even after your errors in judgment... and you look over at a black family and they're not given the same consideration, the same opportunities... do you... shrug? Do you move on your merry way, blissfully ignorant? It's not my fault, not my problem?
You're right, it's not. Not personally. But it affects EVERYONE. I won't get into the data on prison stats, housing, redlining, etc. -- you can look those up. But "The System" needs to change so that it works for Everyone, not just a certain group of people belonging to a specific gender or skin color. Because we all pay for it, with our money, our health & well-being, our safety & security, our future.
This change starts with awareness and education. So read the book, get mad, get outraged, and maybe be inspired to be part of the change.
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
February 19, 2018
Short & Sweet, for Writers: Writing About Gender Roles, Stereotypes, Etc..
This ex-Google guy is back in the news, sheesh.
Anyhoot, there's more than one type of smarts. And this guy wasn't smart enough to avoid falling into the trap of... well, here are 2 great (tangential) articles that'll give it more context.
On Women in STEM.
On Stereotypes.
Plus, there are numerous literature that help shed light on how we came to adhere to certain gender (and racial) stereotypes today. We need to map our journey through history and ask who/what/when/where/why/how regarding societal expectations, and always within their Proper Context. Otherwise, we're doomed to keep repeating the same mistakes, solidifying and compounding long-held beliefs and misunderstandings. Pretty much, as humans, we know nuthin' about nuthin'. Like that guy.
Writers: you have the power to influence attitudes and behavior.
Anyhoot, there's more than one type of smarts. And this guy wasn't smart enough to avoid falling into the trap of... well, here are 2 great (tangential) articles that'll give it more context.
On Women in STEM.
On Stereotypes.
Plus, there are numerous literature that help shed light on how we came to adhere to certain gender (and racial) stereotypes today. We need to map our journey through history and ask who/what/when/where/why/how regarding societal expectations, and always within their Proper Context. Otherwise, we're doomed to keep repeating the same mistakes, solidifying and compounding long-held beliefs and misunderstandings. Pretty much, as humans, we know nuthin' about nuthin'. Like that guy.
Writers: you have the power to influence attitudes and behavior.
December 4, 2017
A Night with My Hero
The other day, enthralled in my seat inside Seattle’s Benaroya Hall, I saw in person and heard the live voice of one of my literary heroes. Isabel Allende dazzled the captive audience with her charm, wit, and humor. Her words were meaningful and profound, but she also gave practical advice. At times she had me laughing out loud at her stories; they were plain, ordinary stories, but she told them with extraordinary delivery. (She said she couldn’t tell a proper joke, but I beg to differ!) She was full of energy, wisdom, and grace.
When asked whether she molds her protagonists into her own likeness, she answered: readers will find the author in all the characters in their books, showing in the gaps and appearing in the space between the lines. When asked for her advice to writers, she mentioned the importance of discipline, but noted: no one cares about the 1,000 drafts you wrote or all the hard work you put into your book—truth is, people only care whether they like your story. Also this: that she could teach people how to write, but not quite how to tell a story. There’s a difference, you see: being able to tell a story well, like being able to tell a joke well, is a Gift. Yes, it’s a skill that can be honed and mastered with enough discipline and practice, but there is something else there—Instinct—that is very hard to teach.
It is this gift, this instinct, that sets her apart and shines in her writing. She knows when to deliver the punchline, how to deliver the punchline, and how to hold you in suspense. She doesn’t spell things out for you; rather, she stimulates the best of your imagination with a few words, then leaves it up to you to paint the rest of the picture and come to your own conclusions. She is entertaining without being overbearing. Though she often writes about complex themes and subject matters, she writes simply, is frank and to-the-point, and is seldom frilly with words.
I have read only four out of the dozens of books she has written so far, but there is always that familiar lyricism in her writing—it flows so easily, like a song. Her writing is intimate, as if your close friend were merely relaying her experiences to you. Her writing is wise and insightful without sounding preachy. Most delightful, though, is the way she injects humor—at times self-deprecating, other times sarcastic, and many times laugh-out-loud hilarious—in even the gravest, most serious of subjects. Honestly, I think she just hates being bogged down, and after swimming in dark waters, her natural capacity for joy and lightness buoys her back up to optimism. She shows an abundance of grace, and one gets the feeling she truly knows what it is to live fully, with open arms, and from different perspectives. Yes, people, this is what I gather simply from her writing!
There are so many writers I admire, so many whom I'd love to emulate, but it wouldn’t be fair to start a list here because they are all brilliant in different ways and within their own genres. But in the context of fiction and the kind of books I personally would like to write, Isabel Allende has truly been a model and inspiration. It is her style—insightful, wise, witty, humorous, openhearted, and lyrical—that I hope my own readers might find in my books as well. And if so, I would soar with such a compliment, and cherish the honor.
When asked whether she molds her protagonists into her own likeness, she answered: readers will find the author in all the characters in their books, showing in the gaps and appearing in the space between the lines. When asked for her advice to writers, she mentioned the importance of discipline, but noted: no one cares about the 1,000 drafts you wrote or all the hard work you put into your book—truth is, people only care whether they like your story. Also this: that she could teach people how to write, but not quite how to tell a story. There’s a difference, you see: being able to tell a story well, like being able to tell a joke well, is a Gift. Yes, it’s a skill that can be honed and mastered with enough discipline and practice, but there is something else there—Instinct—that is very hard to teach.
It is this gift, this instinct, that sets her apart and shines in her writing. She knows when to deliver the punchline, how to deliver the punchline, and how to hold you in suspense. She doesn’t spell things out for you; rather, she stimulates the best of your imagination with a few words, then leaves it up to you to paint the rest of the picture and come to your own conclusions. She is entertaining without being overbearing. Though she often writes about complex themes and subject matters, she writes simply, is frank and to-the-point, and is seldom frilly with words.
I have read only four out of the dozens of books she has written so far, but there is always that familiar lyricism in her writing—it flows so easily, like a song. Her writing is intimate, as if your close friend were merely relaying her experiences to you. Her writing is wise and insightful without sounding preachy. Most delightful, though, is the way she injects humor—at times self-deprecating, other times sarcastic, and many times laugh-out-loud hilarious—in even the gravest, most serious of subjects. Honestly, I think she just hates being bogged down, and after swimming in dark waters, her natural capacity for joy and lightness buoys her back up to optimism. She shows an abundance of grace, and one gets the feeling she truly knows what it is to live fully, with open arms, and from different perspectives. Yes, people, this is what I gather simply from her writing!
There are so many writers I admire, so many whom I'd love to emulate, but it wouldn’t be fair to start a list here because they are all brilliant in different ways and within their own genres. But in the context of fiction and the kind of books I personally would like to write, Isabel Allende has truly been a model and inspiration. It is her style—insightful, wise, witty, humorous, openhearted, and lyrical—that I hope my own readers might find in my books as well. And if so, I would soar with such a compliment, and cherish the honor.
October 19, 2017
About Those Romance Novels...
Every day, I’m bombarded with emails peddling book deals from various book marketing sites, and whenever I peek into the featured books, it’s always the same: Steamy Romance Novels. Countless covers of near-naked men with bulging pecs and biceps, wearing cowboy hats and low-slung jeans, sometimes accompanied by women in skimpy lingerie, swooning in the dude’s tattooed arms. Which is fine. Which is great! So many readers LOVE that sort of thing, and it’s no secret that romance novels outsell almost any genre out there.
But today, as I took a peek at the featured books and saw for the millionth time the same kind of cover, the same kind of title, peddling the same kind of story (this one in particular: A Millionaire Bad Boy Romance, with the teaser “I want to own her, mark those t*ts as mine, claim her…”), I felt… Crestfallen. I’m no prude, I have a bit of a rebellious streak, and I grew up in the big city where walking around naked while smoking a joint is legal and not a big deal. I’ve had my share of writhing alongside beautiful naked bodies that look like the bodies on those romance novel covers, except, the ones I cavorted with were Real. Now, I hope I’ve established those pics and stories are an eye-roll for me, not at all titillating, and I don’t give them a second thought.
BUT. The stories themselves! The narratives! It occurred to me that women—because readers of romance novels are overwhelmingly women, statistically—voraciously devour certain narratives, certain tropes, and so, writers keep writing them. In these stories, the same attributes are perpetuated and given so much weight and importance in the story, attributes like Male Dominance, Money, Male Power, Male Influence, Male Physical Strength; while, for women it’s Physical Attractiveness, Virginal Innocence, Librarian-type Smarts, Nonchalance about Money (cough, bullsh*t, cough—let’s be real here, romance writers, you’re pairing her up with a freaking billionaire, per your fantasy!). Anyway, women are writing this stuff, and women are eating it up— What Does That Tell Us?
We get angry when we hear of sexual harassment, assault, and abuse. We shout “Injustice! Inequality!” when we read about the lopsided power struggles at work, at home, at educational institutions. And yet! We clamor for these stories in our romance novels! Again: what does that tell us? As writers, if we perpetuate these tropes, then who are we to complain , to seem outraged, when the very thing we deem “Unjust” is Romanticized and Glamorized in the stories we tell, in the stories we beg to read?
SOCIETY IS HURTING. Our sons and daughters are growing up to fulfill the mold they’ve read about in the stories we write. Now, I want to make it clear that I’m not against steamy romance novels with every type of titillating character. (Read this for my stance on our need for a breadth of stories, and for the importance of staying honest and true without censure.) But writers, it might be good to have some sense of accountability on how our narratives might influence ideas, shape minds, or perpetuate notions, actions, and behaviors that may serve or hurt our brothers, sisters, neighbors, friends, sons, and daughters.
But today, as I took a peek at the featured books and saw for the millionth time the same kind of cover, the same kind of title, peddling the same kind of story (this one in particular: A Millionaire Bad Boy Romance, with the teaser “I want to own her, mark those t*ts as mine, claim her…”), I felt… Crestfallen. I’m no prude, I have a bit of a rebellious streak, and I grew up in the big city where walking around naked while smoking a joint is legal and not a big deal. I’ve had my share of writhing alongside beautiful naked bodies that look like the bodies on those romance novel covers, except, the ones I cavorted with were Real. Now, I hope I’ve established those pics and stories are an eye-roll for me, not at all titillating, and I don’t give them a second thought.
BUT. The stories themselves! The narratives! It occurred to me that women—because readers of romance novels are overwhelmingly women, statistically—voraciously devour certain narratives, certain tropes, and so, writers keep writing them. In these stories, the same attributes are perpetuated and given so much weight and importance in the story, attributes like Male Dominance, Money, Male Power, Male Influence, Male Physical Strength; while, for women it’s Physical Attractiveness, Virginal Innocence, Librarian-type Smarts, Nonchalance about Money (cough, bullsh*t, cough—let’s be real here, romance writers, you’re pairing her up with a freaking billionaire, per your fantasy!). Anyway, women are writing this stuff, and women are eating it up— What Does That Tell Us?
We get angry when we hear of sexual harassment, assault, and abuse. We shout “Injustice! Inequality!” when we read about the lopsided power struggles at work, at home, at educational institutions. And yet! We clamor for these stories in our romance novels! Again: what does that tell us? As writers, if we perpetuate these tropes, then who are we to complain , to seem outraged, when the very thing we deem “Unjust” is Romanticized and Glamorized in the stories we tell, in the stories we beg to read?
SOCIETY IS HURTING. Our sons and daughters are growing up to fulfill the mold they’ve read about in the stories we write. Now, I want to make it clear that I’m not against steamy romance novels with every type of titillating character. (Read this for my stance on our need for a breadth of stories, and for the importance of staying honest and true without censure.) But writers, it might be good to have some sense of accountability on how our narratives might influence ideas, shape minds, or perpetuate notions, actions, and behaviors that may serve or hurt our brothers, sisters, neighbors, friends, sons, and daughters.
October 10, 2017
Harvey Weinstein, George Clooney, and Tropes that Don't Serve Us
I just read the Daily Beast article with George Clooney’s statement on the Harvey Weinstein fiasco. For context, Weinstein is an Academy and Tony Award-winning movie mogul who cofounded Miramax, and produced Pulp Fiction, Good Will Hunting, and Shakespeare in Love among many other popular and critically-acclaimed movies. Five days ago, on Oct. 5, The New York Times reported a bombshell that Weinstein had paid off his sexual harassment accusers for decades. (As I write this, more and more women are speaking out against Weinstein and sharing their own sexual harassment experiences with him, including actors Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow.) I won’t repeat what’s already been written in the news, but there’s a testament from actress Ashley Judd, a settlement involving actress Rose McGowan, and this reflection from another woman regarding Weinstein’s disturbing requests and sexual advances: “It was so manipulative. You constantly question yourself—am I the one who is the problem?”
“Am I the one who is the problem?”
Regarding George Clooney’s thoughts on the Weinstein fiasco, I like what he has to say, and hope that he upholds these beliefs himself and expects them of others in his circle. Here are some soundbites from his interview with the Daily Beast:
“… a lecherous guy with money picking up younger girls is unfortunately not a news story in our society.”
“… we’ve seen this type of behavior in politics, in Silicon Valley, and in corporate America. This is a big problem in our society, that people in power are taking advantage of people not in power—particularly powerful men with young women.”
“… there’s an argument that everyone is complicit in it. I suppose the argument would be that it’s not just about Hollywood, but about all of us—that every time you see someone using their power and influence to take advantage of someone without power and influence and you don’t speak up, you’re complicit.”
Complicity
As writers, with the power to inspire and influence with our stories, let’s not propagate the same tropes that hurt society by promoting behaviors and ideals that lead to inequality. Some of us may unwittingly do this by romanticizing certain personality types and behaviors, perhaps promulgating these traits as highly valued and sought-after. (“Gosh, I want to be just like that rich and handsome psychopath who gets all the girls.”)
Yes, we must write the truth, and shine a light on some of the ugly realities that permeate our society. Yes, we must strive to give an honest account of life, whether it’s uncomfortable or disagreeable to others. But no one can force you to be accountable and “write responsibly,” or pressure you to push a certain moral agenda. Perhaps you’re simply writing something that is completely entertaining to you with no goal to educate or elucidate or “change the world” and bring about “world peace.” That’s fine. In fact, we need those stories! We all have different reasons for writing, and books that are for pure entertainment and escapism have their value. Not everything has to be thoughtful and somber and serious. Besides, who doesn’t want to unwind and laugh to a delicious comedy now and then?
That said, as a writer, I want to steer clear of certain tropes and ideas, as well as refrain from pushing the binary, gendered mindset, which we are discovering more and more to be a mostly social construct, ingrained in us at birth, and almost impossible to break free from. (Note: there is a difference between gender and sexuality, but I won’t get into that here.) Here are some of those tropes, ideas, and portrayals that I will aim to steer clear of:
• Boys will be boys.
• Sweet, dainty, precious, pretty, little girls.
• Strong and silent men, praised for not showing tender emotions.
• The (judgmental-sounding) woman who is portrayed as better than other “gossipy” women because she’s “different,” i.e., she’s less social, feels more comfortable around men, acts more like a “guy” (whatever that means), speaks of her more social sisters with disdain, as if they were lesser. Seriously, what are we preaching here? And what do we think young girls and boys take away from this portrayal?
• Also, and further to the above trope, the not-so-physically-attractive girl talking negatively about her more attractive sisters, like this: “They’re pretty but vacant and stupid and gossip too much and are probably really slutty with their teeny little skirts and big boobs.” Writers, when I read this kind of thing, I only smell jealousy. It doesn’t smell good. And you know how this pans out it real life? Other people may look at a sexually assaulted pretty girl in a mini skirt and judge: “She was asking for it.” Think about that. (Read and wince at what Donna Karan had to say about the Weinstein thing.)
• Billionaire males = a prize for any woman. And, must the billionaire male be young and physically desirable as well? (Let’s get real, here, people!) But I suppose, Escapism. For some.
• Girls and women’s physical appearance being their most salient asset, and referenced in the story ad nauseam.
• Smart or strong or ambitious girls and women portrayed as a kind of Anomaly, and these traits are actually emphasized and punctuated to seem as “Oh wow, that’s kind of different for a girl!” No, it’s not. Let’s get over it.
I could list more, but I think you get my drift.
Repetition > Desensitization > Acceptance
Part of my old day job involved analyzing data and studying people’s online behavior, so I have a huge interest in stats and psychology. One of the things I’m learning is the power of repetition, society’s desensitization upon seeing a repeated behavior, and the consequent normalization and acceptance of the behavior.
Not to politicize, but I’d like to shed some light on our human tendency to believe and even defend a lie we’ve heard too many times, or to tolerate and even accept an unethical behavior we’ve seen too many times. Example: a mass shooting might have shocked us the first time, but shocks us less and less successively, until we feel it has become a norm, and consequently, we simply shake our heads but shrug our shoulders at the whole thing. Data shows us this: the more a certain behavior or sentiment is broadcast, the more society condones, even imitates, this behavior. (If you have kids, you may have heard the argument: “But my friend is doing it, why can’t I do it?”) So if you want see a rise in violence and aggression, broadcast violence and aggression. If you want to divide people among arbitrary lines, show different people from different tribes doing different things, separate from each other (the whole “Us vs. Them” scenario). But if you want to bring about acceptance, inclusion, and positive community interactions, show different people doing common things together. Humans are simple: we all just want to be accepted, and we model after the behavior we’ve been shown to be acceptable, or at least have precedence. (I.e., “Is it ok with my peers if I say this or do that?” Or this: “That guy did it, which means I can do it too.”) Think about what's trending; why is it trending?
NOTE: while the above may be true—broadcast kindness and generosity, and there will follow a proliferation of kindness and generosity—it is also true that Anger and Outrage have their place, and in the right context, can and do bring about positive changes.
Let’s Be Better
My fellow writers, let’s be more aware of our quirky human tendencies and how we influence ideas and behaviors. Let’s never tolerate and accept the behaviors of the Harvey Weinsteins of the world. Let’s show this in our books, the stories we tell, and the work we leave behind. Let’s do better. Let’s be better.
“Am I the one who is the problem?”
Regarding George Clooney’s thoughts on the Weinstein fiasco, I like what he has to say, and hope that he upholds these beliefs himself and expects them of others in his circle. Here are some soundbites from his interview with the Daily Beast:
“… a lecherous guy with money picking up younger girls is unfortunately not a news story in our society.”
“… we’ve seen this type of behavior in politics, in Silicon Valley, and in corporate America. This is a big problem in our society, that people in power are taking advantage of people not in power—particularly powerful men with young women.”
“… there’s an argument that everyone is complicit in it. I suppose the argument would be that it’s not just about Hollywood, but about all of us—that every time you see someone using their power and influence to take advantage of someone without power and influence and you don’t speak up, you’re complicit.”
Complicity
As writers, with the power to inspire and influence with our stories, let’s not propagate the same tropes that hurt society by promoting behaviors and ideals that lead to inequality. Some of us may unwittingly do this by romanticizing certain personality types and behaviors, perhaps promulgating these traits as highly valued and sought-after. (“Gosh, I want to be just like that rich and handsome psychopath who gets all the girls.”)
Yes, we must write the truth, and shine a light on some of the ugly realities that permeate our society. Yes, we must strive to give an honest account of life, whether it’s uncomfortable or disagreeable to others. But no one can force you to be accountable and “write responsibly,” or pressure you to push a certain moral agenda. Perhaps you’re simply writing something that is completely entertaining to you with no goal to educate or elucidate or “change the world” and bring about “world peace.” That’s fine. In fact, we need those stories! We all have different reasons for writing, and books that are for pure entertainment and escapism have their value. Not everything has to be thoughtful and somber and serious. Besides, who doesn’t want to unwind and laugh to a delicious comedy now and then?
That said, as a writer, I want to steer clear of certain tropes and ideas, as well as refrain from pushing the binary, gendered mindset, which we are discovering more and more to be a mostly social construct, ingrained in us at birth, and almost impossible to break free from. (Note: there is a difference between gender and sexuality, but I won’t get into that here.) Here are some of those tropes, ideas, and portrayals that I will aim to steer clear of:
• Boys will be boys.
• Sweet, dainty, precious, pretty, little girls.
• Strong and silent men, praised for not showing tender emotions.
• The (judgmental-sounding) woman who is portrayed as better than other “gossipy” women because she’s “different,” i.e., she’s less social, feels more comfortable around men, acts more like a “guy” (whatever that means), speaks of her more social sisters with disdain, as if they were lesser. Seriously, what are we preaching here? And what do we think young girls and boys take away from this portrayal?
• Also, and further to the above trope, the not-so-physically-attractive girl talking negatively about her more attractive sisters, like this: “They’re pretty but vacant and stupid and gossip too much and are probably really slutty with their teeny little skirts and big boobs.” Writers, when I read this kind of thing, I only smell jealousy. It doesn’t smell good. And you know how this pans out it real life? Other people may look at a sexually assaulted pretty girl in a mini skirt and judge: “She was asking for it.” Think about that. (Read and wince at what Donna Karan had to say about the Weinstein thing.)
• Billionaire males = a prize for any woman. And, must the billionaire male be young and physically desirable as well? (Let’s get real, here, people!) But I suppose, Escapism. For some.
• Girls and women’s physical appearance being their most salient asset, and referenced in the story ad nauseam.
• Smart or strong or ambitious girls and women portrayed as a kind of Anomaly, and these traits are actually emphasized and punctuated to seem as “Oh wow, that’s kind of different for a girl!” No, it’s not. Let’s get over it.
I could list more, but I think you get my drift.
Repetition > Desensitization > Acceptance
Part of my old day job involved analyzing data and studying people’s online behavior, so I have a huge interest in stats and psychology. One of the things I’m learning is the power of repetition, society’s desensitization upon seeing a repeated behavior, and the consequent normalization and acceptance of the behavior.
Not to politicize, but I’d like to shed some light on our human tendency to believe and even defend a lie we’ve heard too many times, or to tolerate and even accept an unethical behavior we’ve seen too many times. Example: a mass shooting might have shocked us the first time, but shocks us less and less successively, until we feel it has become a norm, and consequently, we simply shake our heads but shrug our shoulders at the whole thing. Data shows us this: the more a certain behavior or sentiment is broadcast, the more society condones, even imitates, this behavior. (If you have kids, you may have heard the argument: “But my friend is doing it, why can’t I do it?”) So if you want see a rise in violence and aggression, broadcast violence and aggression. If you want to divide people among arbitrary lines, show different people from different tribes doing different things, separate from each other (the whole “Us vs. Them” scenario). But if you want to bring about acceptance, inclusion, and positive community interactions, show different people doing common things together. Humans are simple: we all just want to be accepted, and we model after the behavior we’ve been shown to be acceptable, or at least have precedence. (I.e., “Is it ok with my peers if I say this or do that?” Or this: “That guy did it, which means I can do it too.”) Think about what's trending; why is it trending?
NOTE: while the above may be true—broadcast kindness and generosity, and there will follow a proliferation of kindness and generosity—it is also true that Anger and Outrage have their place, and in the right context, can and do bring about positive changes.
Let’s Be Better
My fellow writers, let’s be more aware of our quirky human tendencies and how we influence ideas and behaviors. Let’s never tolerate and accept the behaviors of the Harvey Weinsteins of the world. Let’s show this in our books, the stories we tell, and the work we leave behind. Let’s do better. Let’s be better.
September 24, 2017
Awesome Gang Author Interview
Thank you to Awesome Gang for the lovely interview! Here's an excerpt:
"As for fiction, I only picked it up again more recently. I used to scoff at fiction: I really didn’t like the term “chick lit” and other similar terms. I didn’t like how men and women interacted in many novels, or what some authors focused on, physically and behaviorally, based on the character’s gender. It was disheartening that tropes like the billionaire playboy who goes for the bookish, mousy, librarian type were so popular. Every protagonist seemed to be a writer. The only jobs depicted were doctor, lawyer, or… writer. (Go figure!) It was all so uninspired. I didn’t think I could learn anything from fiction, and thought it was just pure entertainment of a lesser kind.
But then... "
I know you're intrigued! So keep reading. Enjoy the full interview, here:
http://awesomegang.com/m-ocampo-mcivor/
Cheers!
M.
"As for fiction, I only picked it up again more recently. I used to scoff at fiction: I really didn’t like the term “chick lit” and other similar terms. I didn’t like how men and women interacted in many novels, or what some authors focused on, physically and behaviorally, based on the character’s gender. It was disheartening that tropes like the billionaire playboy who goes for the bookish, mousy, librarian type were so popular. Every protagonist seemed to be a writer. The only jobs depicted were doctor, lawyer, or… writer. (Go figure!) It was all so uninspired. I didn’t think I could learn anything from fiction, and thought it was just pure entertainment of a lesser kind.
But then... "
I know you're intrigued! So keep reading. Enjoy the full interview, here:
http://awesomegang.com/m-ocampo-mcivor/
Cheers!
M.
Reviews and Musings
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