JKR's essay wins Russell prize

[TheChampagneGalop]

www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-55350905
"JK Rowling is almost certainly the greatest writer of English children's fiction of her generation, and a remarkable humanitarian. It turns out she writes exhilaratingly powerful prose too.

In a blog about the transgender debate, she offended many people. Offence is the price of free speech. Those offended felt she was questioning their identity and even attacking their human rights, which they argue is a form of discrimination or hate speech.

I take absolutely no view whatsoever on the issues that she raises.

I do take an issue on abuse and trolling, and Rowling has achieved the inglorious honour of topping many a league table for those. The deluge of hatred that she faced before writing this blog made it brave, and it was nothing compared to what came after. Talking about bravery, so too, by the way, was Suzanne Moore's engrossing, long, personal essay for Unherd on why she left the Guardian.

We should all applaud bravery in writers - even those with whom we disagree. And Rowling's essay contained moments of both real beauty and piercing honesty, as when she revealed that she is a survivor of domestic abuse and sexual assault.

What the judges - that is, the voices in my head - most admired about the writing was the plain English. It is an interesting fact about rhetoric that if you want people to understand something, plain, mono-syllabic words are usually your best bet: "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country".

Or think of the final line from Enoch Powell's most notorious speech: "All I know is that to see, and not to speak, would be the great betrayal."

I'm not endorsing the argument; but the rhetorical power of that line comes from the fact that there are 16 words, the first 15 of which have one syllable, and the last of which has three.

Compare it with this line in Rowling's essay: "So I want trans women to be safe. At the same time, I do not want to make natal girls and women less safe."

The rhetorical power from those two sentences derives partly from the plainness of the English. Only "women" (twice) and "natal" contain more than one syllable.

If you're ever editing copy that seems verbose, go through it and think about cutting syllables while conveying the same meaning. Plain English has power. JK Rowling gets that.
In his essay for Rolling Stone, Wade Davis captures what he believes is the end of American pre-eminence"

[FiveFootTwoEyesOfBlue]

I've always liked Amol Rajan, didn't know he was such an intellectual. Like him even more now.

[VulvaPerson]

I have clicked on way too late, in that at least part of the reaction is probably very much about the fact that he links the actual essay, so people will actually read her words, instead of reading their interpretations of it (which seem to be..nothig but endless bigotry!'

The after reading it, they will get a bit confused about what exactly JKR said that was so hateful and continues to be made out to be so. Which will likely in many cases, lead to reading up a lot (or, educating oneself ) which never tends to go TRAs preferred way. Oh dear.

[TeenyTinyDustinHoffman]

My favourite reply to this so far on Twitter is someone claiming that Rowling's essay was an "apotheosis of pseudo intellectualism".

Anyway, go JK!

[nauticant]

If you wanted you could take advantage of this opportunity to condemn them for giving her this prize. That would be a pretty cool thing to do.

I imagine someone got a thrill writing that but the bigger picture is what people unaware of what's been going on will see:

Watch everything you say, anything you say might be heresy.
But you can't remain silent, silence is violence.
If you make a misstep you must grovel.
But you will never by forgiven*.

• except if you are perceived to be "one of us" then whatever you say, no matter now actually transphobic, can be waved away.

[nauticant]

an "apotheosis of pseudo intellectualism"

vs

It is an interesting fact about rhetoric that if you want people to understand something, plain, mono-syllabic words are usually your best bet

Those responding to Rajan seem determined to prove his points about what JKR wrote.

[VulvaPerson]

This one made me smile a bit, I have to say.

twitter.com/HimmiBeib/status/1341060364478410753

Whats very noticeable to me, is how little abuse men get for saying things like this. Meanwhile, a woman saying the word woman instead of cervix haver, is literal violence and deserves endless rape and death threats..
I don't WANT men to get abuse for speaking up of course, but watching the difference in treatment is very interesting.

Similar to cervix havers for cervical cancer, yet men for prostate cancer. Woman being some unexplainable thing with no solid definition (a shifting constellation, if you will), where everyone knows what a man is. And so on.

[VulvaPerson]

I also see no rape threats or insults based on appearance or anything even remotely like that from the TRAs in reply to this (a good thing, but wish it was like this for women too!). Yes, they are whinging that he put JKR on there and trying to get him to backpedal, but the differences in treatment are, again, very, very stark.

[VulvaPerson]

This part

twitter.com/andrew_bogg/status/1341041937328029700

JKR has riled up people to ATTACK transpeople?! By saying she supports transpeople but cares about womens rights too. And children.

Her essay caused abuse indeed. The response to her essay was more abuse than I have ever seen directed at one person, and sustained for a year also. But yeah, she definitely caused people (men? As its usually men who attac transpeople and I cannot see abusive men listening to JKR somehow, same as they don't listen to feminists but we are accused of 'making' them do horrid things ) to attack transpeople.

[VulvaPerson]

Nah you won't as the great thing is the more you misuse it the less effect it has and so when real mysogyny takes place the impact will be less thanks to the likes of you...you are harming women.

That^ said without irony is..really something to behold while he is calling JK transphobic though. But of curse, that is different. Somehow. Because, reasons.

[ArabellaScott]

I like that Amol Rajan chap. Funny. A shame he had to repeatedly denounce JK's views. I doubt it will help, anyway, the mob looks very cross.

[RandomGel]

I’ve noticed the TRA usual suspects - Katy M- on the cesspool hysterically calling for complaints to the BBC and Ofcom about an anti- trans manifesto or some other rubbish. KM spends an unhealthy amount of time on SM posing and tweeting.

And the witchfinder general OJ is adding to the pile on. It must be utterly galling for him to have read a mention of Suzanne Moore.
2 fine female writers lauded in one article.
It must hurt.

[merrymouse]

So many men on twitter claiming that JK Rowling's essay has been 'debunked' by twitter as though the court case didn't happen.

[Deliriumoftheendless]

@VulvaPerson

This one made me smile a bit, I have to say.

twitter.com/HimmiBeib/status/1341060364478410753

Whats very noticeable to me, is how little abuse men get for saying things like this. Meanwhile, a woman saying the word woman instead of cervix haver, is literal violence and deserves endless rape and death threats..
I don't WANT men to get abuse for speaking up of course, but watching the difference in treatment is very interesting.

Similar to cervix havers for cervical cancer, yet men for prostate cancer. Woman being some unexplainable thing with no solid definition (a shifting constellation, if you will), where everyone knows what a man is. And so on.

“The hellish shoes”?

Just put some flats on, love.

[donquixotedelamancha]

A shame he had to repeatedly denounce JK's views. I doubt it will help, anyway, the mob looks very cross.

It's not for the mob. It's for his bosses. He didn't denounce her views, he declined to state an opinion on them- very different.

He can't endorse her views but he publicly held up her article as great writing and described her as brave. He said the same about Suzanne Moore immediately afterwards.

It's absolutely clear what he thinks but by doing it in a long established 'award', making it about the writing and emphasising his neutrality he makes it hard to punish him.

I think he's judged this very carefully.

[VictoriaLucas102]

Some right tosspots on that thread ..

twitter.com/UnpackCourts/status/1341212228549226497?s=20

The irony burns.

[SunsetBeetch]

Oh that's great. Bet TRAs are puce in the face.

[peardrops1]

Big fan of JK Rowling!

Though OP, I don't think quoting Enoch Powell is going to help our case.

[miri1985]

Wow, reading some of those threads on twitter people are still unhinged about JKR. You'd think after the Keira Bell case at least some of them would have realised how right she has been proven in a court about much of what she said

The amount of them that are complaining to Ofcom over this. What do they honestly think will happen? An organisation like Ofcom is never going to come out and say that JKR is transphobic for what was written in that letter, they have too much sense, so they will either refuse to investigate or they will say that there is no transphobia which will be an own goal for TRA's.

I remember reading a thread on a different site completely unconnected with anything to do with feminism where the topic of gender critical was brought up and most of the people there who were now questioning TRA rhetoric were turned by the reaction to JKR's essay

[gardenbird48]

The amount of them that are complaining to Ofcom over this. What do they honestly think will happen? An organisation like Ofcom is never going to come out and say that JKR is transphobic for what was written in that letter, they have too much sense, so they will either refuse to investigate or they will say that there is no transphobia which will be an own goal for TRA's.

It could have been her female socialisation but Melanie Dawes, head of Ofcom appeared to agree with MP John Nicolson when he characterised LGB Alliance as a transphobic hate group and should not be listened or their views used by the bbc to orivufe balance on any trans issues

[MondayYogurt]

"rather a subtle yet dangerous linguistic fracturing" OK Harriet.
Meanwhile, clappy hands to everyone making an effort to find alternative male-appropriate insults and slurs for Amol, you can tell they're desperate to apply one of the multitude of female ones.

[LizzieSiddal]

I’ve always rated Amol and it puzzles me that he’s “only” the BBC’s Media Expert. His interview skills are fantastic, he’s able drill right down to the important points.

So pleased JK’s essay has had more publicity.

[nauticant]

If Rajan had been keeping an open mind on this issue, then unless he's deliberately averting his gaze, this should make him understand there's a real problem here, and that it isn't "transphobia". I'll be listening to The Media Show, the Radio 4 programme he presents, with more interest.

Have a look at his background. He's not a minor figure at the BBC. In addition, he has a strong interest in how the media works and that the public needs to get unspun versions of stories.

[merrymouse]

It could have been her female socialisation but Melanie Dawes, head of Ofcom appeared to agree with MP John Nicolson when he characterised LGB Alliance as a transphobic hate group

Realistically most people don’t know anything about the LGB Alliance is. It’s much harder to mischaracterise JKR.

[Mumofgirlswholiketoplaywithmud]

[quote Igneococcus]Here is the DA piece:

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/d89ad8d6-411e-11ea-bb8c-d0d9130b9ea4?shareToken=f88e5c4367daf006ea7a3aca84059902[/quote]
Thank you for the share token, that is an awesome piece!

[NecessaryScene1]

Have none of these loons on Twitter read the Dentons document?

Seriously guys, they've told you not to create publicity. And there was a good strategic reason for that.

But sure, carry on...

Please.