[stylist] Workshop environment

[Anita Adkins]

Hello Bridget,

I agree you are addressing it correctly. Critiquing the writing itself and 
not the person is why we are here. Great job at clarifying our mission. 
Anita
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bridgit Pollpeter" <bpollpeter at hotmail.com>
To: <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, January 16, 2011 1:30 AM
Subject: [stylist] Workshop environment


> Judith and others,
>
> The venom in which you feel your piece was met with is exactly what I am
> addressing.  You have every right to voice your opinions, views and
> beliefs.  You also have every right to express those views in any
> manner--presentation--you feel is necessary.  As a group dedicated to
> writing and helping those who indulge in writing, we should not attack
> anyones writing because we disagree with the content.  We may
> communicate how a piece works for a general audience, we can address how
> language, structure, tone--all the basics--translate your message,
> certainly we can suggest changes or additions, but no one should create
> arguments based on the content that inevitably leads to a debate on
> Stylist.
>
> We did agree a while ago to include descriptions of our work so we can
> choose to read a piece or not.  I do not believe in censoring any
> subject, but I think we have to be adults and approach material with
> unbiased criticism.  We should not judge work based on our personal
> opinions and beliefs even if we strongly disagree.  This is how a
> diverse group should work.
>
> If Stylist had been established as a group for Christians, or Jews or
> women--you get the point--we would know (I would hope) what kind of
> material to post.  Some probably think we should only write about
> blindness.  Stylist is not this, though.
>
> I may read material that (content wise) I disagree with, but it is not
> my place to judge the writer (or the work( because of this.  A well
> written piece (or badly written, for that matter ) is not contingent
> upon subject matter.  I don't want to read Lolita because I find the
> subject disturbing, but the book is well written for all that.
>
> All I am suggesting is that we post any work we want the group to
> critique, but we can not dismiss that material because of differences or
> because it is contraversial.  Perhaps I am not communicating this
> correctly.
>
> Bridgit
>
> Message: 10
> Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2011 22:13:30 -0500
> From: Judith Bron <jbron at optonline.net>
> To: Writer's Division Mailing List <stylist at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [stylist] Workshop environment
> Message-ID: <92862B61EEFE4483B9C6D45B9BAB110D at dell5150>
> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-1;
> reply-type=original
>
> Bridgit and all, Usually when a person writes something it reflects an
> opinion.  Unlike other species, people have the ability to write, record
> and
> transmit opinions.  Often our writing reflects passionate opinions
> because
> that is what, as authors, we feel capable of writing about.  My opinion
> that
> the person guilty of murder and inflicting serious injury on others was
> an
> individual suffering from a serious mental disorder and not politicians,
>
> political parties or political organizations should not have been met
> with
> the venom that met it.  As a writing organization or list either we are
> open
> to the opinions that often make the difference between good authors and
> insignificant authors or we'll spend valuable time talking about
> irrelevant
> material in a complicated world where events influence the lives of
> everyday
> people.  Judith
>
>
>
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