[Spotlight Post] Elgin and McCullough – RIP

I was going to dedicate this post to the North Texas Comic Book Show wrap up, but some stuff happened, and I will address that first. Once more we have a Memorial Post.

January 29th we found out Suzette Haden Elgin passed away. I’m sure I’ve met her at some convention, but she wasn’t the force in my life that she was to many of my friends and colleagues. She was an inspired writer, a mentor to people I know and care about, a linguist, and many other things. I wish peace and condolences to all who grieve for her loss. The Science Fiction community will not be the same without her.

Notice I did not mention anything about her appearance or other “attributes” – because those things DO NOT MATTER. What matters is her work, her life, and her contributions to the world. I say this because what else hit the feeds in the past 24 hours.

The publishing and reading world lost Colleen McCullough. Ms. McCullough is best known for writing The Thorn Birds – which I have read. I’ve also seen the mini-series with Richard Chamberlain. She also wrote 20-plus other books while being a neurophysiologist and researcher at freakin’ YALE. Most news outlets have treated her passing with the respect and sadness such things should garner. And to all who grieve for Ms. McCullough’s loss, my deepest condolences.

One jackass of an obit writer in Australia had to be… less than professional. He said in his opening paragraph: ”COLLEEN McCullough, Australia’s best selling author, was a charmer. Plain of feature, and certainly overweight, she was, nevertheless, a woman of wit and warmth. In one interview, she said: “I’ve never been into clothes or figure and the interesting thing is I never had any trouble attracting men.”

He has earned the ire social media has heaped upon his teeny-tiny pissant head, excuse my language. Wheaton’s Law, dude, Don’t Be A Dick. Way to be professional – because 1) weight has everything to do with everything, and 2) when did attractiveness mean a person couldn’t be warm and witty? In in another paragraph called her an “Egotist” for daring to talk to the press about any or all or her books, research, and/or accomplishments. If I DIDN’T talk to anyone who’d let me – I’d never get another book contract because I wasn’t “promoting enough”. Sheesh. Double narrowminded standard much? Wanna make a point to this dillweed? Go read one of her books while eating cake on a podcast. I dare you.

Sorry for the rant – this has gone long – I’ll talk about comics next week. But if you want to know what I want to be when I grow up? One of these women would be nice – with some Helen Mirren thrown in for attitude.

Tags: Books, Colleen McCullough, death, equality, feminism, Memorial, Suzzette Haden Elgin, Writing