Just in case you haven't been following the news. There are 204 writers signed a letter opposing to award Charlie Hebdo getting "Freedom of Expression Courage Award". 

Now it is only 203.

Jennifer Cody Epstein had admitted that she was wrong to add her name to the list. In the recent article, she was " fundamentally misunderstood Charlie Hebdo’s mission and content” when she put her name to a letter condemning PEN’s decision to honour the magazine with an award." 

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jun/01/charlie-hebdo-novelist-wrong-to-oppose-pen-award-jennifer-cody-epstein

But for the rest of the shit writers list. This is to remind myself just in case I browsing for a new book and attract to a nice cover of a book by these shithead writer's books.

Never.

I'm especially disappointed by Eve Ensler who book I did read. She is a feminist and should have known better.

Another one is David Leavitt who is a gay writer and should understand about censorship and prejudice. 

I've also read the Hours by Michael Cunningham and I would say I'm quite disappointed to find his name on this shit-writers list. 

Oh no. I just found Joyce Carol Oates on the list. I read several of her books as I thought she is a feminist writer. Good that I didn't buy her latest one.  

I oppose to censorship. But I also think as a reader, I have the right to make decision for not buying or reading writers that support censorship. It is that simple. 

Here are the names of shithead-writers. 

Chris Abani

Hosam M. Aboul-Ela

Leslie Absher

Elizabeth Adams

Ali Jimale Ahmed

Lauren K. Alleyne

Sinan Antoon

Judith Appelbaum

Nicole Aragi

Michael Archer

Tony Ardizzone

Sarah Arvio

Gabeba Baderoon

Deborah Baker

Russell Banks

Susan Bell

Naomi Benaron

Helen Benedict

Christopher Benfey

Cara Benson

Charles Ramírez Berg

Susan Bernofsky

Eric Bogosian

Robert Bononno

Barrie Jean Borich

Blanche McCrary Boyd

Adam Braver

Donald Breckenridge

Rita Nakashima Brock

Ami Sands Brodoff

Karen Brown Brooks

Edward Burlingame

Janet Burroway

Viola Canales

Helene Cardona

Peter Carey

John Casey

Bryn Chancellor

Myriam J. A. Chancy

Hayan Charara

Bell Gale Chevigny

Rita Zoey Chin

Angie Chuang

Catherine Chung

Jane Ciabattari

Carmela Ciuraru

Patricia Clark

Tony Cohan

Teju Cole

Michael Cunningham

Emily M. Danforth

Tod Davies

Annabel Davis-Goff

Siddhartha Deb

Jason Diamond

Junot Díaz

Stephen Dobyns

Geoff Dyer

Erin Edmison

Brent Hayes Edwards

Brian T. Edwards

Marshall Efron

Deborah Eisenberg

Susan Eisenberg

Hedi El Kholti

Trey Ellis

Eve Ensler

Elizabeth Enslin

Barbara Epler

Ali Eteraz

Percival Everett

Joshua Ferris

Marlon L. Fick

Boris Fishman

Stona Fitch

Frances FitzGerald

Peter H. Fogtdal

Seánan Forbes

Ashley Ford

Linda Nemec Foster

Lauren Francis-Sharma

Edwin Frank

Judith Frank

John Freeman

Ru Freeman

Nell Freudenberger

Molly Friedrich

Joshua Furst

Gretchen Gerzina

Keith Gessen

Francisco Goldman

John Guare

Conner Habib

Jessica Hagedorn

Brian Hall

Theodore Hamm

Lis Harris

Kathryn Harrison

Jonathan T. Hine Jr.

Edward Hoagland

Laura Hoffmann

Nancy Horan

Marya Hornbacher

Sandra Hunter

Megan Hustad

Randa Jarrar

T. Geronimo Johnson

Paul Kane

John Keahey

Uzma Aslam Khan

Dave King

Gilbert King

Robert Spencer Knotts

Ruth Ellen Kocher

Nancy Kricorian

Amitava Kumar

Rachel Kushner

Amy Lawless

Zachary Lazar

David Leavitt

Jonathan Lee

Katherine Leiner

Ben Lerner

Ted Lewin

Ed Lin

Michael Lindgren

Julie Livingston

Craig Lucas

Doug Magee

Ann Malaspina

Janet Malcolm

Charlotte Mandell

C. M. Mayo

Patrick McGrath

Clarissa McNair

Deena Metzger

Thais Miller

Kyle Minor

Rick Moody

Skye Moody

Lorrie Moore

Dolan Morgan

James McGrath Morris

Bradford Morrow

Judith Nies

Idra Novey

Stephen O’Connor

Joyce Carol Oates

Alfa-Betty Olsen

Michael Ondaatje

Peter Orner

Duvall Osteen

Raj Patel

Chris Pavone

William Pierce

Francine Prose

Marcus Rediker

Adam Rex

Clay Risen

Roxana Robinson

David Roediger

Paul Rome

Mark Rotella

Jess Row

Gina Ruiz

Luc Sante

Steven Schroeder

Sarah Schulman

Taiye Selasi

Elissa Schappell

Danzy Senna

Vijay Seshadri

Kamila Shamsie

Jeff Sharlet

Wallace Shawn

Matthew Shenoda

Nancy Shiffrin

Russell Shorto

Elisabeth Sifton

Charles Simic

Tom Sleigh

Holly Goldberg Sloan

Alexis M. Smith

Jill Smolowe

Linda Spalding

Scott Spencer

Betsy Sussler

Emily Gray Tedrowe

Roy A. Teel Jr.

Michael Thomas

Ted Thompson

Kathleen Tolan

Joanne Turnbull

Chase Twichell

Padma Venkatraman

Jasmine Dreame Wagner

Eliot Weinberger

Jon Wiener

Elizabeth Winthrop

Sung J. Woo

G. K. Wuori

Matvei Yankelevich

Dave Zirin

Vagina Monologues - Eve. Steinem, Gloria...

I’m coming late to this party, I have to admit. And for my, the defining feminist changes my outlook and gripped book is Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale.

                Still, you have to be a complete idiot to not see the power in this play (or performance piece). Considering that women’s sexuality is in many ways still owned/controlled by men, this book is still timely. Don’t believe that first part. What is the term for an older man who dates a younger woman? No, I’m not thinking Sugar Daddy. But what would you call Michael Douglas or Tom Cruise? Okay, now what is the term for an older woman (Shakira, say) who dates an insignificantly younger man (say Pique)?             

                Yep, you got it in one. And the age difference between Shakira and Pique is less than between Douglas and Zeta-Jones.

                I’m not blaming any one group here. As long as everyone is a consenting adult, I don’t care, really. What I don’t get is the double standard. A woman who embraces her sexuality is a slut; a man is a stud. A woman doesn’t have the right to have se without judgment. But a man?

                And I’m not saying this is global. I’m not saying all men are pigs and all women aren’t. Seism occurs on both sides of the line.   Quite frankly, the attitude that society has towards male victims of rape is insulting and upsetting. I’m just saying that even in a country where the average woman doesn’t have to worry about female cutting, forced marriage, war rape, and ignorance, the monologues in the book still resonant.

                While it is easy to see the power in the monologue of the rape victims, it is almost as horrifying to read the monologues of women who were taught not to be sexual, who did not have emotionally ownership of their bodies.  The personal stories that come out in monologues work because you know someone like this. I also have to give Ensler props for including an observing viewpoint. I do not like the word cunt. You have no idea how much I hate typing it. I don’t buy the reclaim the word argument. I really don’t. To call someone a cunt is to simply limit a woman down to that aspect of anatomy. It’s the same when you call a guy a dick. So I don’t like it. Ensler actually debates this idea of objectification and reclaiming of the word. Nicely done.

Eve Ensler is absolutely phenomenal. This play speaks to anyone who has ever been insecure in their own body, an audience that encompasses most, if not all, of the planet. This was a great quick-read that really puts body issues into perceptive. I think my favorite part was Leah's section. I loved the metaphor she gave on loving one's own body. Overall, this was an interesting read that helps to clear away some of the shame and guilt that we all feel about our physical appearances and brings its audience that much closer to true body acceptance. It was a wonderful read. 

Eve Ensler, The Vagina Monologues

All-Time Favorite Books

1. The Harry Potter series.

2. 1984

3. The Giver (The Giver Quartet, #1)

4. I am an Emotional Creature: The Secret Life of Girls Around the World

5. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series.

6. Rose Madder

7. The Outlander series

8. Speak

9. The Handmaid's Tale

10. Tipping the Velvet