Should writers (or just random people) write about polictics?

[Bakiryu]

You know how it is, you pick up a book and suddenly you want to grab the writer and go Michel-Myers-style on him.

Since the beginning of history people have been expressing their political views on books, now they do it in books AND on the internet.

This leads to the question Should writers (or just random people) write about politics?

I hope this is in accordance with the forum rules, please abstain from arguing ABOUT politics.

[higley]

Well, sure. Even if you could stop authors from writing about politics (impossible) then we wouldn't have fellows like Jonathan Swift, Machiavelli, Dickens, or even the old great philosophers to read. Nearly every great piece of literature has political undertones (if it's not totally blatant) and even if you don't agree with the author's views, I'd never deprive myself of their books!

[Demian]

I think it is hard to avoid the topic in certain contexts. We are saturated with a constnt stream of news that is politically motivated even when claiming not to be. As we enter an era in which nationhood is withering away and yet political power is increasing exponentially it will be interesting to see what else will be allowed to be written on the topic. In the U.S. conglomarate corporations own the media outlets, so whatever is written is rubberstamped by an ever shortening list of people. Politics is intertwined with business, religion, science--you name it--so how can the topic really be avoided?

[applepie]

I think anyone can write about politics, but it would be nice if only people with informed opinions publish books on them. I hate nothing more than reading quotes cut together from words of a speech or two which others read like it is the gospel truth. I guess anyone can have an opinion, but if you wish to write it for others to read and think upon, please make sure that it is based on legitimate facts and not on something you've mostly fabricated. I'm really picky about books on politics for this reason. I normally just avoid them.

[Oniw17]

This leads to the question Should writers (or just random people) write about politics?


If they want to. I'd definitely enjoy reading the J.S. Mill or Plato of the future, if one comes along.

[NikolaiI]

Yes, or at least their characters should be talking about it, but it should be done artfully, like Leo Tolstoy in Anna Karenina, like a good author writing about it as it relates to their characters, namely having an argument about it. And if it is not a good book then it is not worth reading.

[Virgil]

The easiest thing to write about is politics. That's why it's soooo mundane and boring. Politics is essentially the commentary of the day. A great writer will transcend it and find universal themes.

[Lambert]

The easiest thing to write about s politics. That's why it's soooo mudane and boring. Politics is essentially the commentary of the day. A great writer will transcend it and find universal themes.


Eh...you never read Christopher Hitchens' columns? I think that pretty much shows that writing about politics is not "mundane and boring". To dismiss politics and the interactions with politics so glibly is to dismiss something that is essential to every indivdual in a civilised society.

[theP3ach]

something that is essential to every individual in a civilised society.

i completely agree.

Politics, although the subject matter can be dry sometimes, should never be boring. The workings of the world, the interaction between nations and their leaders, the creation of law and policy, effect everyone.
Literature has always, and will always, comment on the ideas of the day. It gives an important view of public opinions and often sheds light on the writers personal views. I think it's an important subject to discuss from a historical perspective as well as from a literary one.
Political writing, has given us revolutions, progress and raw emotion. It can trigger some of the most sweeping responses and deepest fears. The topics discussed give everyone an opportunity to voice an opinion. Weither the voices are agreeable or not, the ability to speak about the world and possibly change it is a great power to have, and that is a power that writing can hold.

[Bakiryu]

I disagree completely, writers shouldn't really write about politics unless it was central to their work. It's really hard to enjoy a book when the author keeps talking about things you don't know, then you feel like an idiot and have to research. Or when the author is completely misinformed and you just want to club him within an inch of his life :D

[Lambert]

It's really hard to enjoy a book when the author keeps talking about things you don't know, then you feel like an idiot and have to research.


Eh... do you have any examples of these kind of books?

[Virgil]

Eh...you never read Christopher Hitchens' columns? I think that pretty much shows that writing about politics is not "mundane and boring". To dismiss politics and the interactions with politics so glibly is to dismiss something that is essential to every indivdual in a civilised society.

(Edit)to claim it's anything special or literature or art is just down right wrong. (Edit) Let me ask you Lambert. What were the political issues of the 1920's or the 1840s or even the 1950s? Or how about the 1520's or the 1440's or the 1650's? (edit)

[Niamh]

I would like to remind all forum members to refrain from getting into current politics. Also to respect the opinions of others, and to refrain from personal insults, troll, flaming etc.:) Any Derogatory comments Insulting a fellow member will be deleted

[Lambert]

(Edit)So what are you saying? That both politics and history boring and irrelevant to literature and the arts? (Edit)

Just as a clarification: 1920’s:- Post-war problems in Europe, Economy etc.
1840’s:- Social unrest in Europe and abroad i.e. the revolutions of 1848.
1950’s: Cold War, of course.

The other three I’ll leave to someone else, but I’m certain there’s some interesting in those time periods.

[Virgil]

(Edit)So what are you saying? That both politics and history boring and irrelevant to literature and the arts? (Edit)

Just as a clarification: 1920’s:- Post-war problems in Europe, Economy etc.
1840’s:- Social unrest in Europe and abroad i.e. the revolutions of 1848.
1950’s: Cold War, of course.

The other three I’ll leave to someone else, but I’m certain there’s some interesting in those time periods.

That's not politics. Those are thumbnail labels for the periods. Who dominated congress/parliment? What issue caused one party to win over the other? What were the tax rates and how was it distributed? Who was the president/prime minister and what parts of the country supported him and which didn't? That's politics and you just proved you have no idea of the politics of any other period than your own, if you have that. No one cares about the tax rates and who they affected in the 1930s. It's boring.

[Niamh]

Can we please refrain from getting into discussions regarding politics and return to the point of the original post. IE should writers write about politics.

[jon1jt]

You know how it is, you pick up a pick and suddenly you want to grab the writer and go Michel-Myers-style on him.

Since the beginning of history people have been expressing their political views on books, now they do it in books AND on the internet.

This leads to the question Should writers (or just random people) write about politics?

I hope this is in accordance with the forum rules, please abstain from arguing ABOUT politics.


i would like to see more writers write about politics in the same way i'd like to see more actors voice their political opinions. there's Bono who does it thoughtfully. writers and actors see talking politics as risky and too often steer clear of the subject altogether. shame on them and shame on those who believe they should not use their celebrity for that purpose. Sean Penn was booed at the grammy for denouncing the US attack against Iraq as was Richard Gere at a September 11 function in NYC. Penn doesn't seem to care. i read recently he met with Venezuelan President Victor Chavez to learn more about their political system. people see that and they stand to learn something with him, and that's good for the political process.

writers editorialize and do it extraordinarily well half of the time. there's writer Thomas Friedman at the Times with a political bent. Maureen Dowd does it with style, satyrizing as a way to provoke a dialogue.

writers captivate audiences and should use their celebrity in that spirit, to provoke and not necessarily to speak "against." i would love to see writers like Joyce Carol Oates, Toni Morrison, Seamus Heaney, and Thomas Koozer, step outside their limited roles and write letters and editorials on subjects ranging from war to public health. this would be a great first step toward changing the culture of politics in so far as how people view their own government, and enfranchise people to a system that they otherwise don't feel much a part of.

[Demian]

The last truly political book I read was How to Overthrow the Government by Arianna Huffington and I enjoyed it immensely. She was a politician's wife who happened to be a writer. If writers aren't going to inform us about the world of politics, then who is?

[Virgil]

The last truly political book I read was How to Overthrow the Government by Arianna Huffington and I enjoyed it immensely. She was a politician's wife who happened to be a writer. If writers aren't going to inform us about the world of politics, then who is?

She's not a writer. She's a political hack who has a show and writes columns on the internet. If you consider that literature, please don't bring it here.

[Nossa]

I think anyone can talk and discuss politics..but when it comes to publishing books concerning political issues..I think not everyone can be an expert. I mean the fact that I can say my opinion about the war in Iraq, doesn't mean that I'm gonna publish a book expressing my opinion...no matter how intertested I am in the matter, I'm not a professional or an expert..I'm a mere observer, and not even with the best political background...so no, not everyone should writer about politics.

[Virgil]

I think anyone can talk and discuss politics..but when it comes to publishing books concerning political issues..I think not everyone can be an expert. I mean the fact that I can say my opinion about the war in Iraq, doesn't mean that I'm gonna publish a book expressing my opinion...no matter how intertested I am in the matter, I'm not a professional or an expert..I'm a mere observer, and not even with the best political background...so no, not everyone should writer about politics.

Exactly. And Arriana Huffington is no different than me or you with an opinion. It's just that she's got a blog.

[papayahed]

Mod note: As long as forum rules are not breached, people are entitled to start threads about any book they choose. Any member who does not like a certain thread should feel free to ignore it.

And again I would like to remind all forum members to refrain from getting into current politics. Also to respect the opinions of others, and to refrain from personal insults, troll, flaming etc. Any Derogatory comments Insulting a fellow member will be deleted

[jon1jt]

I think anyone can talk and discuss politics..but when it comes to publishing books concerning political issues..I think not everyone can be an expert. I mean the fact that I can say my opinion about the war in Iraq, doesn't mean that I'm gonna publish a book expressing my opinion...no matter how intertested I am in the matter, I'm not a professional or an expert..I'm a mere observer, and not even with the best political background...so no, not everyone should writer about politics.


politics is not about being an expert or professional, it's about being informed about local and national issues and participating in the process, period. the political scientist and lawyer-turned-politician are often the worst kind of expert because they're paid to advocate a worldview under the guise of objectivity. the politician is besieged by resolving problems with an eye on the short-term. social science is not objective.


She's not a writer. She's a political hack who has a show and writes columns on the internet. If you consider that literature, please don't bring it here.


true--Huffington loves to rant and her politics are obvious enough. she's first an entertainer, next a concerned citizen. she's paid to promote a partison viewpoint and if she did otherwise she'd be out of a job.

[Nossa]

politics is not about being an expert or professional, it's about being informed about local and national issues and participating in the process, period. the political scientist and lawyer-turned-politician are often the worst kind of expert because they're paid to advocate a worldview under the guise of objectivity. the politician is besieged by resolving problems with an eye on the short-term. social science is not objective.


I agree that 'some' experts are worse than most of those who talk about politics. I said that anyone can talk and discuss politics, it's an essential part of our our lives, being living in the Middle East, trust me I KNOW that first hand. But, on the other hand, when I wanna listen to someone talking about politics and political issues, I tend to listen to someone who studied and read far more than I did..and who lived through many events, that I, due to my young age, didn't get the chance to witness. The fact that politicians are a mostly a bunch of idiots, doesn't mean that everyone who's related to the topic is a idiot. It's up to you to choose who you listen to. I personally listen to certain people, who proved, through years, to be sincere, honest and well-informed men/women. I still think that not anyone can write a book about political issues, as I said, for me, a certain situation might just look like a bloodshed situation, but behind what we're shown in the media, there are far more going on, who brings you the real picture is someone who knows, not someone like you and me.

[NickAdams]

I don't see why not. Of all the subjects to become off limits, why politics? I agree with Virgil: it should be incorporated into fiction gracefully, but that's the same for anything else. If authors refrained from wrinting about politics, in fiction, the period piece would be extinct.

[Bakiryu]

I am of the opinion that while a good book may talk about politics, It should do so subtly, so we can enjoy it more.

[Mortis Anarchy]

I think the majority of books have some bit of politics in it. Its pretty hard to escape because a lot of amazing books have a part of the writer in them and what they believe in. The Scarlet Letter, To Kill a Mockingbird, Slaughterhouse-Five, Candide, 1984, Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451...the list goes ON!!!! I don't think its wrong that writers include politics because a lot of the time it really isn't obvious...there are exceptions of course. I really enjoy them! I can't really see myself writing something that didn't have some form of my political beliefs in it...

Oh, and also I think everyone can write about politics, not just writers. Especially if you are passionate about politics. Why restrict certain people from what they want to write about. Unless its completely and utterly ludicrous...write about it(I don't care), but I don't want to read it.:)

Also, what books are you talking about that have direct politics in it? Not the subtle ones, but the ones that sparked this.

[BlueSkyGB]

Last good book I read on Politics was:
Steal This Book
by Abbie Hoffman


LOL.....:lol: