The Problem with Cale McCaskey…
So last night the illustrious Carolyn Jewel sent a link around to Cale McCaskey’s blog. The post in question is titled The Problem With Romance Novels. Since he wouldn’t approve my comment, I shall quote the parts of his article that made me bring out my angry pants, and laugh at him- while pointing.
The fact that we have nearly a 50% illiteracy rate in this country might be partly to blame.
We do have a literacy problem. However, every reader of the romance genre is not illiterate and you can’t make a blanket statement without following up with a fact. Where is the data that says romance readers are functionally illiterate?
I’ve noticed more and more articles about, and interviews with, romance writers where they are as often as not put on a pedestal—as though they somehow belong in the same class as authors of much higher standing.
Hey, you! Yeah, you! Romance writer. Get down from that pedestal, I’m saving that for a real author! You know, one with five blog followers who writes sci-fi (I do love me some scifi for realz) and says your books are trashy and appeal to illiterate people.
What the modern reader needs to understand is that romance novels by their very nature are meant to be inferior.
Say that to a romance writer’s face and see if you walk away in one piece. I don’t believe anyone sets out to write an inferior novel. Also, inferior to what? You can’t even bring your point across. Inferior to literary fiction? Because I do read lit fic and some of that stuff is crap too. Or are we really talking about you Cale? Are all romance writers (and women) inferior to you and your big bad ass way with words?
I find it difficult to respect something that is purposely meant to be a lessor work. One should always strive to do great work. If an author classifies their own story as romance, that tells me that even they don’t think much of it. That being the case, neither should we.
Thank you, Cale. Without you telling me how to feel about romance novels I would have never been able to form my own opinion.
By: Isalys (@IsaBookSoulmate)
That, my dear, was EPIC!! I loved your snarky yet poignant responses :) *high five*
By: April Books & Wine (@booksandwine)
What a douchenozzle. It’s quite a mystery to me as to how someone can be illiterate AND be able to read a romance novel — doesn’t reading by it’s very definition involve literacy?
So confused! It’s probably those romances that rot my brain.
By: Jen - Devourer of Books (@devourerofbooks)
Wait, did he actually spell it “lessor work?” Because “lessor” is a noun, not an adjective. I find it hard to respect an author (or anyone else, really) whose screeds are poorly written, even more poorly supported, and don’t even make sense (a work that grants leases? huh?).
By: Heather Petty (@heatherwpetty)
I just have to… the editor in me is weeping.
Lessor = someone who grants a lease
Lesser = lower in terms of rank or equality
He obviously learned vocab at one of those Ivy League schools that would never dare to use romance novels in their curriculum. (So, not Harvard or Princeton or Yale or…)
By: Jen - Devourer of Books (@devourerofbooks)
So, I also found this:
http://calemccaskey.blogspot.com/2011/06/why-literary-fiction-is-invalid-genre.html
From it I learned that “threadbare” is an obscure and pretentious word that nobody under 30 can understand and that saying “wearing thin” or “getting old” would be much better writing.
Okay, then.
By: Katy (@afewmorepages)
What a jerk! His arguments are full of holes and yet he still clings to them.
By: Kate @ Ex Libris (@ExLibris_Kate)
Wait – a 50% illiteracy rate? Is he counting all of the babies that haven’t learned to read, yet? Is he saying that 50% of the people in this country that are over 15 cannot read or write, because that is the definition of illiteracy. I find that hard to believe. Also, sour grapes much? Pardon me while I go back to obsessing about things I should have figured out as a young girl. :-/
By: Patricia
I don’t really read Romance novels, but I agree with all your points. I laughed at the last argument the most. I can certainly name many published authors who, in my opinion, are horrible writers, yet do not write Romance. But bah, his arguments are pretty lame overall.
By: MelissaW (@balletbookworm)
*copy everything Apri and Jen said*
Never heard of the guy, what does he write…? Oh, nothing, really. And he likes “straight” fiction….*cue quizzical look in manner of Clueless when Tai says she never had “straight” friends*
He’s never heard of Georgette Heyer, then, whose romance novels are so well respected that she’s rumored to be on the reading list for Sandhurst in Great Britain. Also, Jane Austen whose marriage plot novels are romances as well as a study in genteel manners and biting observation.
There’s a range in writing quality no matter the genre. Some romance writers have a great way with words (Eloisa James, anyone?) while others are pretty execrable. Ditto SF, Fantasy, and “straight” fiction (still getting a kick out of that).
And then sometimes you read the execrable stuff because you just can’t help yourself, lol.
By: Dani Nguyen (@Dani_Nguyen)
Ok, I have no idea who this guy is, but did you see his profile???
“I’m a sexy, single, white male with a really big, uh, wallet. (It’s where I keep all my I.O.U.s).”
What. A. Douche.
By: Jen - Devourer of Books (@devourerofbooks)
Melissa – actually I was reading his comments and someone mentioned Austen, he said that Pride and Prejudice is “trash.” I had to laugh.
By: Meghan (@mbookworm)
Wow, what an appalling post (not yours, his). The worst part about it is not only is he wrong, but he simply dismisses everyone who rebuts him in the comments as though they are children and he is the wise, all-knowing God. It’s just another version of “Women enjoy something, it must be rubbish!!”
I call attention-grabbing. He just wants more readers and possibly some links. Unfortunately, he’s now ostracised a vast majority of female readers, so oh well! Fantastic response, Pam.
By: Scath (@Scath)
I swear that’s the same guy I crossed swords with in the KDP forum last week. I swear it is. Exact same statements.
Guess he had to write a blog post over it because we kind of ran him off with, you know, pointing out his statements were opinions, not facts, as he kept stating they were. :)
By: Sarah (The Brazen Bookworm) (@brazenbookworm)
This guy needs to get over himself. Thanks, Pam, for pointing out that there’s some pretty lousy literary fiction out there as well – truly, doesn’t every genre have poor contributions? And, yes, Jen, that “lessor” made me think this guy needs to get off his own self-erected pedestal and do some work on improving his own writing. Perhaps he could take lessons from the works of Eloisa James, Madeline Hunter, and many other highly educated women working in the top echelons in their fields while also writing romance. What an ill-informed, vicious piece this is.
By: Rika Ashton (@RikaAshton)
YES!!! My friends and I were having an angry conversation about his post in Facebook.
I commented on his blog as well, but he wouldn’t approve my comment. I was calling him out because, while he said he was presenting facts, I didn’t see him list or introduce any sources. Plus, he used the phrase “I think,” so clearly the post was more his opinion and less, if any, fact. But, of course, he didn’t approve my comment because he’s too sissy to take a counter-argument. (Also I don’t know how he comes to the conclusion that romance novels reinforce a low literacy rate — again no evidence presented.)
I’m so glad you posted this on your blog. He made me take out my angry pants as well!
By: heidenkind (@heidenkind)
What an ass.
By: jayel kaye (@jayelkaye)
In my most humble and obviously in his eyes, illiterate opinion, I think he got just what he wanted. Attention to a blog that probably hasn’t ever gotten that much attention. What he doesn’t realize is that people have memories. .. very long memories and should he ever publish again(I beleive he said he has already) he might find that this little stunt may backfire. What goes around, comes around. Even the lowly romance writer has friends and families who buy books, None in my family will so much as touch one of his. EVER!
By: Liane Moonraven (@lianemoonraven)
Thank you SO much for this. I was so angry at this moron and his high-falootin’ opinions about romance which are utter nonsense.
I would like to think that he’s stepped on enough toes that he’ll be the laughing stock of the industry. He wanted hits? He’s lucky he doesn’t get hit in the mouth!
By: Beth D. Carter (@https://twitter.com/#!/BethDCarter)
Sarah, you using the word “echelons” is perhaps a little too “pretentious”…it’s making you sound like a 12 year old trying to impress your English teacher. Ha ha ha ha ha!!!
This is guy is absolutely rot! I looked him up on Amazon.com and guess what?…he’s not there! So I guess us gutter writers are so stupid we end up as published authors actually making money. And I’m just super glad all those illiterate people are spending money on my books that they’ll never read ’cause, you know, they can’t!
By: Amy Valentini (@unwrappinromanc)
Brilliantly snarky! I kept my blog post neo-classically tame with just the facts to blast him with but thank you for letting lose and zinging him – love it! Stop by and read mine, if you get a chance. : )
By: Amy Valentini (@unwrappinromanc)
Posted a comment a while ago but don’t know where it went – off into cyberspace, I imagine. Love your snarkiness, thanks for zinging the SOB … I tried very hard not to respond to him but what he said was on my mind all day yesterday so I just had to vent. I kept tame but wanted to be snarky like you. Brava! : )
By: Leigh Bardugo (@Lbardugo)
Despite my better judgment, I tried to post a reply to him a while back. Guess I didn’t make the cut.
1. He dismisses the Yale argument by saying the course is just a residential college seminar. Residential college seminars meet weekly. Their attendance is capped and preference is given to members of a particular college. They are exactly the same as other seminars in all other respects including coursework. How do I know this? I’m a Yale graduate and I bloody well love romance.
2. It’s hilarious that a guy can claim he likes “women” not “little girls” and then presume to preach to us about what we should or shouldn’t like– because clearly we’re too dumb to know our own minds.
3. The idea that a work has to be canon to have merit is pathetic, weak-minded posturing. I have more respect for a woman who knows what she likes and pursues it than for a man who needs the approval of an Ivory Tower elite.