Conservatives catch a lot of flak for their failure to conserve pretty much anything. Now we can add Dr. Seuss books to the rapidly lengthening list.
Predictably, the mainstream media are rushing to the book burning with jugs of kerosene and bags of marshmallows. Just as typically, their Conservative media camp followers are ineffectually wringing their hands.
What you won’t see much of from either crowd of journalists is a look behind the scenes at the deeper causes and implications of the story. That’s not surprising, since the whole journalistic profession has devolved into a good cop-bad cop gaslighting operation.
Going largely unremarked upon amid the triumphant gloating and impotent outrage is the little detail that the outfit which owns the rights to Dr. Seuss’ catalog made the decision to stop publishing the six forbidden books last year. They specifically waited until the beloved author’s birthday to announce his books’ banning.
You have heard it said, “Don’t give money to people who hate you.” An important addendum is don’t leave your life’s work in the hands of people who hate you.
This advice is especially important for writers. Authors are already notorious for having high time preference. Few spare a thought for what will become of their work after they shuffle off this mortal coil. Let Dr. Seuss’ fate serve as a warning. Make sure you’ve got a will, and look into setting up a trust to handle your IPs postmortem. You want your kids to reap the benefits of your legacy, not some faceless megacorp.
That brings us to the second unexamined angle of the Seuss censorship story. The outfit that controls Seuss’ books is being called a foundation, the implication being that they’re some kind of charity. In reality, they’re owned by Simon & Schuster-Penguin-Random House.
Let that be another warning to authors against signing with oldpub. Perhaps before this debacle, writers could be forgiven for seeking a big book deal because the need for validation exceeded their business acumen. Now, signing with oldpub means asking a publisher that hates you to pillage your literary legacy and your children’s inheritance.
The actions of Simon Penguin’s House should also sound a wake-up call to those who still think woke capital has a profit motive. The Death Cult understands what Conservatives obstinately refuse to: that they who control art control the culture.
He who can destroy a thing, controls a thing.
Keep control of your work. The tools and knowledge to write your own stories and reach your target audience are at your fingertips. Find like-minded creators who can help you hone your skills, and support each other.
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