Antonia, I bought this book because I saw it in a picture you included in a previous article. Now I don't know whether to burn it or dump it. Either way, I sorry to have given this guy my money and I am grateful you've saved my time.
The idea that colonialism happened and is now over, that "the world has moved on," is precisely what permits it to continue. Colonialism and ownership, as you describe, are ongoing processes, not single events or occurences. I recently read Rehearsals for Living by Robyn Maynard and Leanne Betasimosake Simpson wherein they exchange letters describing the ongoing machinations of colonialism and articulate alternative presents and futures. It is beautiful, and would be the perfect antidote to the arrogance splattered on Winchester's pages. If you have not yet read it, that book fits right in with your work.
They way you describe Winchester's work also drew to mind Toni Morrison's speech entitled "A Humanist View", where she surveys old documents accounting for the import and exports of people. In those documents, as with Winchester's writing here, "you can sense the reasonableness, the gentlemanly assertion," she explains, which implies the inevitability and the haunting respectability of the most cruel and depraved things—of owning and trafficking people, children, of mass murder for land theft. Among other things, I see our task as writers to de-normalize the unspeakable cruelties of these legacies and articulate their connection to now. You have done that here and elsewhere and I am grateful for that. I look forward to reading more.
I'm so glad you took the time to review this book. As much as I, too, hate to bash books, sometimes you just have to speak up. I'm glad you did. I'll try better, too.
There is something so very helpful sometimes to write a review about a thing you hate, because the act of criticism helps you formulate what it is you desire to see exist. I did the same thing recently! https://www.winstonhearn.com/wrote/2022/design-without-designers/
Thank you for sharing this review, the book sounds infuriating and I will not waste my time.
This review is excellent and prompted me to become a paid subscriber.
Thank you not only for taking the time for the review but also for your description of the poetics of copy editing. You got exactly how I feel about making particular word and grammar choices.
Nov 14, 2022·edited Nov 14, 2022Liked by Antonia Malchik
I never got around to reading that chapter and don't know his stuff, so now I'm really curious how much your review would bias me! I briefly checked out a couple of the more high-profile reviews in the big media outlets - they looked to be blandly positive in that New York Times kind of way.
Maybe I'll post something back on the Freyfogle thread eventually if it's not too late. Took a few notes on that last month but then got caught up by other things and haven't revisited.
Antonia, I bought this book because I saw it in a picture you included in a previous article. Now I don't know whether to burn it or dump it. Either way, I sorry to have given this guy my money and I am grateful you've saved my time.
The idea that colonialism happened and is now over, that "the world has moved on," is precisely what permits it to continue. Colonialism and ownership, as you describe, are ongoing processes, not single events or occurences. I recently read Rehearsals for Living by Robyn Maynard and Leanne Betasimosake Simpson wherein they exchange letters describing the ongoing machinations of colonialism and articulate alternative presents and futures. It is beautiful, and would be the perfect antidote to the arrogance splattered on Winchester's pages. If you have not yet read it, that book fits right in with your work.
They way you describe Winchester's work also drew to mind Toni Morrison's speech entitled "A Humanist View", where she surveys old documents accounting for the import and exports of people. In those documents, as with Winchester's writing here, "you can sense the reasonableness, the gentlemanly assertion," she explains, which implies the inevitability and the haunting respectability of the most cruel and depraved things—of owning and trafficking people, children, of mass murder for land theft. Among other things, I see our task as writers to de-normalize the unspeakable cruelties of these legacies and articulate their connection to now. You have done that here and elsewhere and I am grateful for that. I look forward to reading more.
I'm so glad you took the time to review this book. As much as I, too, hate to bash books, sometimes you just have to speak up. I'm glad you did. I'll try better, too.
You are not the only American with deep and unsullied affection for USGS topo maps.
There is something so very helpful sometimes to write a review about a thing you hate, because the act of criticism helps you formulate what it is you desire to see exist. I did the same thing recently! https://www.winstonhearn.com/wrote/2022/design-without-designers/
Thank you for sharing this review, the book sounds infuriating and I will not waste my time.
This review is excellent and prompted me to become a paid subscriber.
Thank you not only for taking the time for the review but also for your description of the poetics of copy editing. You got exactly how I feel about making particular word and grammar choices.
I never got around to reading that chapter and don't know his stuff, so now I'm really curious how much your review would bias me! I briefly checked out a couple of the more high-profile reviews in the big media outlets - they looked to be blandly positive in that New York Times kind of way.
Maybe I'll post something back on the Freyfogle thread eventually if it's not too late. Took a few notes on that last month but then got caught up by other things and haven't revisited.
There's MANY other reasons not to be a fan of Ginsburg. We can start with Palestine and the First Amendment https://socraticgadfly.blogspot.com/2020/09/rip-ruth-bader-ginsburg-notorious-rbg.html
Wow. Amazing review, me n my pile of topo maps thank you.
Fuck this guy. I can assure him my rage has not "long ago ebbed" and it absolutely does not just simmer "in the far background."
I'm done with white historians. Absolutely done. Done with white dudes writing anything. Done, done, done.
As you mentioned, he WROTE A BOOK ABOUT WORDS.
Big oof.