A library recently
held a ‘Bad Romance’ evening,
an event
where they ridicule
Romance Novels.
Romance Novels garner
quite a bit of ridicule
because they are books
written by women
for women.
All the other reasons
people give
– bad covers, bad writing,
formulaic plots, etc
– occur with the same frequency
(or with a HIGHER frequency)
in other genres
like mystery, horror, SciFi, etc.
But those have male writers
and male readers
so they are respected more.
Romance readers and writers
have always realized this.
We’ve always hated the ridicule.
In the past,
an event like this
would have tolerated.
Today, we’re speaking up.
F*ck misogyny.
F*ck the patriarchy.
We’re organizing
and we’re taking action.
It is great to learn
from the past.
But realize
the world has changed.
Ensure what has worked
in the past
still has a place
in today’s world.