Comments on: Atwood boycotts book fest over gay censorship

By: Russ

Russ — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 02:59:13 +0000

I have to wonder why Dubai would have a festival for literature when this medium is always so packed full of controversial and sometimes racy material. Did they not foresee this problem when organizing for this event? I guess the works that would be featured in the festival would have to be carefully filtered to ensure their purity. Who would want to attend a literary festival without a little homoeroticism in there somewhere. It’s like a stir-fry with no exotic spices. Good for you Margaret, we all love you back in Canada

By: drewski

drewski — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 06:19:48 +0000

A literary festival in Dubai? Is this something that originally ran in the Onion? Oil money aside, who the hell would take such a thing seriously? I’m amazed that Atwood would have ever consented to go. Then again, a Toronto parent just filed formal complaint about his poor son having to read “The Handmaid’s Tale” and be exposed to all that bad language and anti-religious perspective. That’s it! It’d be worth having a book club in Dubai if you airdropped copies of “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

By: Jeff M

Jeff M — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 20:14:23 +0000

I am grateful to Margaret Atwood – one of contemporary literature’s finest voices – for publicly standing up to discrimination against LGBT individuals. She has raised the bar. Will others now follow?

By: edudecda

edudecda — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 12:21:50 +0000

As a fellow Canadian I am very proud and honoured that Margaret Atwood does not tolerate discrimination of LGBT people!

By: Ozzy

Ozzy — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 22:59:33 +0000

I don’t get it. This city is all over books and magazines, celebrities coming and going, world events, cutting edge architecture but still has medieval laws, is going to be another Saudi Arabia where everyone is desperate to leave. Such a waste.

By: Roger

Roger — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 22:34:34 +0000

Congratulations to Ms. Atwood!!! Now, if all of the other authors scheduled to attend would also display her backbone, this bigoted event would proceed without authors, and the organizers would see what the literary community thinks of their “book burning,” and their foolish, 18th century attitude.

By: Patrick from CT

Patrick from CT — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 18:20:27 +0000

Good for Margaret Atwood. If only more people would make this kind of stand fewer venues would consider discriminating against gays and lesbians.