Graphic Sexual Content in Webb's Novels Questioned

WTOP ^ | 10/27/07

[Alia]

Barbara Kingsolver is a tremendous author. Her writing is brilliant and gifted. She is as anti-American as they come. Her books have been in pre-req College courses for years. It's the subliminals which can cause problems. If her books were balanced in the same courses with pro-American authors, No foul; no harm. But there is no balance; except that radical anti-American books are among the required reading, and in contrast Kingsolver and Russel Baker are at the top in "considered" literature -- there is no balance. Only this "skewed" pretend one.

In California, no doubts Webb's books would find quite the "home" even despite the anti-military rhetoric of California Democrats. They'd welcome his books but only if there were "gay friendly" clips in the book. Kingsolver's books are focused mostly on "environmentalism" and "no borders". I love a good "read". I'm ecclectic in what I read.

But putting books like Webb's (and Kingsolver's) in a college course is sneaky rip-off, IMHO. Books like these should be on bookstore fiction shelves; not in classrooms, many of which are subsidized by state and federal monies. The hugest racket in "college costs" are the books, liberal ones, authored by the instructor in pre-req courses. That's called a "monopoly" in some quarters of the world. And it reaps the author/professors HUGE loads of money.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

If the Dems don't dump Webb but try to prop him up they are going to look really really bad.

They're counting on the MSM to suppress the story.

[Hemingway's Ghost]

People write novels everyday and don't put homosexual incestuous pediphilia in them. It takes a sick twisted freak to THINK of stuff like that, let alone put it in writing.

Choose one: Because Webb wrote this passage, he's (a) a homosexual incestuous pedophile, or (b) an artist trying to make a dramatic point.

[Captain Jack Aubrey]

The curious thing about the Foley mess: If the age of consent is 16 in DC, as it is, what is the FBI investigating and why?

[Natural Law]

I am DEFINATELY not a Webb supporter, but they were fictional books, for Gods sake. There are enough legitimate issues to hammer him on, let's not lose credibility on some specious issue that will have little traction with the average citizen.

[Captain Jack Aubrey]

"or (b) an artist trying to make a dramatic point."

Or he is trying to make a buck. It seems to me that if you are trying to profit from this kind of writing or the gratuitous use of the N-word, that makes it WORSE.

[Hemingway's Ghost]

I am not sure I understand the point of your post.

[MadIvan]

I can only assume they're double checking everything; it would be worse if Foley was given the "all clear" and yet something else turned up.

Regards, Ivan

[redlocks322]

Maybe XXXXXXX rated novels:

"The man grabbed his young son in his arms, turned him upside down, and put the boy’s penis in his mouth."

And we as a society wonder what's wrong with people nowadays with all the raping, incest, etc..... hmmm, could people be getting ideas from this kind of smut?

No, this kind of stuff is evil, pure and simple.

[norge]

He's hoping that no newspaper will pick up the story.

We'll see if that happens.

One thing is for sure. This isn't going to help Webb.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

they were fictional books, for Gods sake.

These are fictional books with acts of PEDOPHILIA written by a guy who wants to be senator. We might not want him in DC.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

The down side is the book will jump in the charts.

[Hemingway's Ghost]

Or he is trying to make a buck. It seems to me that if you are trying to profit from this kind of writing or the gratuitous use of the N-word, that makes it WORSE.

You mean . . . someone who wrote something for publication actually intended to make some money from it? OH, the HORROR!

I am unfamiliar with the passage and its context, so I cannot judge whether it's gratuitous or not. But I do know that as a writer, Webb's style and authenticity of voice degraded immensely after Fields of Fire and A Sense of Honor. A Country Such as This was a cheese factory; I stopped reading him after that.

[Seattle Conservative]

Mark Levin was all over this last night, including reading what he could of the excerpts. He said (paraphrasing) while some may say it's only a novel, authors have to have something in their mind before it gets onto the paper and Webb's mind must be sick to think this type of stuff up.

I suspect Rush and other talk shows will pick up on it today.

[mkjessup]

Ummm, not that I support him, but they're NOVELS.

So if you're a parent, you wouldn't even think twice about letting Jim Webb, whose mind conjured up a scene of incestuous, oral-copulating pedophilia, watch your kids?

Hello? Little Ray?

Where'd you go man? ;)

[xsmommy]

webb strikes me as very skeevey. i voted for Allen via absentee ballot a week or two ago.

[Alia]

Ask yourself: Would I write books containing incestuous pedophilia in my free time? What does this say about me? About my character?

If the voters decide that this type of authorship has no bearing on Webb's character, what WOULD constitute Webb's character, the man behind the political mask?

Which "face" of Webb constitutes his character aside from his current election platform?

[Big E]

I read "Fields of Fire". It was required reading as part of my Vietnam History class in college. I actually thought it was pretty good, and still have the book.

Until this pedophilia thing came up, I had no idea the guy who wrote Fields of Fire is the same guy running for Senate in Virginia. I do think it is somewhat underhanded to go after a politician who has written something in a novel. That being said, there is no doubt in my mind that this "man-boy-penis" stuff will cause less people to vote for Webb. After what Allen has endured in this race, I think it's smart politics to bring this out.

[zook]

I cut writers a lot of slack. I cut Webb some slack, as well, until I read the part about the guy lifting up the naked boy.

That's beyond the pale. This story ought to have legs.

[Alia]

Did you not post, in post 32, the following?

Webb might be reprehensible as a politician, but he is a fairly respectable novelist. Those two books could be studied as part of a college freshman curriculum.