

Orson Scott Card: How 'Friend' Became a Verb - fidgross
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703727804576017891806186856.html?mod=WSJ_hps_sections_opinion

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Qz
_Bloggers did an end-run around Big Media to break the ideological
stranglehold of the left._

I was willing to give him a chance since it's the WSJ, but he just had to
throw something like that in there.

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danilocampos
How about giving him a chance because he's _Orson Scott Card_?

Either way, he's done some of my favorite science fiction titles but I mostly
have to pretend he doesn't exist in real life. His politics, with regard to
social issues, are just vulgar.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orson_Scott_Card#Politics>

~~~
GavinB
This bothered me, until I realized that I _should_ be reading books by people
with whom I disagree. The oddity of it is, one of the great things about his
books is that they show perspectives much more alien than mere human political
differences.

If you feel bad about supporting him financially, remember that he only gets
about a dollar for each book you buy. If you borrow it from the library, your
contribution is even smaller.

~~~
Yzupnick
Why should you feel bad about supporting him because he has different
political views?

~~~
skawaii
I agree with this completely. If you enjoy his novels, then read them. No
where does it say that you have to agree, or even read, his personal and
political views (yes, I realize they seep into his novels, but this goes back
to my "if you like the novels, read them" statement).

On the subject of his political views, I looked at the referenced Wikipedia
site and don't see anything "vulgar" listed there. Perhaps I use a different
definition of "vulgar" than others... [<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/vulgar>]

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pigbucket
Next time the author should write an article about how "friend" became a verb.

~~~
pjkundert
"Friend" (the noun) has become "friend" (the verb). Hence, his usage is
correct.

~~~
pigbucket
>"Friend" (the noun) has become "friend" (the verb). Hence, his usage is
correct.

My comment was about the disparity between the title and the substance of the
article, not about usage. Sorry for the confusion. But since you've got me
typing again, one thing about the substance. Card is right to say historians
have little to worry about, but the old hand-written letters, especially when
written by the likes of Henry James, have always been more than grist for the
historian's mill. They became in some cases a genuine art form. I think that
is one of the things lost in the transition to electronic communication: a
peculiar kind of intimate art form. Other art forms have risen to take their
place: the art of the blog, the art of the 140-character witticism, but not,
as far as I can tell, the art of the email--at least not if you discount the
humorous trolls. It was surprising to me that Card, as a novelist, didn't
address that.

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blahedo
I don't think there's a single new thing in there for readers of this site,
but perhaps this counts as bringing these insights to the masses? Orson Scott
Card may not be a household word, but possibly these ideas haven't yet gotten
much play in the WSJ?

Or perhaps I'm just trying too hard to be charitable.

