A certain author has irked me for a while now. Let's call her Tabitha. It didn't start out that way. I didn't even know who Tabitha was. I was perplexed at the popularity of her books, but assumed that I needed to get with the times. Personally, I prefer tales like a Wrinkle in Time, adventures by Neil Gaiman, stories about Ramona Quimby's adventures, explore with Roald Dahl, tag along with Pippi Longstocking and Curious George and ride on the Magic Schoolbus. There were places to see and things to do with Oliver Twist and Atticus Finch, and fights to win at Watership Down. There were the Witch of Blackbird Pond and the Call of the Wild, as well as the Wind in the Willows to discover. And then there was Dr Seuss! I could go on and on and on about the stories I read as a kid that I thought were on par, if not better, than the adventures Tabitha concocted. So back to my point.. I didn't see what the fuss was about.
I didn't have anything against Tabitha for dreaming up the tales she did. They're nice. Good for her. Great job in making it big. Am all for the underdogs. I'm more mortified that everyone else in the world thinks they're marvelous, like nothing else could compare. That these stories for God's gift to man. Something along those lines. Not surprisingly, with increased fame came the inflated ego. Tabitha still portrayed an image of a caring, nurturing, rags to riches "I was one of you" type of people after earning millions. That's nice of her. Thank you, I think. Sitting there amongst a band of "lucky" kids that got a chance to meet her in real life and be read to. Why would you even do anything that had the tiniest hint of inequality, given your hard past Tabitha?? Why would you want to encourage feelings of jealousy and envy amongst those kids that didn't get to meet you in real life? You cannot honestly tell me that with the level of fame and popularity you've garnered, that you didn't consider that a kid might feel left out? You, of all people, should remember what it was like to be an outcastt, to look and long, to envy.. and how painful that would have been. Or have you so quickly forgotten as the millions rolling in and the constant fawning of the media distract you?
Then came the stories of wanting more and more control. Attempting to sue another author who had written a book with a similar theme and protagonist.. many years before Tabitha got her story published. Demanding that public libraries remove copies of her stories from their shelves because everything had to tie in with the promotional schedule and a highly publicized launch. What will be next.. demanding that the Queen curtsies before speaking to her? What is this I hear of building playthings that cost more than a hundred thousand dollars.. so much for humble roots. What about giving back to charity, or to those on the streets or on dole with the same amount spent on things that are essentially there to evoke a fleeting moment of joy before the kids outgrow them, but mostly to stir envy and admiration?
And my parting shot... if Tabitha is such a great author, one who not only has an extraordinary command of her imagination, but of the English language so that her thoughts can be conveyed, then why is she still making very basic mistakes like substituting unconscious for subconscious (you will find this on her website as she describes how some real life memories served as inspirations for her stories, and how she must have unconsciously [sic] woven them into her books). How did such a thing get past the proof-readers?! Tell me why, again, why you all think she's the greatest author in the world?
