Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
History of Feminism
Related: About this forumWho Was Aristotle’s Daughter?
Novelist Annabel Lyon on why she wanted to give voice to a Greek girl whose famous father was a screaming misogynist.
In November 2009, I met Margaret Atwood. This was at a grand party, the pinnacle of the Canadian literary-awards seasonthe Scotiabank Giller Prize gala, where I was a nominee. Someone introduced us, and as I shook her hand I remember thinking, that voice! That hair! I said, Its nice to meet you.
She said, Aristotle was a shit, wasnt he?
In September of that year, I had published a novel called The Golden Mean. It was a strange novel, using a raunchy, contemporary North American dialect to tell the story of Aristotle and his teenage student, Alexander not-yet-the-Great. The novel startled a lot of readers, upsetting their expectations of what the ancient world could sound like, what a young Canadian woman should be writing about, and what they themselves might want to read.
Reactions to the novel were gender-driven from the start. When my agent first shopped the manuscript around, I was told that it wouldnt sell because historical fiction was read by book-club ladies who wanted a heroine and a love story. Bless Random House of Canada and my editor there, Anne Collins, the only Canadian publisher willing to take a chance on this very unromantic, male novel. (It went on to become a Canadian bestseller and was translated into 14 languages.)
I received a rejection from a British publisher who objected that I wrote like a man. (How, I wondered, did they reject their male authors?) People asked me repeatedly how I managed to write from a male point of view. The cover of the Canadian edition, which feature a naked man slumped over on a white horse, caused a minor scandal when it was banned in the BC Ferries bookshops. The story of that censorship went viral and was picked up as far away as South Africa and Iran, where the cover was displayed uncensored but the author photo of me in a V-neck was blacked out from the throat down.
In November 2009, I met Margaret Atwood. This was at a grand party, the pinnacle of the Canadian literary-awards seasonthe Scotiabank Giller Prize gala, where I was a nominee. Someone introduced us, and as I shook her hand I remember thinking, that voice! That hair! I said, Its nice to meet you.
She said, Aristotle was a shit, wasnt he?
In September of that year, I had published a novel called The Golden Mean. It was a strange novel, using a raunchy, contemporary North American dialect to tell the story of Aristotle and his teenage student, Alexander not-yet-the-Great. The novel startled a lot of readers, upsetting their expectations of what the ancient world could sound like, what a young Canadian woman should be writing about, and what they themselves might want to read.
Reactions to the novel were gender-driven from the start. When my agent first shopped the manuscript around, I was told that it wouldnt sell because historical fiction was read by book-club ladies who wanted a heroine and a love story. Bless Random House of Canada and my editor there, Anne Collins, the only Canadian publisher willing to take a chance on this very unromantic, male novel. (It went on to become a Canadian bestseller and was translated into 14 languages.)
I received a rejection from a British publisher who objected that I wrote like a man. (How, I wondered, did they reject their male authors?) People asked me repeatedly how I managed to write from a male point of view. The cover of the Canadian edition, which feature a naked man slumped over on a white horse, caused a minor scandal when it was banned in the BC Ferries bookshops. The story of that censorship went viral and was picked up as far away as South Africa and Iran, where the cover was displayed uncensored but the author photo of me in a V-neck was blacked out from the throat down.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/witw/articles/2013/06/04/who-was-aristotle-s-daughter-annabel-lyon-s-the-sweet-girl.html
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
8 replies, 1363 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (2)
ReplyReply to this post
8 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Who Was Aristotle’s Daughter? (Original Post)
ismnotwasm
Aug 2013
OP
BainsBane
(53,032 posts)1. Pythias
Remember the book of Pythia from Battlestar Galactica? So now we find out that was named for Aristotle's daughter.
ismnotwasm
(41,977 posts)2. Hey! You're right
You know, I never watched that series until one of my daughters told me "it's the best series I've ever seen"
Now my grandson made me watch the first two episodes of Glee, just assuming I'd get hooked on the show.
I've got to work on my TV attention span...
pscot
(21,024 posts)3. My library has the Golden Mean
and several other books by Ms Lyon. I have a hold request on it.
ismnotwasm
(41,977 posts)4. It's now on my 'to read' list
After I finish 'V' by Thomas Pynchon *sigh*
Maybe I'll take a break and get into her books; I've never read her.
pscot
(21,024 posts)5. That's the only Pynchon novel
I've ever finished.
ismnotwasm
(41,977 posts)6. I read Gravity's Rainbow
Took me 3 or 4 months-- and I'm a fast reader. It was worth it though. I'm re-reading it, even slower.
hedda_foil
(16,373 posts)7. I just downloaded the kindle edition of The Golden Mean from my library.
I love being able to do that.
pscot
(21,024 posts)8. My library refuses to play
with Amazon.