I'd wish that not every other article I read these days feels the need to focus on detecting misogyny or racism. It is absolutely important to identify the ways in which outdated world views led to injustices and move towards a brighter future but there's a fatigue setting in with it taking center stage in every discussion. Particularly troubling is the tendency towards wanting to separate the art from the artist whenever the artist held problematic views. It's a result of a cognitive dissonance setting in when you can see value or beauty in someone's work but don't agree with some aspects of that person. But the person behind the work is an integral part of it and vice-versa. If you hold someone's output in high regard but find objectionable fragments in it or in their life story you can't just go dissecting it into those pieces you wish to keep and discard the rest. I guess what irks me is the classification of Lawrence's essays as "indefensible". A view can be troublesome, even reprehensible, but to deny it representation by calling it indefensible is setting up a dangerous precedent where anyone can be silenced or their opinions simply cherry-picked to find what fits our desires. And that's no different than the biases that are railed against.

> I love how it is broad and indefensible and could never be written today.

Why not? Paralysed by fear sounds perfectly apposite for the current political situation in both countries.

It's a long read, but worth it if you've ever wondered why you never got into Lawrence.

This quote in the article jumped out at me:

“Life is more vivid in me than in the Mexican who drives the wagon for me,"

That's an awful thing to say, in more ways than one.

This always brings me the thought that how many highly/naturally intelligent/skilled people never get a chance to shine because they are born in the wrong part of the world or wrong side of the poverty line :-(

There's lots of other cringe there.

I had the opposite reaction. It may also be worth noting that the gist of the article tends toward the opposite as well.

If you’ve never seen a goat’s ‘glands’ (skin tags) you’ve led a pretty sheltered life imo