In this episode, we wade into one of the filthiest pools in the bookish world: whether you can separate the art from the artist—and what supporting a problematic creator says about you, your values, and where your money goes.

We wrestle with the complicated legacies of J.K. Rowling, Orson Scott Card, Roald Dahl, Neil Gaiman, and several other writers whose work has meant a great deal to readers despite their reprehensible words, beliefs, or alleged actions. We talk about whether death changes the equation, and how consuming something you already own is different from buying it today.

There are no easy answers here. Mostly, we ask you to think about your consumption, and accept that the line between art and artist may be different for everyone.

In Hot Goss, we cleanse the palate with less horrifying (but still infuriating) story of literary agents feeding querying authors’ manuscripts into AI.

Content warning: This episode includes discussions of racism, antisemitism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, sexual harassment, sexual assault, abuse, and other distressing subjects. We keep the most graphic details out of the conversation, but please take care of yourself and skip this one if you need to.

Bad Lit Friends was created and is hosted by Meagan Thompson-Mann and Kirk Rafferty.

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Website: https://www.badlitfriends.com/