Mastodawn

May 8, 2023

Ursula K. Le Guin discussing her regrets about not using more gender-neutral language in her book 'The Left Hand of Darkness', the significance of pronouns, and the grammatical accuracy of the singular 'they':

"English has a truly ungendered pronoun only in the plural. He, she, and it are gendered, they is not. [...] Historically, and colloquially, they has been regularly used as an ungendered or bisexual singular."

🔗: http://theliterarylink.com/afterword.html

#UrsulaKLeguin #gender #diversity #pronouns

Afterward to Left Hand of Darkness, Le Guin 1994 | The Literary Link

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BeeCycling has moved May 8, 2023

@fringemagnet Le Guin showing that you can reflect on what you did in the past, see that you've grown in understanding, see the world has changed, and know that you can do better now. And most importantly, not consider it weakness to admit to imperfection. Unlike so many people who will never admit to falling short or being flat out wrong and will just double down.

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Annie Hsh

🖖

@beecycling Perfectly put, couldn't have said it better. And all that back in 1994, almost 30 years ago. Many people today could learn a lot from her way of handling things and her openness to learning new information and to admitting of having been wrong.

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Luna Vives May 8, 2023

@fringemagnet @beecycling

Yes! And she wrote a short story in 1995, "Coming of age in Karhide" (not for kids 😅) also set on Gethem where she showed the point of view of its inhabitants with a new gender sensibility. It's a breathtaking and steamy story, totally worth reading / listening too!

IMO, #LeGuin's work only got better with age.

@lunavives @beecycling Very much agreed, I also think that her work definitely improved with age.