Another radio interview, and an exercise in pointlessness. I'd been asked onto the Dave Barrett programme on Radio Bristol. It quickly became apparent that he hadn't read the book that I'd dropped off for him last week, and I floundered through a Q and A sequence of what must have come across as a standard trans narrative; "Do you think that attitudes are changing?" -to which the esprit d'escalier answer is "I was treated abominably by my colleagues for two years, abused and assaulted, fought for another two years to take the case to a Tribunal, and the press treated it as though it were all a Little Britain sketch. You tell me, David; are attitudes changing?".
But it wasn't the answer I came up with on the spot, dammit.
It was wrong in so many ways. It entirely missed the spirit of the book.
I started listening to the interview on podcast and gave up, it was so upsetting.
What have I learned from this? -perhaps that I should have an agenda prepared for any possible future occasions? -I think I'd rather not; people with agendas* always sound like people with agendas. And, while I do have an agenda, I think it's impolite to air it in public. If you see what I mean.
O well, off to London today. I expect the Q and A session will be a lot more informed; but then, we're playing to a chiefly expert audience.
*by the way, with self-acceptance comes the acceptance that, while the plural of agenda is agenda and its singular is presumably agendum, sometimes you just gotta go with the flow.
Oh honey :-(..I'll have a listen to it and have a think too. You know reading this post a thought dropped into my mind...
ReplyDeleteMost books need publicising. And most authors (and subjects of those books) are glad to get that publicity. In a world in which so many books are printed, and so few really sell, publicity like this is widely seen as gold dust.
If your (or Richard's) objective is to make some cash.
Which it might be, partly at least. And noting at all wrong with that.
But there is much much more to it here. This is about your life, your being...and it has been one hell of a ride for you. You need to heal from it all...I can tell you are, and the book maybe has helped that process too perhaps...but the process goes on.
But. It's OK to protect yourself. It's OK to say no, I won't do that radio interview, or whatever. It's OK to pull back. Say I won't answer that question. Tell them it's inappropriate. Say "Go and read the book". The world does not have a right to act any way it likes, just because there's a book out there about you.
And it is out there. It's the thing that got published, not you. It is doing the talking, and it will do a great deal of good (I have already recommended it to 4 Muggle friends and they have been very keen - in a way that hasn't happened before when I've talked about books like Jenny Boylans, for example).
In other words, you don't have to take it on your shoulders, on the back of 'Becoming Drusilla' (er...metaphor overload there), to 'Educate Britain'. Your responsibility is to you...and Katie. The book itself has already done moire than almost any other, I'd say.
Looking forward to tonight...where you'll definitely be amongst friends :-)
Maybe the reason they are interviewing you is to let you air your agenda...
ReplyDeleteYou are certainly be much braver than I would be...
* In Bristol it must surely be Agendal.
ReplyDeleteWhen in the really critical situations, I've always been one who didn't think of the witty retort until it was hours later because I was so upset or put off or whatever.
ReplyDeleteThe sad part is most of the time I'd have not dared to say it anyway!
Having stumbled into this world through Jo and seeing what life is dealing her, I can't imagine the courage it takes to walk into an interview life you have been! Don't be afraid to say no; don't be afraid to take a few days to gather your thoughts again if you need to, either!
Thank you for being you!
alan
Thank you, Jo. You were right about the reading; it was like a group hug, in a nice way. I do agree. This media stuff is another case of trotting along the learning curve, slightly behind the moving point that is 'now'. Anyway, it looks like it's finished for the moment, so I can get back to drawing. With a very positive event to look back on, now.
ReplyDeleteProper agendal, Caroline.
Or is that Prople Agendal?
Thank you, Alan!
You say it's impolite to air your agendal in public, but i's impolite and unprofessional of Dave Barratt to have not read your book. In which case, I'd think it was perfectly polite to go ahead and air your agendal.
ReplyDelete