Can I just say that this (and the subsequent further links) are some of the most insightful and thought-provoking things I've read in a long time. I'm a writer

Can I just say that this (and the subsequent further links) are some of the most insightful and thought-provoking things I've read in a long time. I'm a writer, and frequently go to critique groups for opinions on my fiction. Recently, a certain type of critique has begun to appear which I've found very hard to deal with. It's essentially "what you wrote offended me in some way." Up to now, my response has been, "Thank you, but regardless of your political stance, did you think it was good writing?" ... to which the answer is usually "it's bad writing because it offends me." I find it frustrating, because my thoughts usually run in the "modern" type of discourse, and I tend to agree with Bill Hicks that you can't please everyone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoCezQAF5AA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoCezQAF5AA Anyway, thank you for giving me insight into what's going on. I don't know what I'll be able to do as a response, but I'll certainly put some effort into thinking about it.