Above is embedded the trailer for the first Theodosia and the Pirates book, "The Battle Against Britain." It contains important historical information, along with fictional story, giving details of the financial arrangement for the Louisiana Purchase that eventually left the United States in debt to Britain and helped to precipitate the War of 1812. Most people today still think we owed that money to France. If only they had watched this book trailer, their horizons would be greatly expanded.
In the trailer for the second Theodosia and the Pirates novel, "The War Against Spain" the many ways in which the United States government let Jean Laffite down are explored. No matter how badly he was treated, he was always in love with this country, and his love needed no reciprocation. That's what a true patriot is like.
The first talk I gave about Theodosia and the Pirates was at the Texas County Museum of Art and History. It was well received.
Some people had problems accepting the sexual part of the Theodosia and the Pirates books. In the above video, I discuss the Sack of Hampton, and how it relates to why I chose to portray Captain Lockyer in the way that I did.
I know that many people from all across the world are reading this blog and gaining information not readily available about the history of the United States. However, it seems that fewer people have seen these videos than have read my blog posts. If you have not watched them yet, and you are interested in Jean Laffite and Theodosia Burr, The War of 1812, the political careers of Aaron Burr and Thomas Jefferson, or even the history of the national debt, then you might want to explore these and other related videos.
I wonder about the people upset about the sexual part of these novels. Some people who seem to object to these parts of books or media tend to be more obsessed with sex than areas where this stuff is mainstream. For instance, many Middle Eastern nations with strict rules about how women dress tend to have pornography being one of the most search for topics. The same is true of Bible belt states where pornography is searched for a lot. It is part of the story, not the entire story.
ReplyDeleteHi, Julia. I wonder about that, too. It is just a small part of the book, but it saddens me that it might keep some people who would enjoy the historical and ideological aspects of the story from reading on. Often, it is men, rather than women, who are most offended by what they see as something that dishonors or disempowers women, in the person of Theodosia. Are these men really so concerned about women's rights, or are they disturbed by the fact that Theodosia chooses to love a strong man over a weak one?
DeleteI think something else is going on. I think men and even women who are offended by these scenes might actually be turned on by the content, but pretend to be offended because they are taught to believe it is wrong. Or, perhaps they feel emasculated that a woman might choose a more virile man like Jean Laffite. These are just my guesses.
DeleteI think you are probably right, Julia. I had not quite thought of it that way, but that may be what is really going on.
DeleteOf course maybe someone is genuinely upset about any kind of sex. Some people are genuinely concerned about things like that. I know my sister's mother in law freaks out by just seeing a Victoria Secrets catalogue on someone's table. However, with your book I think this is just a non-issue. I mean have the people read your book in whole before getting upset about a couple of scenes? I read your books, and these are mostly about the history from a fictionalized perspective. How about when people study about a war. There are some famous painting that depict graphic violence, bu that is part of learning about the history. And what about parts of the Bible that talk about sex? I just think maybe people should realize it is just one part of a story, not the whole thing.
DeleteI do think it is a non-issue, Julia, but unfortunately people don't always read the book as a whole before they judge it. So some people will just read the preamble, and because it is from the point of view of a child, they will come to the conclusion that it's a children's book. And then other people will get to an adult scene, and get so upset about the sexual content that they cannot bring themselves to read any more. One person actually told me that, even though he knew there were ideas in the book he might like, he just could not get past the sex scenes. What I would want to say to anyone with that problem is: You can skip that. It's okay. I won't be offended. But if they have already come to the point that they are this upset, there is usually no way for them to get over it.
DeleteI had a similar issue when I shared a book I really liked with someone who also liked to read. There was a scene early on in the book where the husband beat his wife, and the lady simply stopped reading. However, the woman escaped, and she went to live in another part of Hawaii, and eventually met a nice man who became her second husband. Nothing I could do would convince this lady that there was more to the story than this on scene. I guess some people just form strong decisions early on. I like to finish a book before making a decision, and certain scenes do not make me stop reading.
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