Thread by @doctorow, Shel Silverstein was a hell of a writer. I mean, I thought [...]

Cory Doctorow

doctorow

Shel Silverstein was a hell of a writer. I mean, I thought so even before George RR Martin told me about "Uncle Shelby& #39;s ABZs" - a fantastically rude and incredible hilarious parody of a kid& #39;s book.

https://boingboing.net/2016/09/28/shel-silversteins-filthy-not.html

1/">https://boingboing.net/2016/09/2...

One of the marks of a great writer is that they can sell terrible things so well that you don& #39;t even notice that you& #39;re buying them. Take "The Giving Tree," a Silverstein book that should be a cautionary tale but is generally read as a suggestion.

2/

In "The Tree Who Set Healthy Boundaries," @topherpayne rewrites the ending of "Giving Tree" to unpick the expert, Silversteinien knot of shitty ideas tied so well that you can easily miss them.

https://www.topherpayne.com/giving-tree

3/">https://www.topherpayne.com/giving-tr...

Not only is this hilarious stuff, it& #39;s also incredibly, VISCERALLY satisfying, as the tree tells off the boy for being such a colossal asshole.

4/

And Payne brings it in for a hell of a landing!

This isn& #39;t just a masterclass in self-care and boundary setting.

5/

It& #39;s also as strong an argument as you could ask for in favor of fair use, and the presumption that critical remix is - and always should be - fair use. Thankfully, this is a principle that the US Supreme Court has upheld.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wind_Done_Gone

6/">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_...

Payne& #39;s work is a fundraiser for the Atlanta Artist Relief Fund Story Time. If you enjoy it and you& #39;re able, please consider a donation to them in support of Atlanta& #39;s artists in crisis.

https://www.atlartsrelief.org/

eof/">https://www.atlartsrelief.org/">...

Atlanta Artist Relief Fund

https://www.atlartsrelief.org/

You can follow @doctorow.

Tip: mention @twtextapp on a Twitter thread with the keyword “unroll” to get a link to it.

Latest Threads Unrolled: