I just wanted to make it clear that my previous post was not an attack on a particular Facebook page or person, it was a comment on an online atmosphere that exists in some quarters at the moment, where people who are interested in Anne Boleyn, or publishers who produce books about her, are mocked and criticised. I feel that things have got out of hand and want to apologise to Hannah who is understandably upset at some of the comments aimed at her. It’s time to stop now as online attacks are what I was criticising and this whole situation makes a mockery of the point I was making. If I had known that my article was going to turn into an attack on one person then I would never have written it. Whatever our point of view we should be able to verbalise it without attacking anyone.
My profuse apologies go to Hannah and I hope that people can calm down and leave Hannah alone. Thank you.
I can understand your reason for posting this, Claire, but in my opinion your post was not inciting any attacking of anyone and I can’t see why there has been such trouble. It’s crazy.
It has been crazy but it’s unacceptable if Hannah is receiving abuse and is being attacked when the article was about how ridiculous online attacks are. Hannah’s page was benign compared to some comments you read about Anne and Anne fans, but I felt that it was an example of how silly things are getting.
Thank you for the apology, Claire. It means a lot. But, can I state categorically that I was not mocking Anne Boleyn fans, and state that I admire Anne greatly. I admire her courage, bravery and determination. It because of this admiration that I find some of the more ill-researched novels insulting (both to Anne, and to her supporters). I feel some authors under-take very little research, and use Anne Boleyn to make money. That was the point I was making – even if it may have been in a cack-handed manner.
As for the expression “fanpoodle”, it isn’t an insult. I fanpoodle Thomas Cromwell. Play only the first few notes of any Beatles song, and I will out-fanpoodle the best of them!
Despite first appearances, I think we’re on the same team. We seek to defend the long dead, and misguidedly maligned. We just went about it in fundamentally different ways.
I can only apologise if I made this situation worse for you. This is a good website, and I hope it continues to flourish. Thank you, once again, for the apology,
I hope you got my FB message too. I am sincere in my apology and thank you for accepting it. I completely understand the frustration you feel when you see ill-researched novels.
Yes, I think we’re on the same team too and I never meant to hurt you, I love the work you do on Cromwell and agree with you on many points regarding him. John Schofield’s bio is one of my favourite Tudor bios. Please do let me know if you receive any further attacks and I’m so sorry that things got so out of hand. I didn’t realise I was creating a monster with my post.
I got that too, thank you. And thank you for your kind words about The Thomas Cromwell Experience, I do my best with him. Like Anne, he gets a lot of flack.
got to disagree with you re “fanpoodle”.Personally, I don’t like it and feel it’s an insult. There’s a small segment of the internet who denigrate and mock those who disagree with them by cutesy terms.
But then again…I’m suffering from Election Fatigue from my Southern neighbours..Jusat a few more days and the whole 4 yr cycle will start up again…
I’m sorry you feel that way, but the expression was not used with that in my mind. Not much else I can say, really.
I think the intention behind it is what’s important in this case and Hannah didn’t mean it in an offensive manner, although some definitely do.
Wow, looks like I picked a good day to be away from the computer! I find Anne Boleyn’s perennial popularity fascinating, as well as the way her characterization tends to change through the years (I have no idea what she’ll be a hundred years from now, but I’m guessing it won’t be “the model of an early 21st century feminist”). Using her to make money doesn’t bother me excessively, I mean, it’s hardly a new phenomenon, as William Shakespeare could tell you.
It’s too bad all of this caused the real news to be overlooked, namely that Lacey Baldwin Smith is (a) still alive (b) still publishing. I’m looking forward to that book.
As an Anne Boleyn fanatic, I totally agree with Hannah in that there is a lot of bad fiction and bios out there that are not worthy of Anne Boleyn. It ‘s up to people what they buy, but there are publishing houses out there making money out of sub-standard books
One of the great joys of using the internet is finding camaraderie online. By the same token, one of the worst things about using the web is using mean lanaguage to hurt people and hiding behind the words since the web doesn’t grant us face to face interaction. So, being mean spirited can be very easy to do.
I believe that Anne Boleyn suffered a grave injustice when she was sentenced to die. I do not believe that she committed any of the things she was accused of. I also feel bad for the innocent men who had to die along with her. Glad I didn’t live in those times.