Flogger Obsession with Denigration....

Ray Ortensie's debut at the Trashing Confederate Flags Facebook group reminded me of a post at X-Roads from last month. Another example of "academics" of presumably average intelligence assassinating their brains in order to wield the put-down and indulge their desire to denigrate.

Here's the post and an edit of the resulting comments thread (my responses are in red):

_____________________

Quote of the Week: August 17-23, 2014
Posted on August 23, 2014   

Courtesy of Ray Ortensie:

Verona was inspired by Valdosta, Georgia, and sits in approximately the same location, in extreme south Georgia, just a half-hour north of the Florida line. But the fictional town is not Valdosta with the name changed. There are many similarities, however. Incidentally, I have never been to Valdosta.

Discuss.

========

Joshism on August 23, 2014 at 2:44 pm said:

What is Verona?

========
   
Brooks D. Simpson on August 23, 2014 at 2:51 pm said:

I assume it’s the name of a fictional town based on a real town but really not.

More proof that Simpson's January review of Southern Man and August review of Sweet Southern Boys at Amazon are fraudulent; if he had read the novels, as his reviews falsely imply, he wouldn't have to assume; he would know.

========
   
rortensie on August 23, 2014 at 5:55 pm said:

In Connie’s fantasy world…

Now, as I understand it, Mr. Ortensie is a teacher, a professor and thus should be educated enough to understand the difference between fiction and fantasy. But in case he really is confused about it, here are the applicable definitions from Dictionary.com:

fiction
noun
1. the class of literature comprising works of imaginative narration, especially in prose form.
2. works of this class, as novels or short stories:

fantasy
noun
1. imagination unrestricted by reality (as modifier): a fantasy world
2. a creation of the imagination, esp a weird or bizarre one

Here's an interesting article about the origins of fiction writing.
http://sciencenordic.com/origin-fiction

It sez fiction writing originated in the nonfiction of the Middle Ages. While I take the author's attempts to discredit the Bible and ancient Christian scholarship with a large grain of salt, I do find interesting his claim that early historians injected fiction into their "factual" histories, and thus contributed greatly to the origins of fiction writing.  And it's still happening, as the fictional components of flogger "civil war" blogs so clearly demonstrates.

========
   
Brooks D. Simpson on August 23, 2014 at 2:52 pm said:

By the way, there is a Verona, Georgia.

========

rortensie on August 23, 2014 at 6:01 pm said:

See, and I did not even check that. One would assume she would have checked that…however, should have known better.

Well, since my novel is set in American state of Georgia (which I did check), not the Democratic Republic of Georgia in Eurasia, there was no need to check any place BUT the southeastern state of Georgia. One would assume an academic of the caliber of Mr. Ortensie would understand that, but I guess it makes too much sense...

========
   
Andrew Raker on August 24, 2014 at 12:02 pm said:

“Incidentally, I have never been to Valdosta.”

Has she been to anywhere in reality?

As a matter of fact, Mr. Raker, if you're talking physical location, I've been to Canada, Mexico and 42 of the 50 states in the ha-ha Union, and I have resided in Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Illinois and Florida. Is that real enough for you, sugar?

If that's not what you mean, muster your courage, come here to my blog, and let's discuss what you mean by "anywhere in reality" 'kay?

========
   
rortensie on August 24, 2014 at 1:24 pm said:

Having lived in Valdosta for two years back ten years ago, I believe most long-term residents I knew or met would take quite an offense to her “thoughts.”

Wouldn't you folks just LOVE to know how he came to this "belief"? First, what does he mean by long-term residents, and why does duration of residence matter, anyway? Second, how does he know WHAT people he knew or met would take offense at, unless he chose as his acquaintances those folks who thought just like him? And how does he know what my "thoughts" are?

_____________________

For the curious, the paragraph that started the discussion is taken from my author website, from the "Extras" page. I have to admit to mystification that a sage, learned, lofty academic/historian like um, Ray Ortensie would bother himself with pop fiction, or with the website of a self-published pop-fiction author. 

But then, why is Simpson so obsessed with the Virginia Flaggers? Why is Corey Meyer so eaten up with VaFlagger obsession he created a Facebook page centered on them? Why is Mackey obsessed with "neo-Confederates"?

They claim it's because we are about "heritage, not history" and presumably history is what these folks care about.  But that doesn't explain their ongoing obsession and their orgiastic joy in denigration. There's something else at work here, and it isn't a pure and innocent interest in historical accuracy.

I mean, Ray Ortensie purposely copied a paragraph from my author website and conveyed it to Simpson in some manner, perhaps by email, or else he sent Simpson a link to the Extras page where that paragraph appears.

Why? What was his motive for doing that? I mean, aside from grasping for the addictive pleasure that accompanies flogger denigration?

But then, why did Simpson risk exposing himself as a petty fraud with his phony reviews of my books on Amazon if not from the same motive (which he has demonstrated repeatedly in the past)?

Flogger motives ... both fascinating and repulsive to consider.