Here’s my second attempt to explain to readers why I’ve removed the Shane Neilson piece from TWR‘s site. The publisher of the magazine was threatened with a lawsuit by George Murray. The publisher had no appetite for such an adventure.
Here’s why I published the piece in the first place: I believed then and still believe that Shane Neilson has been the victim of an outrageous cyber-bullying campaign, on Facebook, involving various Canadian writers who should know better and should have better things to do. This campaign has repeatedly and recently involved statements I consider defamatory with respect (or lack of same) to Shane’s medical career and his mental health.
I am not a lawyer. But, like most writers, I’m a closet moralist. I believe that the literary community should be capable of rigorous and even personal criticism that does not involve making defamatory statements in what I consider to be a public forum (Facebook).
Maurice Mierau
Editor, The Winnipeg Review
One Comment
I agree with the stance in the second and third paragraphs.
Thanks for explaining what looked mysterious.
Jeff