No stranger to controversy himself, Salman Rushdie is now defending the works of Guenter Grass, according to an article from BBC News.
In an interview, Rushdie brings up Ezra Pound, who was a known Nazi sympathizer. In the article, John Irving is quoted: ""Grass remains a hero to me, both as a writer and as a moral compass; his courage, both as a writer and as a citizen of Germany, is exemplary..."
Of course, others are not so forgiving. What are your thoughts of a writer's hidden past? Does Pound's past affect how you view his famous poems? What about other writers?
Comments
Years ago when I was young, I missed out on a lot of things including authors because of my opinions which were strict and unbending. Luckily, I threw all of that away when I grew older and now enjoy all writers and their work regardless of politics. I think my life would have been poorer if I had not read such writers or poets as Ezra Pound or others.