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According to Fred Head, a candidate for Texas State Comptroller, they are. His opponent, Susan Combs, wrote a romance novel in 1990, which Head calls pornographic.
I particularly object to statements like “Susan Combs claims to be a person of high moral standards. Her record of writing, having published and selling a pornographic book clearly shows that Susan Combs is a two faced, hypocrite who was obviously more concerned with her literary career and seeing her name in print than the morals of the young People of Texas who are exposed to her 222 page book, A Perfect Match, which has her name at the top of every other page–a clear testament to Susan Combs’ insatiable ego and desire to see her name in print.”
Okay, so because the publisher puts her name at the top of the book’s pages that means the author has an insatiable ego? Jeez! I’ve published 5 books to Combs’s 1. What does that say about my ego?
And when did romance suddenly become pornographic? Is any depiction of sex pornographic? If John Grisham writes a sex scene is that porn, or is it only when Nora Roberts pens one? Is a written depiction of two adults falling in love and expressing that love physically pornographic? I have always felt that my books promoted conservative, family values like love, fidelity, and marriage.
And if Fred Head is so concerned, why did he post the “pornographic” pages on his website for the “young People of Texas” to see?
I’ve written letters to both candidates. I complimented Head on tackling the issue of pornography but wanted to know what he plans to do about the real problem (i.e. kids having access on the internet, illegal “massage parlors,” and the fact that Houston has the highest number of strip clubs per capita than any other city in the country—aren’t these more problematic than the steamiest romance novel?)
I did receive a response from Susan Combs. She said “I am proud of my book…and my romance writer friends.”
Maybe you’d like to write Fred Head too and set him straight about romance novels. His email is fredhead@goquest.com and this links to his website
You can read Head’s statements about Combs’s book here
So what do you think? You read romance, trade books with your friends, give them as gifts. Are you a purveyor of porn?
Filed in: Writers and Writing
Oct 13th
2006
7:14 am
AndreaW Said:
Heck, no!! And neither are the other umpteen million people who read romance!
When I first heard about this, I was absolutely appalled. Still am. I know that politicians use “low jabs” to attack their opponents, but come on! This guy is grasping for straws. I certainly hope he loses this race!
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Oct 13th
2006
8:59 am
Sarah Said:
I wonder if his wife reads romance.
And no… I don’t believe that we are selling porn. His move to attempt to discredit her with her romance novel is low and ignorant.
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Oct 13th
2006
9:26 am
Shana Said:
I have to say I’m so impressed with the huge response to this issue. I have heard from hundreds of romance writers and readers, and I know Mr. Head’s Inbox must be overflowing.
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Oct 13th
2006
9:33 am
Shana Said:
This was written by RWA member Marlys Pearson. Sing it to the Beverly Hillbillies song.
The Ballad of Fred ‘n’ Sue
Come and listen to my story ’bout a man named Fred,
A good ol’ Texan boy with the last name o’ Head.
Seems one day he was fixin’ to be elected
When he heard about a book that could get a man erected.
Porn, that is . . .;evil . . .;a one-hand read.
Well it turns out, you see, that this filthy book was writ
By gal named Sue who he called a hypocrite,
‘Cause she was runnin’ for that Texas post as well
But page one-oh-two sez she’s goin’ straight to hell.
Sex, that is . . .;nekkidness . . .;doin’ it.
But if y’all take a look, you will find to yer surprise
What looks purty raw to our saintly Freddie’s eyes
Turns out to be an ol’ fashioned kind o’ read
A sweet li’l tale that won’t make yer eyes bleed.
Romance, that is . . .;makin’ love . . .;commitment!
Why would he tell everyone she wrote a porn?
Are voters down there dumber than the newly born?
Or maybe lit’rate folks are poor Freddie’s greatest fear
Bein’ that he posted “Read an Extraxt here.”
Spellcheck . . .;proofread . . .;idjit.
So you figure ol’ Fred is a good Republican
A fine upstanding conservative gen’leman,
Turns out instead she’s the GOP’s lass
It’s her opponent who’s the real jackass.
C’mon Texas…don’t fall for this…bull-hockey!
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Oct 13th
2006
10:09 am
AndreaW Said:
LOL! Oh my goodness! That song is hilarious! Thanks for posting this, Shana!
And bless Marlys Pearson’s heart!
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Oct 13th
2006
10:51 am
Haven Rich Said:
Gawds that is too funny, the song not the issue. The thing that really bugs me the most is that he owns a copy at is in his office for anyone to come and read. Ok her book has been out of print for who knows how many years and yet he found a copy, and is offering to let people come read it as they wish. Who’s the hypocrite?
I know Adele Ashworth quoted the stats based on RWA’s sells report (or some such thing) the other day on Avon and you know what, I got to thinking about that. How many of those readers that live in Texas would have possibly voted for him up until this point? And now, how many do you think will vote for him?
Fred might be on to one small thing, people as a whole don’t like their past times blasted like this, it steps all over their “ego”. So how many romance readers have read this and were so angry they could spit nails because he is telling them they are reading porn, when a great many of us do not feel that way.
I’m still grumbling mad over this issue. I highly doubt I’m the only one who has sent Fred an email giving him a few of my opinions and strangly, I have not heard back from him. Has anyone else?
Anyhow, I can’t wait for the elections, as I have a strange feeling that Mr. Fred Head, will not be winning this office.
Thank you for posting this Shane!
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Oct 13th
2006
11:07 am
Margo Maguire Said:
Nope, I haven’t heard from Fred, either. Maybe he’s scared of all of us porn-toting females!
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Oct 13th
2006
11:12 am
Melissa Said:
I think Fred needs to get some… Head. *snicker*
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Oct 13th
2006
11:37 am
Lynne Simpson Said:
Wow, it’s too bad her book isn’t still in print. Just think what this would do for her numbers!
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Oct 13th
2006
1:02 pm
Kathrynn Dennis Said:
I wrote Mr. Head, too, several days ago… and have not heard back. Told him he has lost the vote of several thousand romance- reading Texans . . .
Taking a stand against Sue Combs on this “issue” was a dumb move…good grief, the National RWA Headquarters are in Housten!
I question his smarts, and a lot of other things about his so-called “family values” platform.
Kathrynn
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Oct 13th
2006
2:37 pm
Shirley Karr Said:
Yup, it’s a crying shame her book isn’t still in print. This publicity could do wonders for her numbers!
As for Mr. Head — I think he has a serious case of cranial rectosis. If he was a fictional character, we’d write him off as TSTL (too stupid to live).
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Oct 13th
2006
5:38 pm
Haven Rich Said:
Something else I was thinking about…even if the male vote is higher in Texas (which I doubt but ya never know), what are the odds that a man will support his wife when she umm…lays down the law haha. I had asked my husband if he would vote for this man, considering he is very much against something I both read and write and he gave a firm..”not on your life”. Then went into this little bit on when I’m published he gets to go play golf stuff and he wouldn’t want to make me angry haha. Gotta love him.
Anyhow, I think Mr. Head has lost more than just the woman who read romance votes, I think he might have lost their ever loving husbands as well. I know it wouldn’t be smart for my husband to support such a fellow after such comments.
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Oct 13th
2006
9:13 pm
Rainy Said:
Fred Head? How could any mother give her kid a name like that? No wonder he’s got issues!
Maybe someone should send him this passage from a book not yet out of print:
Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead.
****
Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks.
***Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.
Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.
Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.
***
Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.
This, of course from The Song of Solomon.
They had something on the news the other day about a teacher who was fired because she took her students to a museum where they saw naked sculptures.
Why is the body and natural sex something some people are so afraid of?
If Sue Combs had written a gory thriller would she be under the same scrutiny?
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Oct 14th
2006
5:43 am
Concerned Citizen Said:
I think everyone is missing the bigger picture, Susan Combs wrote a book with sex and then Susan Combs took a public position during debate on a sex education (ABSENCE ONLY) bill while she served as a State Representative. The point, Susan Combs is a hypocrite.
Fred Head is clearly stating the facts.
Please debate how you can write a book of this nature and then took a public position of sex education (ABSENCE ONLY) bill. Can’t have it both ways.
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Oct 22nd
2006
5:10 am
Lynette Rees Said:
I’ve just sent dear old Fred this e-mail:
Dear Mr. Head,
I am a British romance writer [and counselor] who is proud of her art. I have just read several writing blogs regarding your recent comments and visited this link: http://www.votefredhead.com/susan.html. I’ve read the selection of Ms. Coombs work that you posted. I can’t see anything pornographic in it all! In fact, it sounds very tame to me.
It appears that you are not living in the real world. What made you read her book in the first place? Did you want to put her down? You’ve done yourself a great disservice.
I’m wondering if this campaign of yours is more to do with your own issues rather than those of Ms. Coombs? You are exhibiting signs of PROJECTION in my professional opinion. It might be an idea if you spoke with a counselor on why you have reacted the way you have to the author’s prose.
Sincerely,
Lynette Rees
Dip. Couns.
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Oct 24th
2006
9:31 am
Shana Said:
Great letter, Lynette!
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Oct 24th
2006
9:49 am
Shana Said:
Dear Concerned Citizen,
I’m so glad you finally made it to our blog! I thought you were going to skip us as you’ve posted this response on every other romance writer’s blog about Fred Head. I don’t suppose you are reading the responses, though, because you are still referring to “abtinence education” as “absence education.”
To me this isn’t a political issue. I am not FOR Susan Combs or against Fred Head. I just want an apology for having my work slandered as pornographic.
I can, however, give my opinion as a citizen on sex education and romance novels. As a public school teacher for 9 years I saw what’s really going on with the youth of America and sex.
They are having it.
I taught an 8th grader in 1996 who had a baby. I taught am 11-year-old 6th grader in 2004 who was having sex already. I am all FOR abstinence education. I’m not a politician or a researcher. I don’t know if abstinence education works, but what we are doing now isn’t working. And what we are doing now is showing kids TV shows and movies and celebrities who glorify sex as a pasttime and something to do to make you cool. There is no romance in sex. No emotion.
Believe it or not (and if you read romance, you will belive it), romance novels are one of the few forms of entertainment that are not promoting this kind of attitude. Romance novels are about two people falling in love, becoming better people because of that love, and making a lifelong commitment to each other. They’re about fidelity, true love, romance, and yes, the physical expression of that love. There’s nothing wrong with to adults making love, and if we are going to give our kids models for what type of behavior we expect in society, I think romance novels are perfectly acceptable.
That being said, romance novels are for adults. But then so are rated R movies and many cable TV shows, but kids do get exposed to that.
So in my opinion, there is no hypocrisy in the fact that Susan Combs wrote a romance novel and advocates abstinence education in schools. I write romance novels, and I advocate abstinence education. I’m not having it “both ways.”
Concerned Citizen, please reply.
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Oct 29th
2006
11:00 pm
J Loke Said:
I started reading my first romance when I was 12. So when Mr.Head mentions how these “pornographic” pages are making young people are expose to dirty measure, I am proud to say after 7 years of reading these books, I have not become a porn star or a nymph. I am in college and have not conducted in any wild sexual behavior. What does that say? Romances help me imagine there is love and when two people make love, is not just sex, but deep love. Every girl or woman needs some romance in their life.
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Feb 22nd
2008
12:08 pm
Durty Sanchez Said:
I believe that romance novel s are pornos for women. Men read Playboy and women read Daniele Steel. Women fanticize about their books and so do men about their magazines.
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