In the first half of the 20th century the literary scene was dominated by now revered authors, whose books have since become classics. It reads like a roll call of greats - Ernest Hemingway, Marcel Proust, George Orwell, James Joyce, Gertrude Stein, J.R.R Tolkein and, of course, Virginia Woolf, to name a few. Their books need no explanation. With a juggernaut of status behind them, these authors have outgrown their living credibility and become much bigger personalities since death. Time allows for such reverence, but with it fresh criticism of the words and the writers. In today's woke world, where cancel culture leaves no stone unturned, many of our famed musicians, scholars, aritsts, and writers face fresh evaluation for the things they said or did when they were alive. Virginia Woolf is the latest in this canon to come under fire... This episode was written by Rhyannon Styles.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices