When compiling the Notable Works sections for Strike the Match books, I focus solely on a work's influence, creativity, and place within the genre. I take a firm stance on separating art from artist, and while including a book may reasonably imply that I endorse it, that endorsement doesn't extend to its author.

Some of the authors included have personal histories or views that many readers, myself included, find troubling. Acknowledging that isn’t the same as erasing their impact. These works have shaped genres, inspired generations, and contributed meaningfully to the literary conversation. That matters.

I respect readers who choose to avoid certain books because of who wrote them. I'll never buy a J.K. Rowling book ever again, either. Everyone has the right to draw their own line, wherever it makes the most sense for them, and I'll never argue against someone else's line.

Many literary theories remove the author from the equation completely, and that's perfectly valid. In Formalism and New Criticism, for example, nothing outside the text is considered. Details about the author or what was going on historically when the work was written don't matter. No extant circumstances matter to the reading. That's one way of doing it. Other literary theories view works through different lenses and criteria, and that's okay, too. No way of engaging with a book is inherently more correct, valid, or just than another.

My stance isn’t about endorsing, justifying, or excusing behavior. It's about recognizing that once a work enters the world, it gains a life of its own beyond its creator.

I won’t entertain requests to remove books based on an author’s personal conduct. I showcase meaningful, influential, or important stories, not the people behind them.