I am surprised that it has taken this long for anyone to question Vanessa Place’s contribution to the Drunken Boat conceptual writing folio. I was extremely disturbed by it. Which was the point, as Place said. Gone with the Wind still sells millions of copies worldwide, and is still wildly adored by many readers. As Place points out in her statement, her text consists of all the lines that contain the “n” word. It’s hard to read. In fact I find it unreadable. Place is an artist who pushes her art to disturbing, uncomfortable extremes.

She is also a southern white woman, as she makes clear in her statement, and she appropriated the words of a southern white woman. Who does Place intend to provoke with this text? Place has repeatedly stated that she would like the Margaret Mitchell estate to take responsibility for its racism—for the book’s part in the history of racism in America. Another group I think Place’s text intends to provoke is the millions of white people who enjoy Gone with the Wind without a critical awareness of the history of slavery. Finally, she is provoking herself.

Does this piece disturb me? Absolutely.

Why publish something disturbing? My editorial vision has always been open to various aesthetic styles and perspectives. At the time it was posted—in 2009—the piece seemed both uncomfortable and highly relevant.