Can you separate a work of literature from the political beliefs of the author?

Welcome to the A to Z of Historical Blunders, the show that reminds us about the dangers of history repeating itself.

When a person does something that can be interpreted in several ways, it is problematic. When a person ‘of note’ does something that can be interpreted in several ways, it is considered newsworthy and therefore, rightful quarry for newspaper opinion writers, panellists on television and radio discussion programmes, and of course free for all commentary on Twitter and other social media platforms. Three Irish writers behaved in ways that continue to attract comment and attention from scholars and journalists, and they are dealt with here in ascending order of seriousness. The first is likely a non-runner, but the speculation surrounding it makes for a good detective story. The second does have more substance, but it is probably more of a philosophical journey gone wrong than a shocking exposé. The third is unfortunately a disappointing aspect of an otherwise stellar career.

The article on which this episode is based can be read here.