Wandering Along the Path: Right Speech

Last night I read that a favorite author of mine, whom I've seen half a dozen times at readings, has been accused by multiple women of sexual harassment.  I thought he was a better person than that.  I know the author/young author relationship is fraught with power differential and opportunity to misinterpret and misbehave.  I saw it plenty when I was in graduate school.  Writers would visit and sometimes they thought they were God's gift to women.  I've also seen grad students be aggressively seductive, hoping the author's interest would further her career.  I've seen a few famous old farts with thirty years younger wives who get their poetry read at their spouse's readings.  I knew there was a line that some people crossed and I would not.  I knew it was messy to think that if someone slept with you it meant you were a good writer.  It only meant you were sleepable.  In my generation we were encouraged to marry a professor if we wanted the academic life, not, for heaven's sake, BE one.  I guess I'm eternally the optimist, expecting that great writing goes along with great character, when it so clearly doesn't.  But if it's all the same to you, I'm going to keep assuming the best until told otherwise.