Many people in all fields of life are in vulnerable financial positions and have to do work they don't like because they cannot get work they do like. That's life. Books that are hard to get hold of that are in copyright don't get reissued or made available online. Books that are out of copyright get circulated (and will increasingly be circulated more and more) via non-traditional channels and are available to more people.

I think that writing gets special protection because it has traditionally been the preserve of 'vulnerable' educated middle-class intellects, and I can't really see the justification for that.

I don't think anyone has the right to sit on their copyright work like a chicken on a long-addled egg.