Interesting essay

[matril]

http://www.sff.net/people/DTruesdale/wolverton1.htp

It's rather hard to believe this is from the same man who wrote the nonsense that was Courtship of Princess Leia, but his own work notwithstanding (and granted, I haven't read any of his other books...) I certainly agree with his philosophy on quality literature. Never has a genre become so subtly and gradually limited and unpalatable over time as the supposedly genre-less field of "high literature." No wonder people consider their work to be truly great if only a tiny group of people can actually stand to read it. How sad.

Comments

So Sad. . .

[melitusj.livejournal.com]

I had no idea the weelbarrow poem was supposed to be sad. It's ruined it for me forever ;)

Re: So Sad. . .

[melitusj.livejournal.com]

Oh, also- no one can stand to read what I write either. But that is because it is boring.

Re: So Sad. . .

[matril.livejournal.com]

I don't know - I think your parodies are pretty entertaining. But if you're referring to your scientificy papers, well, those aren't supposed to be entertaining. The more boring, the better. ;)

Re: So Sad. . .

[(Anonymous)]

Oh, also- no one can stand to read what I write either. But that is because it is boring.

Re: So Sad. . .

[matril.livejournal.com]

I had always wondered why that poem was supposed to be so great...apparently one must be a close personal friend of the poet to really understand it.

[lazypadawan.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I don't read "high" literature either and I read a lot.

Most other readers I know prefer genres: sf/f, mystery, romance, thrillers, etc.. I don't know anyone who reads PEN winners unless they get turned into movies.

[matril.livejournal.com]

That's because genre stuff is fun to read. Oh, there's nothing wrong with having greater value beyond simple entertainment, but when reading "high" literature becomes a downright painful experience, why bother?

[krpalmer.livejournal.com]

I guess I tend to read a lot of "genre" fiction myself (when I'm not reading non-fiction), and can wonder if I struggle with works with even "literary" overtones. Perhaps, though, I can also worry if complaints about "who reads (looks at) that stuff?" are just the anti-intellectual side of the coin that also says "anything popular can't be good." Too, I wonder if there are attitudes entirely within "genre communities" that seem to boil down to "I read (watch) things you don't; therefore I am better than you..."

Maybe I'm just betraying too much about myself. Of course, I also wonder if this sort of chip-on-the-shoulder attitude towards "higher" art is somehow especially prevalent among science fiction and fantasy fandom... although, of course, I'm not quite as familiar with people like mystery readers.

[matril.livejournal.com]

"I read (watch) things you don't; therefore I am better than you..."

An attitude I've seen in just about every literary community, whether genre or "high" literature. It's just human nature, I suppose, to get defensive about one's preferred interests to the point of being elitist.