This piece on Overland by Adam Ouston says it all better. I don't want to be a whining smuggist who thinks 'Emerging' is a P-plate for grooming authors to the industry's specs; I just want to write better, stronger and with more insight, and thinks this happens in the dark smithy of the soul/brain/talent. Also, as soon as I smell a clique, I want to be outside or against it. Maybe this is bitterness.
Urban Vampire trash, romance, Action and real life military... Genres that seem to be as generic and dull, as they are most sought after.
ReplyDeleteLudlum, Tolkien, King... are writers that wouldn't have been picked up in the current environment.
Working my theatre, I always found the 'fringe' label to be oddly applied. It is a play, it isn't high budget, given, but it is what it is. You're right, labels like these are used in the industry, but are then taken up and re-used to market to the public.
This is a well thought out editorial.
I don’t doubt it’s old fashioned bitterness, perhaps twisted with orange, an ice cube or two, pinch of sugar and a good lug of whiskey. I too read Adam’s whinge (enlightened opinion) on the mainstream/land industry carnivale – he doesn't say it any better, nay, he just appears to be striking the right chord with the disillusioned and slightly agitated creative underbelly which refuse to be caged by a ringmaster under such show banners as ‘emerging’ or next big thing’.
ReplyDeletePerhaps it does connect, but just not with those whom you want to connect with. The avant garde artists following the industrial revolution through to the great wars struggled because their work was marked as elitist, intellectual and downright incomprehensible to the majority of people. That is why there is in an industry, they are just responding (or creating, depending on whose side you’re on) to supply and demand of the common denominator. And in this day and age, what with the interweb and online journals and blogs and whatnot as long as you’re not wanting to make money from writing, who needs ‘em anyway? The issue as you flag is with the readers.
Of course we’re not creating better writers by pushing through graduates with degrees retrieved from cereal boxes, but that’s not the point of the merry go round is it? We create better writers by creating better readers, who demand the supply of pithy, edgy, high quality words. Funky little pop up shops are a real treat, except the popping needs to be loud enough to be heard over the heck of a noise generated by the industry circus. My suggestion is if you can’t beat them, join them. The Modernist avant garde had to be propaganda machines if they were to educate, enlighten, convince or at least introduce the masses to new art forms and interpretation, thinking and literature. Because you see, it’s mighty hard to take a risk on quality if you can’t find the alley. And I can promise you, many are looking.
I was an associate member of the Australian Writers Guild for many years. I did all the courses and workshops, but at the end of the day, didn't have the necessary success that might enable me to "emerge".
ReplyDeleteI eventually decided not to renew my membership stop paying for the privilege of non-participation, and stop subsidising the honoraries who had achieved full membership.
Groucho Marx had the right idea when he "refused to join any club that would have him as a member".
You are lucky indeed. Australia is a First-World country. I am from Mexico, a Third-World country where illiteracy and ignorance rule as very mighty overlords. Imagine me, attempting to be a writer and knowing there's no one in my country able (and capable, therefore) to understand my texts... :(
ReplyDeleteI always attempted to be the next "greatest one", the "chosen one", but I failed and I always fail. I can't win the race against mainstream industry of readership due to reader's mindset. :(
I also miss "the ways of the Old School" as well. This is the why I still use a typewriter for writing my texts. I also make typecasts:
http://joshbeta1.blogspot.com
Unfortunately, I don't want to decrease the level of the quality in my texts. I am not into "modern art's avant-garde current(s)". I am more traditional...xD
At least there are professional writers (with doctorate degree) supporting my written artworks and even helping me to improve...xD