Comments on: The Sad Side Effects of Literary Scandal http://www.slushpile.net/index.php/2006/04/27/the-sad-side-effects-of-literary-scandal/ Writing about writing Thu, 22 May 2008 20:00:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0 by: Caryn Lawton http://www.slushpile.net/index.php/2006/04/27/the-sad-side-effects-of-literary-scandal/#comment-224573 Wed, 25 Jul 2007 02:33:42 +0000 http://www.slushpile.net/index.php/2006/04/27/the-sad-side-effects-of-literary-scandal/#comment-224573 I too, am bothered by the literary scandals. I want to mention that all publishers are not created equal. Like everything else, it helps to have checks and balances. For example, most university presses have editorial boards. They read and review the manuscripts that are slated to be published, and books are not published without their approval. This adds great value. I am sure most editorial boards would have questionned at least some of the statements in James Frey's memoir, for example, and not recommended his manuscript without undertaking further investigation of his claims. So, if you have a choice between several books on the same topic and you value credibility, pay attention to the publisher. (For more on the value of university presses, see the American Association of University Presses' website at http://aaupnet.org/news/value.html, which I think states it really well.) I too, am bothered by the literary scandals. I want to mention that all publishers are not created equal. Like everything else, it helps to have checks and balances. For example, most university presses have editorial boards. They read and review the manuscripts that are slated to be published, and books are not published without their approval. This adds great value. I am sure most editorial boards would have questionned at least some of the statements in James Frey’s memoir, for example, and not recommended his manuscript without undertaking further investigation of his claims. So, if you have a choice between several books on the same topic and you value credibility, pay attention to the publisher. (For more on the value of university presses, see the American Association of University Presses’ website at http://aaupnet.org/news/value.html, which I think states it really well.)

]]> by: Kay http://www.slushpile.net/index.php/2006/04/27/the-sad-side-effects-of-literary-scandal/#comment-191227 Mon, 28 May 2007 16:16:39 +0000 http://www.slushpile.net/index.php/2006/04/27/the-sad-side-effects-of-literary-scandal/#comment-191227 This is why I have found that some of the best/freshest writing is in the short story realm. There seems to be more creativity, and less hype in the short story world. Don't get me wrong, I love reading novels, but so many on the shelves today seem to be recycled ideas in "new and improved" packaging. This is why I have found that some of the best/freshest writing is in the short story realm. There seems to be more creativity, and less hype in the short story world. Don’t get me wrong, I love reading novels, but so many on the shelves today seem to be recycled ideas in “new and improved” packaging.

]]> by: Donald Apodaca http://www.slushpile.net/index.php/2006/04/27/the-sad-side-effects-of-literary-scandal/#comment-108525 Sun, 24 Dec 2006 00:42:12 +0000 http://www.slushpile.net/index.php/2006/04/27/the-sad-side-effects-of-literary-scandal/#comment-108525 And now another Literay Scandal...Jimmy Santiago Baca! And now another Literay Scandal…Jimmy Santiago Baca!

]]> by: Kathleen Maher http://www.slushpile.net/index.php/2006/04/27/the-sad-side-effects-of-literary-scandal/#comment-17116 Fri, 16 Jun 2006 23:09:34 +0000 http://www.slushpile.net/index.php/2006/04/27/the-sad-side-effects-of-literary-scandal/#comment-17116 Does anyone remember Jerzy Kozinski? He killed himself and various media people claimed that the Village Voice's accustion of plagairism drove him over the edge. I don't know. At this point, I think if someone plagairized me, I'd be grateful a bona fide audience was at least pretending to read what I wrote. And if the way to becoming rich and adored by the great masses is to patch together a book the publishers or packagers decide to call (in part--I don't remember the whole title) "Opal Got Kissed" perhaps Emily Dickinson enjoyed the most fulfilling career. Does anyone remember Jerzy Kozinski? He killed himself and various media people claimed that the Village Voice’s accustion of plagairism drove him over the edge. I don’t know. At this point, I think if someone plagairized me, I’d be grateful a bona fide audience was at least pretending to read what I wrote. And if the way to becoming rich and adored by the great masses is to patch together a book the publishers or packagers decide to call (in part–I don’t remember the whole title) “Opal Got Kissed” perhaps Emily Dickinson enjoyed the most fulfilling career.

]]> by: Lisa http://www.slushpile.net/index.php/2006/04/27/the-sad-side-effects-of-literary-scandal/#comment-1767 Thu, 04 May 2006 04:43:51 +0000 http://www.slushpile.net/index.php/2006/04/27/the-sad-side-effects-of-literary-scandal/#comment-1767 What saddens me most is that the message young people get is that having an original idea and pursuing it to completion, on one's own, is of little value; that what is rewarded is the ability to turn an idea into something commercially salable -- that "owning" the work is inconsequential; that what is important is only that it becomes profitable and mainstream -- instead of the reward being pride, satisfaction, growth, true accomplishment. Book packagers are preying on would-be authors and robbing them of the opportunity to develop their talent and projects, albeit with their consent. Just another example of the "anything to succeed" mentality. What saddens me most is that the message young people get is that having an original idea and pursuing it to completion, on one’s own, is of little value; that what is rewarded is the ability to turn an idea into something commercially salable — that “owning” the work is inconsequential; that what is important is only that it becomes profitable and mainstream — instead of the reward being pride, satisfaction, growth, true accomplishment. Book packagers are preying on would-be authors and robbing them of the opportunity to develop their talent and projects, albeit with their consent. Just another example of the “anything to succeed” mentality.

]]> by: indeterminacy http://www.slushpile.net/index.php/2006/04/27/the-sad-side-effects-of-literary-scandal/#comment-1593 Fri, 28 Apr 2006 08:34:21 +0000 http://www.slushpile.net/index.php/2006/04/27/the-sad-side-effects-of-literary-scandal/#comment-1593 In the 80's when I first started working and earning money to buy things I liked, I noticed quickly that the mainstream music and books were mostly uninteresting for me. Not that it's all crap, even today, but much of it is, and I found myself looking for the well-kept secrets, works off the beaten track, great but not yet recognized. That's my answer to the trends you describe here. Some of this sounds like a poem by Kurt Tucholsky that I translated into English, written during the 1920's in Germany: From: http://kurttucholsky.blogspot.com/2006/01/das-publikum.html Publishers shrug their shoulders and say: "Good books don't sell!" Tell me, dear public: Are you really that dumb? - and - On our time weighs the curse of mediocrity. In the 80’s when I first started working and earning money to buy things I liked, I noticed quickly that the mainstream music and books were mostly uninteresting for me. Not that it’s all crap, even today, but much of it is, and I found myself looking for the well-kept secrets, works off the beaten track, great but not yet recognized. That’s my answer to the trends you describe here.

Some of this sounds like a poem by Kurt Tucholsky that I translated into English, written during the 1920’s in Germany:
From: http://kurttucholsky.blogspot.com/2006/01/das-publikum.html

Publishers shrug their shoulders and say:
“Good books don’t sell!”
Tell me, dear public:
Are you really that dumb?

- and -

On our time weighs
the curse of mediocrity.

]]> by: just joe http://www.slushpile.net/index.php/2006/04/27/the-sad-side-effects-of-literary-scandal/#comment-1579 Thu, 27 Apr 2006 23:13:51 +0000 http://www.slushpile.net/index.php/2006/04/27/the-sad-side-effects-of-literary-scandal/#comment-1579 i feel the same way. these scandals make me feel like the only way i can get somewhere is by lying, knowing a connection, or something. i *know* that most book deals don't involve anything like this, but with the scandals grabbing all the news stories, it just feels like a normal, quiet writer doesn't have a chance. i feel the same way. these scandals make me feel like the only way i can get somewhere is by lying, knowing a connection, or something. i *know* that most book deals don’t involve anything like this, but with the scandals grabbing all the news stories, it just feels like a normal, quiet writer doesn’t have a chance.

]]> by: MarkPritchard http://www.slushpile.net/index.php/2006/04/27/the-sad-side-effects-of-literary-scandal/#comment-1578 Thu, 27 Apr 2006 23:03:15 +0000 http://www.slushpile.net/index.php/2006/04/27/the-sad-side-effects-of-literary-scandal/#comment-1578 Did you ever go to the J.T. LeRoy website and see that picture they had of an army of typists with the caption "the J.T. LeRoys working on the next book"? Or maybe it said "our" next book or "his" next book, whatever. That's the image that comes to me as I read all these reports about "book packagers" 17th St./Alloy and their ilk: all these anonymous, faceless writers feverishly turning out teen pap, romance, and so on. Because: why not? Also because, as Old Hag posted (yesterday? hard to tell... posts have timestamp, but no dates) "It can be incredibly lucrative." And what better phrase can one possibly come up with to describe this far-flung collection of anonymous hacks than "creative writing gulag"? Did you ever go to the J.T. LeRoy website and see that picture they had of an army of typists with the caption “the J.T. LeRoys working on the next book”? Or maybe it said “our” next book or “his” next book, whatever.

That’s the image that comes to me as I read all these reports about “book packagers” 17th St./Alloy and their ilk: all these anonymous, faceless writers feverishly turning out teen pap, romance, and so on. Because: why not? Also because, as Old Hag posted (yesterday? hard to tell… posts have timestamp, but no dates) “It can be incredibly lucrative.”

And what better phrase can one possibly come up with to describe this far-flung collection of anonymous hacks than “creative writing gulag”?

]]> by: StephenGJones http://www.slushpile.net/index.php/2006/04/27/the-sad-side-effects-of-literary-scandal/#comment-1569 Thu, 27 Apr 2006 16:09:07 +0000 http://www.slushpile.net/index.php/2006/04/27/the-sad-side-effects-of-literary-scandal/#comment-1569 writer X evokes Christopher Cross, for me--immensely talented but poorly timed (ie, debuting right before the video era, which wasn't made for him. I'd guess he thought of Quiet Riot and the Crue and Poison and Warrant and all those what writer X here might think of Frey or that now-richer, young girl). but yeah too, writer X: is that me in silhouette? thought I felt the pen moving in my fingers at a few points there... writer X evokes Christopher Cross, for me–immensely talented but poorly timed (ie, debuting right before the video era, which wasn’t made for him. I’d guess he thought of Quiet Riot and the Crue and Poison and Warrant and all those what writer X here might think of Frey or that now-richer, young girl).

but yeah too, writer X: is that me in silhouette? thought I felt the pen moving in my fingers at a few points there…

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