Trespass, by Valerie Martin - A Review
tags:
literary fiction, reviews
Valerie Martin’s new novel, Trespass, achieves a rare balance between a powerful anti-war message and contemporary literature. Martin’s first novel since her Orange Prize-winning Property, Trespass portrays a privileged, intellectual family, Chloe and Brendan Dale and their cherished son, Toby, a junior at NYU. Chloe…
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3 commentsThe Arc and the Sediment, by Christine Allen-Yazzie
tags:
literary fiction, reviews
Ms. Allen-Yazzie’s debut novel, The Arc and the Sediment, gives us a woman’s answer to the classic men on the road going nowhere novel. Her protagonist and narrator, Gretta, struggles mightily with the same turbulent hallmarks of American literature’s bad boys: taking to the road,…
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Kill All the Lawyers? No, Kill the Fiction Writers
tags:
fiction, literary fiction, process
In the last six weeks, I’ve read comments by established writers declaring that “bad fiction writers” be stopped.
As a diligent and widely unknown fiction writer, I beg to differ. The inherent quality of fiction, the pronouncement that it’s good or bad, is entirely subjective. Beyond that, fiction requires shelf-life. Many of our best writers finish a piece and put it away to rewrite only when time has brought them to a different vantage point. Then, too, what’s bad today; could easily be judged good tomorrow. Or the opposite—what was considered breakthrough literature twenty years ago bores us now. Fiction is an art. While many might agree that fiction with an indifference or ignorance of structure, grammar, narrative, character, and/or story arc qualifies as despicable writing, others might know some of the writer’s other work and declare the same piece experimental. Any writer, afraid to risk writing badly, will never manage the daredevil feats unique fiction requires.
Of course, not many people care much about unique fiction, or any fiction until it’s transformed into a movie or TV series. That development may not disturb me as much as it should. What does disturb me is the idea that bad fiction writers are an assault upon society. Why fiction writers?
Why not bad guitar players or bad sculptors? It’s not much harder to toss out a bad short story or dump a boring novel than it is to turn away from a bad painting or photograph. Bad drummers may not be as popular as I imagine, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they weren’t tolerated with a great deal more sympathy than the struggling, searching, over-reaching fiction writer. Even though bad drummers, if they’re experimenting in your apartment building or garage, intrude on your privacy much louder than any fiction writer sweating to find a line of angry, screaming dialog ever could.
One commentator expressing anger toward bad fiction writers referred to the MFA writers’ programs popular throughout this country and what a waste of money and energy they are. I don’t know, being a self-taught fiction writer. But I would no more want to put writers’ programs out of business than dance schools or fledgling theatre groups or even a garage band with more attitude than chord changes.
Speaking for myself, you’re apt to find my penchant for writing fiction is among the least of my obnoxious qualities. Years ago I gave up almost all hope of publication. But I would no sooner give up writing fiction than I’d give up my life. Honestly, my plea here is not for myself alone. Tolerate me or not—I know quite well how little difference I’ll ever make. But earnest young writers determined to master their art? Are they really so abominable? How hard is it to say, “Keep at it.” They work alone, in silence, and dupe you into spending your money about as often as they win the lottery. The very worst fiction writer might someday become the best. No one knows. It costs nothing to say, “Work hard enough, long enough and you’ll eventually become the writer you were meant to be.”
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Smart Blog
tags:
literary fiction
Beware of CEOs trying to sell you their macho man digital distractions. The only piece of impressive technology you ever need is this here Metaxu Cafe blog spot. It is the very first of what they’re all calling a “Smart” Blog. That means this blog…
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leave a comment Satanism, Hedonism & Incunabulum
tags:
Arturo-Perez Reverte, literary fiction, The Dumas Club
I recently finished reading The Dumas Club, written by Spanish author Arturo Perez-Reverte. The story traces the events in the life of a jaded intellectual detective, an Italian called Dean Corso, who specialises in tracking down and authenticating ancient scrolls, incunabula and rare editions of…
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