Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Cronyism
If you looked closely at the careers of some of the system's most hyped writers, you'd find they gained prominence purely through cronyism.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Kickass New Book Review Blog
http://www.blitzreview.blogspot.com/
Cutting-edge review writing. If you're a reader, find honest opinions about the literature of today. If you're a writer, get in line for the Blitz Review treatment.
Cutting-edge review writing. If you're a reader, find honest opinions about the literature of today. If you're a writer, get in line for the Blitz Review treatment.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Panic America
I look at what's being offered today by the corporate mainstream and I marvel at how out-of-touch all of it is. Popular and literary varieties both. Where's the immediacy? Where's the sound of anger, pain, and distrust encountered from all sides in this mad society? Mainstream fiction is completely irrelevant!
If you want America Now read Crime City USA, an ebook.
FICTION FOR NOW.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Lies and Ugliness
Writers and other artists once believed in the ideals of Truth and Beauty. We get from writers today Lies and Ugliness; either the zombie vampire nonsense of popular novelists, or the nonstop intellectual lies of cronyistic postmodernists.
Jonathan Lethem, Miranda July, Daniel Handler-- naked emperors who parade their corruption and phoniness. Integrity, character, and truth are concepts without meaning to them. Does it get any worse?
Jonathan Lethem, Miranda July, Daniel Handler-- naked emperors who parade their corruption and phoniness. Integrity, character, and truth are concepts without meaning to them. Does it get any worse?
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Was the ULA Betrayed?
Was the Underground Literary Alliance betrayed? This question came up recently amid discussions of whether to bring the notorious writers organization back.
The more pertinent question: When was the ULA not betrayed?
Keep in mind that we were attacked full out almost from the opening moment of our creation. Powers-that-be, hearing of our initial protest, wanted our movement strangled in the crib. I began receiving anonymous hate mail, and crank phone calls. A self-proclaimed "corporate hatchet man" known for flame wars began attacking us on-line. ULA members were offered the allure of friendship with power, or the implied threat of banishment from literature. During the ULA's history, the pressure never let up. It goes without saying that we were everywhere scorned and mocked.
We had disturbed a hornet's nest. It's naive to want to believe otherwise.
Some members simply dropped. Others played footsie with our opponents. The kicker is that for those, the payoff turned out to be laughably minor. These are the true facts.
The more pertinent question: When was the ULA not betrayed?
Keep in mind that we were attacked full out almost from the opening moment of our creation. Powers-that-be, hearing of our initial protest, wanted our movement strangled in the crib. I began receiving anonymous hate mail, and crank phone calls. A self-proclaimed "corporate hatchet man" known for flame wars began attacking us on-line. ULA members were offered the allure of friendship with power, or the implied threat of banishment from literature. During the ULA's history, the pressure never let up. It goes without saying that we were everywhere scorned and mocked.
We had disturbed a hornet's nest. It's naive to want to believe otherwise.
Some members simply dropped. Others played footsie with our opponents. The kicker is that for those, the payoff turned out to be laughably minor. These are the true facts.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Understanding Fake Face
What about Joe Paterno? Beloved "Joe Pa"? I'd bet his lovable reputation is a media creation. That, beneath it, Joe Pa is a ruthless bastard. I'd further wager that he knew the truth about the alleged perp as far back as 1998, and has spent all these years since covering it up-- including willfully and forcefully putting the matter out of his head. My opinion only, of course. Why would he do this? Because he loved power and because the football program takes in $70 million per year. This was too much for that kind of personality to give up.
*********************
Which brings me back to my fictional character, Fake Face, who's featured in my latest ebook, which has the title of this blog.
The character may seem out of a comic book. The paradox of pop fiction, though, is its ability to put the hidden truth directly in front of you. There's far more truth in Crime City USA than in a thousand standard genteel "literary" works, which reverse the process. Literary writers give you layers of meaningless "realistic" details about the furniture, including human furniture. The truth about people and the world is nowhere to be found. Even if you dug through the description and details like through a mountain of pine needles, you'd find: nothing. The characters are idealized versions of the writers. They give you a plastic face. That's all.
Who's the chief Fake Face in the literary world? I mean, the phoniest? Would it be someone who most urgently wears a generous smile? Is there a writer like this-- or more than one? Think about it.
*********************
Which brings me back to my fictional character, Fake Face, who's featured in my latest ebook, which has the title of this blog.
The character may seem out of a comic book. The paradox of pop fiction, though, is its ability to put the hidden truth directly in front of you. There's far more truth in Crime City USA than in a thousand standard genteel "literary" works, which reverse the process. Literary writers give you layers of meaningless "realistic" details about the furniture, including human furniture. The truth about people and the world is nowhere to be found. Even if you dug through the description and details like through a mountain of pine needles, you'd find: nothing. The characters are idealized versions of the writers. They give you a plastic face. That's all.
Who's the chief Fake Face in the literary world? I mean, the phoniest? Would it be someone who most urgently wears a generous smile? Is there a writer like this-- or more than one? Think about it.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Welcome to Crime City
On this blog I intend to present updates and information about the exciting new ebook, Crime City USA. Stay tuned.
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