Thursday, October 28, 2004

Request to NEW CRITERION

I don't expect the refined "intellectuals" in bow ties at TNC to understand ULA writers, anymore than Mitch Miller was able to understand rock n' roll.

However, the ULA has pointed out how today's literary system has failed EVEN BY ITS OWN STANDARDS.

The best writers of traditional novels are publishing through Xlibris-- yet they get no attention from anyone; no reviews even in NEW CRITERION.

I'll give two examples: "The Secret Family" by Lawrence Richette; "The Camellia City" by Phillip Routh (yes, that's his name).

Instead of keeping your heads in the sand, NC Overdogs, and endlessly fawning over Henry James, why don't you squeeze from one of those rich dowagers who support you a couple Twenties and buy these (admittedly overpriced) books. Then let us know what you think-- and if they're good review them in your publication. THEN you'd at last be serving a useful purpose. I believe they're both available through Amazon.

I use them as examples that the present System is failing across the board, even by its own standards.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

King, all you've shown is that you disagree with The New Criterion's tastes. (Or alternatively, that TNC, being a monthly, doesn't have space to review *everything* that's out there.)

That's not all that earth-shattering, quite frankly.


-brad

King Wenclas said...

Brad shows a closed mind. All I asked was for them to read the two novels. They're not even searching for good fiction!

Brad Plumer said...

Huh? They probably get hundreds of recommendations, if not more. There's simply not enough time to read everything, so any reviewer needs to have a "closed mind" on some level. Filters are pretty essential.

Anyways, this is silly. You're just mad because they won't take *your* recommendation and read the books *you* like. But why should anyone take your word on anything? You posted that Wild Bill story and touted it as better than Hemingway. It wasn't, it was crap. If you can actually explain why these books are good, I might believe you. But let's face it, there aren't enough hours in the day to read books on the say-so of some random guy off the internet -- especially when that random guy has a history of recommending crap.

--Brad