Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Democracy or Exclusiveness?

The chief problem with the fake poets at the fake "Howl" event is that they don't believe in free expression at all. Which is why their event celebrating Ginberg's fight against censorship is such a sham.

What have we received from these characters in response to our recent noise (other than three whiny anonymous e-mails)? Silence! Be quiet, children!

No strong confident voices to be found among the Miller Hall bunch. Definitely not. They cringe at the very hint of disagreement or debate.

Myself, I cut my teeth in free expression while working in factories and working-class bars. Uninhibited expression; nothing held back. No holds barred debate on any topic, the Sensitivity Police nowhere around.

Since I've begun operating on the fringes of the literary world, I encounter everywhere the Politeness Police, hall monitors of literature, regulating their world, keeping everyone and especially themselves silent.

This is not democracy, folks. As literature it's a sham; a con job. It's why literature is dead.

Given the overall noise of this extremely monumentally noisy society, how is lit to survive if it makes no noises as well? How can it compete when it fears any kind of messy give-and-take?

Established lit doesn't want to compete. It's about it's own exclusiveness; little else.

But the Underground Literary Alliance wants to bring lit to the people, to connect with the general populace, and we're capable of doing so.

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