The Ring of Plutocracy

THERE EXISTS today in the literary world interlocking relationships between major New York City nonprofits: PEN American Center; National Book Critics Circle; Council of Literary Magazines and Presses; National Book Foundation; Guggenheim; and Young Lions among them. All seem to be under the influence of New York finance. (See my two-part series, "Big Money Takes Over the Small Press World," from 2006 at the Monday Report box at www.literaryrevolution.com.)

It certainly is a literary establishment, when you consider that these entities have strong relationships with book conglomerates like Time-Warner on one hand, and on the other hand with major publicity outlets, mass circulation magazines like the New Yorker. No one inside the system will report on this, because the reporters are participants. In other words, they're bought off.

The connected organizations are a Ring of Plutocracy, of literary New York, which thinks and acts in lockstep.