Hype and hoopla…

Monday, February 16th, 2015

William Shakespeare, b.23 April 1564 Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England (observed) d.23 April 1616. Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. Playwright, poet, actor.
The Bard
Amidst all the hype and hoopla about the newest trashy novel and blockbuster movie, it has become obvious, once again, that it is not self-publishing or the independent author who destroys literature, nor is it the traditional publishing industry as a whole. It is those in the business who cater to the lowest common denominator and set out to appeal to our base instincts who diminish literature and art. And it is above all consumers with questionable taste who support this kind of industry. But only for a limited time. Quality books and movies may not bring in the big bucks–at least not all at once–but as history has shown again and again: the best of them will be around for a long time–long after 50 Piles of Garbage have sunk into oblivion and, fortunately, disappeared from our consciousness.

Virginia Woolf in 1902, photo taken by George Charles Beresford. #virginiawoolf
Virginia Woolf

The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann (1924)