Showing posts with label Nobel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nobel. Show all posts

12/10/2012

A Literary Conspiracy

Some of today's op-eds speculate about an alleged conspiracy against American writers who, year after year, are omitted by the Nobel committee.

Generally I don't give a time of day to reports of literary awards - treating literature as thought it was a competitive sport, or a similar corrupt body, is abhorrent. But these "conspiracy" allegations caught my attention, you know - with me being a conspiracy thriller writer. And I can't help but wonder who perpetrates the conspiracy?

The words of a certain prominent New York literary agent come to mind:

"Jack, American readers don't want to think. They only want to be entertained."

Literary agents, for those of you who are not involved in the publishing world, are the gatekeepers, often influencing what does or does not get published.

There's your conspiracy.

DITCH THE AGENT: http://www.spywriter.com/dta/index.html

23/08/2012

Judging Literature

Rumors circulate about the likely recipient of this year's literary nobel prize. But is judging literary work possible and apropriate?

"To any reasonable man or woman, the Nobel Prize in Literature seems rather innocuous.  But the Nobel Prize in Literature is not the truth.  The Nobel Prize in Literature is not fair to all concerned.  The Nobel Prize in Literature will not build goodwill nor better friendships.  The Nobel Prize in Literature is not beneficial to all concerned.  And therefore, the Nobel Prize in Literature fails the Four Way Test and cannot be considered an ethical institution.

Let me explain in more detail.  First and foremost, the Nobel Prize in Literature is not the truth.  When the Swedish Academy chooses an author to be a Nobel Laureate, they are effectively saying that this author has attained literary greatness. They are attempting to objectively rank a subjective art.  Unlike other literary awards such as the National Book Award, the Man-Booker Prize, or the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction, the Nobel Prize in Literature is awarded for a body of work rather than a specific book.  Thus, it represents the world's most important instrument in codifying literary greatness.

This is why it is not the truth.  It is impossible to objectively rank literature, and any institution that purports to do so is, to an extent, lying."

From: http://westport.patch.com



WikiJustice: WikiLeaks meets Jack London's The Assassination Bureau, Ltd. www.SPYWRITER.com