The Writing

ONE OF MY POINTS
in the post two down from this one is that our writing-- the underground's writing-- isn't good enough. We all need to pick up our game myself included. Our writing, as well as our ideas, needs to be nuclear. It needs to jump off the page.

It all should be a "brand"-- instantly recognizable; almost a genre unto itself. That's how we'll stand out.

We're only as strong as our weakest link. If/when we again make real noise, we have to be selective in what we put forward. Only our best.

One of my many mistakes with the ULA was believing we could do what the Beats did in the 50's-- when the climate in 2001 was very different. As it's very different, more difficult, now than it was nine years ago.

STILL, one has to be optimistic based on what the literary establishment puts out there.

1.) I browsed through the 2009 "Best American Stories." The readability factor of each one is very low. They're hard to get into. They're accomplished in workshop fashion, which is also their flaw: Too Much Information. Where's the story? The essence of literature-- narrative and character-- is buried under the attempt to write well.

2.) Check out this link:
www.keithgessen.tumblr.com/post/218369638/neuronovel

The neurological novel? What a dead end!

These people are abandoning the playing field and inviting writers like us to take it.