MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - What everything is about or... literature as it is not.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 09-09-2011, 08:34 AM

As so often happens, commercialization is automatically painted as "crass," "dirty," "beneath us." I disagree: Thanks to commercialization, we live in a society where literature can be disseminated throughout the world in mere seconds.

Also, there are nearly 7 billion people on this planet. Therefore there's no point to trying to qualify literature or art, as those things are different for every person on the planet.

Shakespeare was working to earn a living. He wasn't trying to elevate Human Consciousness... he was trying to entertain a paying audience. There's no shame in that, nor is there for me, if I so choose to earn the same living. Whether my work is as good as his is immaterial... some would like his work best, and some would like mine.

So... what? Writing is writing. Literature is literature. Books is books. Clams have legs. The peasants are revolting. Soylent Green is people. The quality of mercy is not strained peas. I'm strong to the finish, 'cause I eats my spinach. Burma! Oh, and the sundae for dessert, please.

09-09-2011, 08:34 AM	#52
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	As so often happens, commercialization is automatically painted as "crass," "dirty," "beneath us." I disagree: Thanks to commercialization, we live in a society where literature can be disseminated throughout the world in mere seconds. Also, there are nearly 7 billion people on this planet. Therefore there's no point to trying to qualify literature or art, as those things are different for every person on the planet. Shakespeare was working to earn a living. He wasn't trying to elevate Human Consciousness... he was trying to entertain a paying audience. There's no shame in that, nor is there for me, if I so choose to earn the same living. Whether my work is as good as his is immaterial... some would like his work best, and some would like mine. So... what? Writing is writing. Literature is literature. Books is books. Clams have legs. The peasants are revolting. Soylent Green is people. The quality of mercy is not strained peas. I'm strong to the finish, 'cause I eats my spinach. Burma! Oh, and the sundae for dessert, please.