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FREE THE BOOK!
To All True Readers, as well as those involved in the American Literary System...
We the undersigned say: Let's see a revived, relevant literature in America!
Open the doors of the literary system to independent voices! ...And FREE THE BOOK!
America needs a healthy culture, with shared, sustainable values amid our diversity. We need to be able to explore who we are and where we are. To get this we need free and relevant literature.
Why literature? Literature has long been the best way for a society to see itself and its options. It gives us the biggest step back we can get. But it has abdicated this role. And nothing has taken its place but segregation, pandering and exploitation. Ah-ha! There's a clue as to why this has happened: it's easier to make quick profits with weak literature.
Saving American literature means saving world literature. Local is global. Other countries aren't as ignorant about themselves as the USA, but the trouble we have here will spread to them soon. We're all in this together.
We regular people of the worldcitizens, readers, writers and publishers alikesay that literature in America is in a slump and has been for decades.
We say that to achieve this new relevance that the powers that be need, in particular, to open up access to publication and review.
Even more particularly, we say that INDEPENDENT literature is our best hope. It is beholden to no one and nothing. It relies for success only on its resonance with readers. And this makes all the difference. In contrast, corporate and academic writing has every possible string attached...and no social relevance. Yet independent writing is denied, prevented, ignored, shut out. If a book doesn't come from a hooked-up establishment writer/publisher with a big ad budget and national distribution then it's not given a chance. This must change!
So, we say to look openly at writing that is not MFA-oriented, not NYC-oriented, not nichified, not created primarily to satisfy professional standards.
That is, we say to look at writing that comes from the street, from the underground, from the people, from the hinterlands, from experiences that everyday people can relate to.
The wonderful thing is that freedom-loving writing is already out there...locked in an underground ghetto. Whenever it breaks out of its bonds, it changes the nation. And the world. We are so close to the next breakthrough!
We petitioners say that every one of us might have a different opinion about how these changes should be made. But if we don't agree on anything else, we want the return of relevant writing! We are united in this demand, just as we are united in our independence before the independent page.
That's not all. We say that the current literary system got us into this mess.
What are the problems of this system? We say that: *It relies on the MFA degree network and the idea that writing can be taught, in top-down fashion, by erstwhile writers posing as teachersthe "10,000 sneering college writing instructors" who Kerouac lamented. *We note that a formal system can train students in style, polish and clevernessbut never relevance or depth. *The emphasis on degrees, grants and big corporations results in a destructive attempt to professionalize and "guildify" the artform, resulting in a narrow, inward approach and a reliance on marketing and legal strategy instead of merit. *The system relies on universities, grants, big corporations and Hollywood screenwriting to pay its bills, not readers reading in libraries or buying books and magazines from shops. *The system relies on New York City to guide it, even though NYC is out of touch. *It relies on the niches/genres concept, which has turned even the biggest general literature into just another hobby for segregated interest groups and ever-fewer readers.
Admittedly, these features have their pro's as well as their con's. Systemization, orderliness, research and inventory management are all important. They have a place, just not the main one. Corporations and colleges simply have never been places to look for the best art.
Let's not forget that as long as literature is stalled the rest of the arts suffer. Independent film and music have had highpoints recently. Literature must be allowed to break out next! While it is kept down the other independent arts will lose momentum.
What's amazing is how the best of the underground connects so clearly to the best of our heritage. (What is praised by the System today is embarrassing by its lack of connectivity; why, it doesn't even pretend to such a thing and it even considers the concept of literary heritage itself to be gauche, especially as regards social relevance.)
Amateurism might be considered a source for hope. It has given vitality to many fields where creators can pay their bills by other work. But even this option is prevented due to today's careerism. An amateur writer outside the system is shunned. Let's change this!
Recently, liberated writing flourished in the world of zeens (zines), which came to world attention in the 1990's and continues today. Zeensters publish as they please and distribute it themselves, interacting with whoever responds. These writers come from the street. Some move from tiny scenes to somewhat wider notice. Zeensters rise up on their merits, unmediated and unfiltered, asking no permission of anyone. The system undervalues this resource. Let's change this!
Since the 1990's the Internet has come to dominate a still-nebulous part of our culture. There's a huge noise-to-signal ratio as new ways pop up of telling zippy storylets to those with short attention spans, something that means we're not sure what. We ask, How best to explore what the Net means to us? ...Indy lit!
Many others have already declared much of the aboveby themselves, weak and unheard. Groups have even formed to discuss these thingsin small circles. Only one group has come together to give a big LOUD voice to these concerns, widely promoting anyone who steps up to help literature: the ULA. The Underground Literary Alliance formed in 2000 (http://literaryrevolution.com) as a way for the unheard to be heard. It's a loosely defined concept that lets those who want relevant literature join their voices for amplification. The ULA is far-flung with no resourcesmembers and supporters come from around the world; many are longtime zeensters, underground artists or just fansit's open to anyone who wants to create more traction for this cause. When anyone wants attention for an indy voice, or sees notice of a project or action they agree with, that's when they can raise their voices together by using the ULA name. Without their rallying cry and noisemaking none of these concerns and new voices would've seen the light of day with any impact. The ULA has gotten dozens of major media notices for its actions, writers and exposes to date. We hereby give kudos to efforts like these. Even where we disagree, we at least support the cause. And we say we want to see more.
Surprise us!
To All True Readers, as well as those involved in the American Literary System...
We the undersigned say: Let's see a revived, relevant literature in America!
Open the doors of the literary system to independent voices! ...And FREE THE BOOK!
America needs a healthy culture, with shared, sustainable values amid our diversity. We need to be able to explore who we are and where we are. To get this we need free and relevant literature.
Why literature? Literature has long been the best way for a society to see itself and its options. It gives us the biggest step back we can get. But it has abdicated this role. And nothing has taken its place but segregation, pandering and exploitation. Ah-ha! There's a clue as to why this has happened: it's easier to make quick profits with weak literature.
Saving American literature means saving world literature. Local is global. Other countries aren't as ignorant about themselves as the USA, but the trouble we have here will spread to them soon. We're all in this together.
We regular people of the worldcitizens, readers, writers and publishers alikesay that literature in America is in a slump and has been for decades.
We say that to achieve this new relevance that the powers that be need, in particular, to open up access to publication and review.
Even more particularly, we say that INDEPENDENT literature is our best hope. It is beholden to no one and nothing. It relies for success only on its resonance with readers. And this makes all the difference. In contrast, corporate and academic writing has every possible string attached...and no social relevance. Yet independent writing is denied, prevented, ignored, shut out. If a book doesn't come from a hooked-up establishment writer/publisher with a big ad budget and national distribution then it's not given a chance. This must change!
So, we say to look openly at writing that is not MFA-oriented, not NYC-oriented, not nichified, not created primarily to satisfy professional standards.
That is, we say to look at writing that comes from the street, from the underground, from the people, from the hinterlands, from experiences that everyday people can relate to.
The wonderful thing is that freedom-loving writing is already out there...locked in an underground ghetto. Whenever it breaks out of its bonds, it changes the nation. And the world. We are so close to the next breakthrough!
We petitioners say that every one of us might have a different opinion about how these changes should be made. But if we don't agree on anything else, we want the return of relevant writing! We are united in this demand, just as we are united in our independence before the independent page.
That's not all. We say that the current literary system got us into this mess.
What are the problems of this system? We say that: *It relies on the MFA degree network and the idea that writing can be taught, in top-down fashion, by erstwhile writers posing as teachersthe "10,000 sneering college writing instructors" who Kerouac lamented. *We note that a formal system can train students in style, polish and clevernessbut never relevance or depth. *The emphasis on degrees, grants and big corporations results in a destructive attempt to professionalize and "guildify" the artform, resulting in a narrow, inward approach and a reliance on marketing and legal strategy instead of merit. *The system relies on universities, grants, big corporations and Hollywood screenwriting to pay its bills, not readers reading in libraries or buying books and magazines from shops. *The system relies on New York City to guide it, even though NYC is out of touch. *It relies on the niches/genres concept, which has turned even the biggest general literature into just another hobby for segregated interest groups and ever-fewer readers.
Admittedly, these features have their pro's as well as their con's. Systemization, orderliness, research and inventory management are all important. They have a place, just not the main one. Corporations and colleges simply have never been places to look for the best art.
Let's not forget that as long as literature is stalled the rest of the arts suffer. Independent film and music have had highpoints recently. Literature must be allowed to break out next! While it is kept down the other independent arts will lose momentum.
What's amazing is how the best of the underground connects so clearly to the best of our heritage. (What is praised by the System today is embarrassing by its lack of connectivity; why, it doesn't even pretend to such a thing and it even considers the concept of literary heritage itself to be gauche, especially as regards social relevance.)
Amateurism might be considered a source for hope. It has given vitality to many fields where creators can pay their bills by other work. But even this option is prevented due to today's careerism. An amateur writer outside the system is shunned. Let's change this!
Recently, liberated writing flourished in the world of zeens (zines), which came to world attention in the 1990's and continues today. Zeensters publish as they please and distribute it themselves, interacting with whoever responds. These writers come from the street. Some move from tiny scenes to somewhat wider notice. Zeensters rise up on their merits, unmediated and unfiltered, asking no permission of anyone. The system undervalues this resource. Let's change this!
Since the 1990's the Internet has come to dominate a still-nebulous part of our culture. There's a huge noise-to-signal ratio as new ways pop up of telling zippy storylets to those with short attention spans, something that means we're not sure what. We ask, How best to explore what the Net means to us? ...Indy lit!
Many others have already declared much of the aboveby themselves, weak and unheard. Groups have even formed to discuss these thingsin small circles. Only one group has come together to give a big LOUD voice to these concerns, widely promoting anyone who steps up to help literature: the ULA. The Underground Literary Alliance formed in 2000 (http://literaryrevolution.com) as a way for the unheard to be heard. It's a loosely defined concept that lets those who want relevant literature join their voices for amplification. The ULA is far-flung with no resourcesmembers and supporters come from around the world; many are longtime zeensters, underground artists or just fansit's open to anyone who wants to create more traction for this cause. When anyone wants attention for an indy voice, or sees notice of a project or action they agree with, that's when they can raise their voices together by using the ULA name. Without their rallying cry and noisemaking none of these concerns and new voices would've seen the light of day with any impact. The ULA has gotten dozens of major media notices for its actions, writers and exposes to date. We hereby give kudos to efforts like these. Even where we disagree, we at least support the cause. And we say we want to see more.
Surprise us!
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