Monday, May 18, 2009

Misreading the End of Literary Culture -- Robert McCrum

From the Guardian, May 18, 2009
Misreading the end of literary culture
We should not rue the passing of a bookish golden age that never existed.

"I reorganised my books last week. In the course of culling and re-ordering a chaotic library I found myself pondering some recent myths about books.
These myths, I noted, are all the more potent right now thanks to the internet and ebook revolution. Nostalgia has become a default position for every book-lover – and why not? Today, every Luddite is inclined to locate the golden age in the 1960s and 70s, a time of plenty when Old Style Publishing was at its zenith. Looking back to those glory days, it's difficult not to fall prey to the persuasive allure of at least five myths." Read Full Article Here.
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With all the media spin about the "Indie Book Revolution" ruining literature as we know it, I thought this article offered a bit of much needed perspective. -- c.anne.gardner

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