Can you write a whole book on the tyranny of Modernist writing and it's influence on "literature?" I would read that book and shout at the world to read it.
Personally I don't have an issue with publicizing my work (although I'm a lot better at publicizing my daughter's art). My concern is to do it in a tasteful way—because I can smell the tacky overcooked self-promotions a mile away. There are a fair number of writers who are quite loud and self-absorbed, but their self-promotion is, I'm sorry to say, better than their writing, and tellingly, they gain most of their income running courses on book marketing, rather than publishing their books. Perhaps because our society tends to reward narcissism (hello social media), their non stop marketing campaigns keep their names in the headlights while those of us who are more humble spend most of our time heads down actually writing. We know the self-promoters aren't going to put down their bullhorns anytime soon, so we need to find ways to market and promote our work in a more meaningful and effective way. I'll be there for the webinar!
I’m a proud “tell ‘em what you’re gonna tell ‘em, then tell them, then tell them what you just told them” marketer. It’s part of my lives experience as a writer. 🤷🏻♂️
Virginia Woolf started her own press. Gertrude Stein self published. Contemporary experimental writers often start presses, publish each other, make scenes happen. I think there’s plenty of self-promotion by modernists, postmodernists, and other ‘difficult’ writers. (Plus, I love that stuff).
I actually love some of it too. Hmmm...I wasn't talking about where or how they published, simply how they were embraced and taken up by academia and literary culture in the U.S.
And I'm sure they did do a bit of self-promotion, but it was (and all contemporary experimental work is) directed at a very, very, very small (elite) audience, not being a bestseller.
Gertrude Stein had a bestseller in the Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas! Woolf had two bestsellers. Ulysses did pretty well too. These people were not indifferent to the fate of their books and their reputations. Generally I think the modernists worked pretty hard to promote themselves & each other which is how they got in to the canon in the first place.
Why this matters: for those of us who do write and love ‘difficult’ work, experimental writing, or any kind of niche literature, self promotion & mutual support are even more essential than if we were writing likely bestsellers. (“Niche down!” as they say.)
Agreed. But Toklas is the only of Stein’s books written for a general audience and Woolf never had a bestseller in the States. Ulysses was banned here. Besides, I’m only talking about their influence on the literary establishment in the U.S. and how they created the division between literary and popular. By all means, write anything you please :)—I’m cheering you on. Most of my friends are literary/experimental writers. Publicize or don’t publicize—we all get to choose. But what you write will determine the size of your audience and there’s nothing wrong with that. My post has nothing to do with telling you or anyone what to write or bashing the Modernists. Just literary history. (I’m one of the few people who’s actually read Ulysses with Ellman’s companion text and I teach Stein and love Virginia Woolf’s essays.)
As a writer with an MFA in fiction writing, I agree with everything you say in this post. I loved the two years of my low-residency MFA program because it gave me an excuse to do nothing but write and study literature. Plus I met a lot of great people. But it in no way prepared me for the business of writing and I learned squat about story structure or characterization, techniques I most rely on as a novelist now. And I'm looking forward to the workshop this week.
I'm not sure the answer is that it's all modernism's fault, or the idea that the meaning of a text is bigger and wilder than the conscious intention of the author.
I think maybe the answer might lie somewhere else, like how dehunanizing late stage capitalism is? I totally understand the art / capitalism angst, it's not romanticising anything it's being engaged with the problematic exploitation and commodification of everything.
Having said that, I agree that we must, must write about what it is to be human and find readers and connect to them. It's so important. Promote yourself because you have art / capitalist angst rather despite it.
I so appreciate your viewpoint and you're right that capitalism plays a role. Not everyone has art/capitalism angst and if you're trying to help people, I'm not sure having it with your writing will do any good. It will only limit our ability to find you. I'm not telling you to leave the country, but other countries have other literary structures. Their publishing frameworks are different and only a handful of countries have MFA programs. There are options.
You'd be surprised how deterministic literary modernism has been in shaping our current literary landscape, but I don't blame the literary modernists entirely. In fact, I say that MFA programs are most to blame.
Thanks Sarah. I'm British but there's definitely snobbery about self promotion here too, of course! Possibly even worse, being self deprecating is a national trait. I'm hoping your vision for the future finds a third way which feels authentic and can be financially rewarding. These questions go deep. It's about valuing ourselves and our contributions, and not letting other people exploit our content and our attentions for gain whilst we get nothing and become either exploited creators or numbed out consumers. Not falling into the trap or fantasy of 'waiting to be discovered', understanding we have to show up and share ourselves (self promote). Understanding it can be scary for a lot of reasons (including the fear of being called a sell out), but if we really believe in our work we must share it and shout about it. I think we probably agree. I just don't want to bash poor Virginia Woolf 🤣
Can you write a whole book on the tyranny of Modernist writing and it's influence on "literature?" I would read that book and shout at the world to read it.
This is one of my favorite pieces by you of all time.
Personally I don't have an issue with publicizing my work (although I'm a lot better at publicizing my daughter's art). My concern is to do it in a tasteful way—because I can smell the tacky overcooked self-promotions a mile away. There are a fair number of writers who are quite loud and self-absorbed, but their self-promotion is, I'm sorry to say, better than their writing, and tellingly, they gain most of their income running courses on book marketing, rather than publishing their books. Perhaps because our society tends to reward narcissism (hello social media), their non stop marketing campaigns keep their names in the headlights while those of us who are more humble spend most of our time heads down actually writing. We know the self-promoters aren't going to put down their bullhorns anytime soon, so we need to find ways to market and promote our work in a more meaningful and effective way. I'll be there for the webinar!
Yes! Well said!
I’m a proud “tell ‘em what you’re gonna tell ‘em, then tell them, then tell them what you just told them” marketer. It’s part of my lives experience as a writer. 🤷🏻♂️
You warm my heart.
Virginia Woolf started her own press. Gertrude Stein self published. Contemporary experimental writers often start presses, publish each other, make scenes happen. I think there’s plenty of self-promotion by modernists, postmodernists, and other ‘difficult’ writers. (Plus, I love that stuff).
I actually love some of it too. Hmmm...I wasn't talking about where or how they published, simply how they were embraced and taken up by academia and literary culture in the U.S.
And I'm sure they did do a bit of self-promotion, but it was (and all contemporary experimental work is) directed at a very, very, very small (elite) audience, not being a bestseller.
Gertrude Stein had a bestseller in the Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas! Woolf had two bestsellers. Ulysses did pretty well too. These people were not indifferent to the fate of their books and their reputations. Generally I think the modernists worked pretty hard to promote themselves & each other which is how they got in to the canon in the first place.
Why this matters: for those of us who do write and love ‘difficult’ work, experimental writing, or any kind of niche literature, self promotion & mutual support are even more essential than if we were writing likely bestsellers. (“Niche down!” as they say.)
Agreed. But Toklas is the only of Stein’s books written for a general audience and Woolf never had a bestseller in the States. Ulysses was banned here. Besides, I’m only talking about their influence on the literary establishment in the U.S. and how they created the division between literary and popular. By all means, write anything you please :)—I’m cheering you on. Most of my friends are literary/experimental writers. Publicize or don’t publicize—we all get to choose. But what you write will determine the size of your audience and there’s nothing wrong with that. My post has nothing to do with telling you or anyone what to write or bashing the Modernists. Just literary history. (I’m one of the few people who’s actually read Ulysses with Ellman’s companion text and I teach Stein and love Virginia Woolf’s essays.)
Indeed, I’m doing my best to publicize & happily taking all your courses!
Yay! I feel bad for riling any Modernist fans and experimental writers!
As a writer with an MFA in fiction writing, I agree with everything you say in this post. I loved the two years of my low-residency MFA program because it gave me an excuse to do nothing but write and study literature. Plus I met a lot of great people. But it in no way prepared me for the business of writing and I learned squat about story structure or characterization, techniques I most rely on as a novelist now. And I'm looking forward to the workshop this week.
I really want to rectify all the wrongs MFAs have done.
Your Substack is certainly a great start!
I'm not sure the answer is that it's all modernism's fault, or the idea that the meaning of a text is bigger and wilder than the conscious intention of the author.
I think maybe the answer might lie somewhere else, like how dehunanizing late stage capitalism is? I totally understand the art / capitalism angst, it's not romanticising anything it's being engaged with the problematic exploitation and commodification of everything.
Having said that, I agree that we must, must write about what it is to be human and find readers and connect to them. It's so important. Promote yourself because you have art / capitalist angst rather despite it.
I so appreciate your viewpoint and you're right that capitalism plays a role. Not everyone has art/capitalism angst and if you're trying to help people, I'm not sure having it with your writing will do any good. It will only limit our ability to find you. I'm not telling you to leave the country, but other countries have other literary structures. Their publishing frameworks are different and only a handful of countries have MFA programs. There are options.
You'd be surprised how deterministic literary modernism has been in shaping our current literary landscape, but I don't blame the literary modernists entirely. In fact, I say that MFA programs are most to blame.
Thanks Sarah. I'm British but there's definitely snobbery about self promotion here too, of course! Possibly even worse, being self deprecating is a national trait. I'm hoping your vision for the future finds a third way which feels authentic and can be financially rewarding. These questions go deep. It's about valuing ourselves and our contributions, and not letting other people exploit our content and our attentions for gain whilst we get nothing and become either exploited creators or numbed out consumers. Not falling into the trap or fantasy of 'waiting to be discovered', understanding we have to show up and share ourselves (self promote). Understanding it can be scary for a lot of reasons (including the fear of being called a sell out), but if we really believe in our work we must share it and shout about it. I think we probably agree. I just don't want to bash poor Virginia Woolf 🤣
I hear you about Ms. Woolf and I’m a huge, huge fan of her essays! And you put it all so, so well.