Comments on: In a flat land, literary prizes at least lend perspective http://nigelbeale.com/2009/11/in-a-flat-land-literary-prizes-lend-perspective/ Musings on the Book, Literature, Poetry, Literary Criticism, Collecting, Media, Life and the Arts, and Audio Interviews from The Biblio File radio program pertaining to same by a writer, broadcaster, bibliophile. Tue, 09 Mar 2010 02:30:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Nigel Beale http://nigelbeale.com/2009/11/in-a-flat-land-literary-prizes-lend-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-57156 Nigel Beale Wed, 30 Dec 2009 05:19:44 +0000 http://nigelbeale.com/?p=5059#comment-57156 I just want to spend my time as profitably as possible. This is why I enjoy and benefit from reading not theory and theme based critics but those who present the best cases for what they consider to be the best books... I just want to spend my time as profitably as possible. This is why I enjoy and benefit from reading not theory and theme based critics but those who present the best cases for what they consider to be the best books…

]]> By: Jeffrey Heath http://nigelbeale.com/2009/11/in-a-flat-land-literary-prizes-lend-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-57102 Jeffrey Heath Mon, 28 Dec 2009 05:24:37 +0000 http://nigelbeale.com/?p=5059#comment-57102 "Who abandoned it?" It was abandoned by too many well-known names to mention here. "In other words"? Those are indeed *other* words. "While you're still alive"? Well, your wish may prove to be an unfortunate one. I think you'll have to take your chances and pick your books on the strength of your own convictions. It sounds as if what you want is a short-cut to the best. There is no short-cut to the best. Happy reading. “Who abandoned it?” It was abandoned by too many well-known names to mention here.

“In other words”? Those are indeed *other* words.

“While you’re still alive”? Well, your wish may prove to be an unfortunate one. I think you’ll have to take your chances and pick your books on the strength of your own convictions. It sounds as if what you want is a short-cut to the best. There is no short-cut to the best.

Happy reading.

]]> By: Nigel Beale http://nigelbeale.com/2009/11/in-a-flat-land-literary-prizes-lend-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-57101 Nigel Beale Mon, 28 Dec 2009 04:28:28 +0000 http://nigelbeale.com/?p=5059#comment-57101 Who abandoned the notion? And since when is diversity a reason not to identify what is good and what is bad? "if a work appears on a course description, then it has merit of a particular sort that will be duly explained to a patient listener" ...in other words some academic has determined that it - rather than unchosen works - better illustrates certain theories or themes; this typically results in the kind of vapid, descriptive criticism that scares readers away from the genre. That time will be the supreme and final arbiter of value, is of course true, but I'd rather know this while I'm still alive; or at least read the arguments of talented writers capable of convincing me that theirs are the right answers. Who abandoned the notion? And since when is diversity a reason not to identify what is good and what is bad?

“if a work appears on a course description, then it has merit of a particular sort that will be duly explained to a patient listener” …in other words some academic has determined that it – rather than unchosen works – better illustrates certain theories
or themes; this typically results in the kind of vapid, descriptive criticism that scares readers away from the genre.

That time will be the supreme and final arbiter of value, is of course true, but I’d rather know this while I’m still alive; or at least read the arguments of talented writers capable of convincing me that theirs are the right answers.

]]> By: Jeffrey Heath http://nigelbeale.com/2009/11/in-a-flat-land-literary-prizes-lend-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-57096 Jeffrey Heath Sun, 27 Dec 2009 17:59:59 +0000 http://nigelbeale.com/?p=5059#comment-57096 The "evaluative responsibilities" of criticism? You must be living in 1910. Criticism, especially in the academy, has for decades tried to show how literature works and -- among many other things -- to examine its connections with lives, literary movements, and history. It has turned away from assertions of what is good and less good, realizing that such claims are in the end matters of personal taste and indefensibly subjective. The notion of a Canadian canon was abandoned years ago because of the enormous diversity of literary creation in this country. The same thing has happened elsewhere. While it remains true that, individually, we all still know what we like, probably the best one can say about public evaluation now is that if a work appears on a course description, then it has merit of a particular sort that will be duly explained to a patient listener. As for the books that win literary prizes, unless any special criteria for the prizes are spelled out when they are awarded, time will be the supreme and final arbiter of value. The “evaluative responsibilities” of criticism? You must be living in 1910. Criticism, especially in the academy, has for decades tried to show how literature works and — among many other things — to examine its connections with lives, literary movements, and history. It has turned away from assertions of what is good and less good, realizing that such claims are in the end matters of personal taste and indefensibly subjective.

The notion of a Canadian canon was abandoned years ago because of the enormous diversity of literary creation in this country. The same thing has happened elsewhere. While it remains true that, individually, we all still know what we like, probably the best one can say about public evaluation now is that if a work appears on a course description, then it has merit of a particular sort that will be duly explained to a patient listener. As for the books that win literary prizes, unless any special criteria for the prizes are spelled out when they are awarded, time will be the supreme and final arbiter of value.

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