I think Neal Stephenson explained everything beautifully. There is a fundamental difference between Dante (English dept.) writers and Beowulf (pw) writers. Just talk to a "serious" Dante on campus, and you'll see it easily.

Here's my take on it:
Dante's desire appreciation of their brilliance, and the fewer who appreciate them, the better. For Dante's, it is better to be obscure and held in high regard by those "intelligent few" who actually have the monstrous mental capacity to understand the intricate weaving of words they have produced than to be widely accepted.

Beowulf writers on the other hand write mainly for the simple fun of writing, and if mass acceptance and great piles o' cash come along after the fact, all the better! The desire to write to please one's self is the driving force for Beowulf's (at least until the cash starts rolling in, then it's sellout time!!!). The fact that other people might want to read what they write, and pay for the privilege of doing so, is just a really cool bonus.

I like to think of it in terms of Spy vs. Spy. Only in our case it's Diva-like, Academic Snob-Spy vs. Head-In-The-Clouds-Yet-Down-To-Earth-Dreamer-Spy.

And I think the unfairness (if that is a real word!) that Stephenson was referring to was the inherent unfairness among Beowulf writers where some hit it big with monster sales and other writers who are just as talented and write amazing stories never really sell as much or become as well-known.

And if I've offended anyone or you REALLY disagree with me, blame Kent for starting this whole thing!

Myk

Mary Ross wrote:
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Is this not the same distinction often made between those in the journalism school (the PW track in particular) and those in the English department (creative writing)?

I think the rift is very real and we are all aware of it on some base level, even if we have never thought about it enough to put it into words.  I don’t know if I feel that the system is quite as unfair as Mr. Stephenson suggests, though that may be because I am in the Beowulf camp.  I think both types of writers serve a purpose.  Those purposes are very different, however, so it should be expected that the writers’ means of supporting their craft be different as well. 

I like the way he compares university grants with the patronage of old.  I have often thought life would be so much simpler if I had a patron to support my work but he raises the point that, were that the case, I would be writing for that person, rather than appealing to a mass audience.  Such a task, while intriguing, no doubt, to those in the English department, fills me with worry.  I don’t doubt that literary writers have a passion for their work, but it is a wholly different type of passion: a whole other beast, as I am fond of saying.

Stephenson suggests that patrons in the renaissance, and wealthy individuals today, support artists out of a sort of moral obligation; serving the greater good.  I believe that literary writers must write (I say must because I can not speak from experience so I assume) out of a similar sense of obligation.  They write to better the world, I write to better today.  I am almost positive that, no matter how famous I become, nobody 100 years from now will have read any of my work.  But that’s okay with me because that is not my purpose.  In the same way, I doubt the great literary writers of our time sit in front of their computers wondering how best to entertain their audience.  They serve a larger purpose.  Maybe the system isn’t completely fair but I don’t think it’s all that bad either.

~Mary~

 

PS: I have the funny feeling that I’ve completely missed the point but that’s never stopped me from putting my two cents in before.  J