Q.
Q.
Aug 27, 2017 · 5 min read

considering I am one of those characters who have gotten their first proper writing education from the likes of Poe, Lovecraft and Hemingway (Although they all emulated the European school of writing) …. I sure as hell can not say that the US does not have good writers — n the contrary, I believe that the states have some of the most creative writers in the world (Per capita)… the problem is that they are not getting a chance.

It is just like with music nowadays …. ( and I am in a position to be able to draw comparisons between the two industries )…. the big companies (publishing houses) are simply playing it safe. A tween female singer (Lets call her that) who is ready to show off her assets and repeats lyrics that mention butts, parties and blow jobs is much more likely to get a record contract than the 30-year old male author who is actually trying to say something…. Same thing with writers, the ones who are established, or the ones who are dealing with subjects that they (the publishers) know will sell, have a chance of getting published… SO, yes, in general- only what the publishers know “will work” will get published.

Now- if we put aside the big houses in the states, what is left… the “self publishing” mania which has been the main reason why so many people who, 20 years ago would have not gotten a reading with a decent editor , are now being published …. (And god knows I have had a bunch of offers from various houses offering me help to self-publish in the states I simply do not see the logic of it …)

SO there are several levels to it… but it all comes down to general trends in the society- we can not loot at literature as something that stands alone ( I mean, the good one should) — — and the trends are horrific. almost everything that is created (Music, movies, literature) is generally with a single-serving purpose. It is supposed to work the first time you get in contact with it- make you feel whatever it is supposed to make you feel- and be forgotten within ten minutes…. Literary… the other day I was having a similar discussion with a friend of mine- “the producer/composer of the starts” (IS what we call him when we want to take the piss out since all local stars want to record with him)- there was a moment when I asked him “OK When was the last time you worked on a song, yours somebody elses, which was written to last? Whose author was not thinking about NOW but instead of will his/her song take the test of time?” — his answer was… “I think there was one of those about 12 years ago…. ). THE writing is coming to the same point.. if you look at the best seller lists, you will see that people are reading mainly those self-help books, biographies of elon Musk or whatever, and various professional literature- very few are actually reading proper literature- and even when they do … it is mainly not to sound stupid when someone mentions a best-selling novel — — so, in a way you are right, true creativity isn’t valued any more … but not form the professionals, they are simply trying to secure the survival of the companies they work for, it is not valued by the masses who want instant gratification. everything has to be instant- overwhelming- and intense….. all three of those characteristics are not a good setup for literary works which- in order to be fully appreciated, need time to be read properly- as well as a deeper level of thinking. Actually I am wrong, the saying that the audiences want something that makes them think a bit deeper would mean that the audiences actually want something that makes them think- which is definitely not the case… especially in the US

OK — now I have gotten waaay of subject ( And this is a discussion on its own)

What I am trying to say is that with all the misfortunes of being who I am and where I am- there are also a few perks. One of them is being, sort of, in the center of it all and having great access to everything, east-west, north and south…. So, for the ones who are interested, it is not a bad place to be to see how cultures move and interact.

Anyways, I can not say that there is better writing coming from outside the US- I have met amazing writers in the states… most of them unpublished- but the best published work is coming from middle east (+turkey) and asia right now ( Northern africa has some good stuff too). There are some truly incredible writers coming out of the syrian theater … and do not even get me started on the Japanese and the sub-saharan authors……

The difference is that for some reason, good, inventive and original writers are still getting published in other parts of the world…. In the states — it doesn’t happen as easily…

Now, there is another thing that adds on to the issue and that is the fact that most Americans, still, for some reason, keep holding on to this idea that nothing good or new can come for outside the USA (or that the states is just about 5% of the world population and that what applies to the US has nothing to do with the rest of us) …. YOU can not imagine how many times have I heard people who are supposed to be intellectual dismissing something , without even knowing what it is, just because it did not come from the States. “ahhh… it may be good for local usage but a Palestinian Writer!!! come on”…. “what can I learn form reading a Scandinavian writer…” — — “ You are telling me that I should waste my time on a book that didn’t even make it on the NYT best-seller list”….

SO yes, there are reasons for you to be bothered — — but it doesn’t mean you have to give up. Just keep looking in places that the others avoid. Look for the writer with a heart, not the one who has sold the most copies

)
    Q.

    Written by

    Q.

    reporter/journalist, musician. writer, teacher…a chronicler & general smart ass

    Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
    Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
    Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade