September 26, 2013

"Quite simply, the book review is dead, and the long review essay centered on a specific book or books is staggering toward extinction."

"The future lies in a synthetic approach. Instead of books, art, theatre, and music being consigned to specialized niches, we might have a criticism that better reflects the eclecticism of our time, a criticism that takes in various arts all at once. You might have, say, a review of a novel by Rachel Kushner that is also a reflection on 'Girls,' the art of Marina Abramović, the acting style of Jessica Chastain, and the commercial, theatrical, existential provocations of Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus. Or not. In any case, it’s worth a try."

Writes Lee Siegel in The New Yorker, longingly. Why in that example did he name 5 women and allude (via "Girls") to at least 4 more? Have women overrun culture in some anarchic way, making the single-mindedness of the stereotypical male seem old-fashioned? The future is all wildly free-associative, like the fever-swamp brain of some lady blogger.

***

"Yes, but what does sprezzatura think of it?"

4 comments:

Kirk Parker said...

I love that this post has no comments...

Henry said...

I dunno about this being a male/female thing. Bill Simmons' Grantland is nothing but mashup. In his case, sports, TV, and music.

Some people like it.

Craig said...

How much further upward can one fall?

richard mcenroe said...

On the lterary scene, reading the 'approved' books and authors, yes. For the rest of us there are plenty of artists in all fields who still piss standing up.

And no, that does not preclude us from noting such women and maybe even the occasional Sitzspinkler who has something worth saying.