Sunday, October 5, 2008

To be Classic or not to be Classic

I think Jacob makes a strong point in his last blog. And I agree with his views of all the “new” short fiction that we have read. I may be wrong here, but Poe, Hemingway, and the other great authors were not instant classics when they were first published. I’m sure their story’s were appreciated for their entertainment value, but were seen by the critics of their time, as Jacob says, to lack substance and originality in comparison to previous classics. I think for any literary work to be truly appreciated and deserve that prestigious title of classic it must pass the everlasting test of time. This is obvious, that is why to generalize all short fiction as lacking originality and literary value is a large leap to make. And how many new styles of writing are there? Sure, Poe and Hemingway’s writing styles are very distinct. But, due to the internet and the ease with which we can experience any author or writing style, the “new” fiction is automatically affected by the classics and other literary influences. Thus, it is very difficult to be completely original.
I do agree completely with Jacobs take on “Tits Up in a Ditch,” it does have that “wow” factor, as he puts it. The story is powerful; it gives a beautifully hopeless story of today. The story, in my opinion will be a classic, it just needs time.

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