Following yesterday's Long Tail debate about the death (or rebirth) of the blockbuster, reader Mike Levin weighed in with his theory that Hollywood will keep pumping out blockbusters because they fill a cultural need--a sort of "get out of jail free" card for the movie industry.Check it out:
"But the importance of blockbusters as cultural unifiers that serve a fundamental human need is going to intensify. We grab onto them like life preservers, keeping us from drowning in isolating bliss and abyss that is our own perfectly-matched custom tailored tastes within the long tail."
What about publishing? Do we have our own cultural need for book blockbusters, or do all writers depend on small, dedicated communities?
Speaking of small, dedicated communities, my good friend Ian Daly just launched an artsy-craftsy blog. Over at Details magazine his work is always dazzling, so expect more good stuff on his site.
A Russian friend of mine once told me there was a time in his country when publishers passionate about books would publish blockbusters to pay for the publication of "serious" works that would probably lose money.
I read stories of how writers these days aren't given time to develop their talent or a long-tail. Which is stupid and short-sighted on the part of publishers.
I'm inclined to say that we don't have a cultural need for book blockbusters (although publishers seem to). That said (and I know this sounds stupid), what most people read are the blockbusters. There are a hell of alot of people who have the _need_ to be anti-blockbuster when they appear.
I think writers themselves do depend on dedicated communities, large or small--dedicated meaning willing to $$--but isn't that the way it's always been? I wonder what writers do when the fans go away.
hmmm...as far as I know, the Da Vinci Code wasn't manufactured to be a hit. It just happened. I like that, even if I refuse to read the book.
"General dismissal by literary critics reversed Brautigan's initial literary success and his popularity waned throughout the 1970s and early-1980s. He remained popular in Japan, however, and Brautigan visited there for extended periods, finding inspiration for later writings.
At the time of his death, in 1984, in Bolinas, California, Brautigan was largely ignored, or worse, negated by critics and pundits who trivialized his contribution to American literature."
Now, some say Brautigan killed himself because of this neglect. If that's true, that's too bad because he continued to have fans and books translated all over the world.
Posted by: Jecklin | July 12, 2006 11:42 AM | Permalink to Comment