Every litblog from here to Antarctica has published a mini-essay about a gloomy survey of 1,300 publishing professionals that predicts the looming death of the printed book. SF Signal has the bad news wrapped up in a nice post.
Over at Smith Magazine, Rachel has an equally depressing post about the future of literary magazines that should make most fledgling writers reconsider their options as well:
"And are literary magazines dead? A harsh but well-written blog polemic claims the answers are yes and yes. I’m curious to hear what our readers think, but for now I’m feeling my “campaign to save book reviewing” feeling—can’t we all just get along?? The rather terrific nonfiction lit mag The Crier is on financially necessitated hiatus. Hmm."
Do we throw in the towel and go to law school? I say no. In fact, I've lined up a guest next week who will help us all keep going---scriptwriter and non-fiction author Allen Rucker.
Rucker spent most of his career toiling away in television and film writing, and then one fateful Tuesday, woke up paralyzed. Next week he'll tell us how he survived that nightmarish event, and share secrets to surviving as writer--one of the toughest professions around, no matter what time you live in.
His interview is the closest thing we'll get to a manual on how to cope with the anxieties of our job. Tune in Monday for a fascinating week of interviews...
You can go to law school and still be a writer. Most writers, especially poets, literary fiction writers, memoirists and essayists -- that is to say those who graduate from MFA programs -- cannot support themselves financially through their published work.
(That leaves aside the fact that the vast majority of creative writing MFA's never publish much at all and end up not only not writing but no longer reading literature at all.)
Law school helped make me a better writer of fiction and nonfiction. Having worked in legal education, I would say that there's no reason a law degree is incompatible with being a writer.
The people who "throw in the towel" probably should be doing so. Law school, medical school, dental school, engineering school, architecture school and beauty school are not alternatives to literary careers -- literary careers by an large not being "careers" if your definition of the term is limited by your imagination to making money.
Posted by: Richard Grayson | October 11, 2007 3:56 PM | Permalink to Comment