Is that blogging? Stop That.

Steven Poole: Fugitive pieces

“I think that at least potentially (and demonstrably for many authors), the prospect of the writing appearing in book form makes a writer try her very best, because of this confluence of timescale, technology and social context. The very permanence of the physical book format has for centuries pushed writers to raise their game. The prospect today of blogging elbowing out other forms of writing is comparable to the prospect of an 18th century known to us only through its pamphlets, and none of the great long-form satires and novels. That would still keep a few houndstooth-jacketed academics in business, but would anyone else really care?”

An interesting read comparing the perceived and actual value and quality of internet writing vs. books.

A lot of it is context I think. If the first great novel of the 21st century were published online serially right now, it would simply never be recognised as such. The critical mass of people capable of making such a distinction would not read it. Not yet anyway.

(If this is the bit where you get all huffy about elitism, etc, please just take a look at the Sunday Time bestsellers list and recognise that there are “elite” standards of literature and we really, really need them. God I hate the Internet sometimes, why won’t you just shut up.)

Anyway, all I’m saying is nobody who matters must be reading great writing on the internet or else i would be getting some telephones calls, right?