Fuck you, too

[maderr]

America is too insular and ignorant to compete with Europe when it comes to great writing.

Article here

Not that it ultimately matters, but it does seem kinda pissy. Grow the fuck up. I've heard them accused of being snotty and elitist before, anyway. I ask you--what's the point of lauding a book as zomgthebest if all of fifteen people in the world have read it?

Was bored this morning, and did not feel like working, so I formatted Always There to look like the new Fairytales edition. That'll be on amazon in a week or two. Will probably do DwtD finally, this weekend, if the edits Sammikins has made don't make me commit seppuku.

I'm seriously sick of the American bashing. I know we've got our flaws and shit, but we're not all ignorant fuckwits who are oblivious to all but ourselves. We have our good points, too. I'm so bloody fucking sorry we're not perfect like the rest of the world, really.

Comments

[pc1739.livejournal.com]

See now I don't find Americans any more ignorant than anyone else. And that includes the person who made that statment.

Oh, and hi. I'm one of your presumably many lurker type fans. Thank you for the stories. When are you moving to Europe?

[kalldoro.livejournal.com]

I have nothing against Americans as such, I have many good friends in America and many great things come from there. What scares the living daylights out of me is religious fanaticism in America, it's too powerful and it's making some seriously sad things happen.

Just so you know, you're one of those Americans I know who are totally cool. I mean hey, there are assholes in Iceland too and Europe and everywhere. America is just this HUGE powerful country and when really crazy things take place over there it can get a little scary.

Ozymandias

[(Anonymous)]

"None of these poor souls, old or young, seem ravaged by the horrors of Coca-Cola." Oh my God, that made my day. It seems Mr. Engdahl isn't intelligent enough to keep his private biases private. The dumb ass basically just said "We won't award any Americans because they're American. So there." Which more or less undermines the legitimacy of his entire organization. And down goes the prestige of the Nobel prize. If he had the brains to at least FEIGN objectivity he might have been better off. Alas, that was not the case.

I'm an American expat in China and my British co-worker, in all earnestness, told me that the US was worse than Soviet Russia. Because I'm fleeing from political death camps.

He is proof that the average European isn't any less ignorant than the average American. As is Mr. Engdahl, come to think on it. Stupidity is a global epidemic. Oh dear.

[koneikaa66.livejournal.com]

I always thought that one doesn't choose to be born, but it seems I was wrong : "great and Nobel-prize-to-be" writers KNOW and they do their best to choose their birthplace in GREAT EUROPE; of course sometimes, as they're human and as such only nearly, very nearly, perfect, they miscalculated and _ OMFG T_T _ get to be born OUTSIDE Europe : poor misleaded souls...

I really think the GOOD of a human being doesn't come from their birthday place, though education (thank you Mum&Dad!!) and country/region culture and ways are an intrisic part of one, but one is not completely a "slave" of it... and America doesn't seem that bad because, even if I never put a foot there _so I don't know straight from MY life-experience_, some people I like_that's you, M, and some others_ doesn't seem to be the worst for it (writing or living-wise!!)...

One last point : just to say I'm happy I never choose a book because it_or its writer_ won a prize, in fact it's usually the other way around...

[sixpence1323.livejournal.com]

I think any country that acts snotty or high-and-mighty is annoying, which includes the US. I've never really liked it here much but I don't see my situation changing for years, so I'm content for now.

The article has a point. American culture is very close-minded. (Another reason why I dislike it here) But other than that, I guess the article is a little snotty. I really haven't read great American literature before - The Great Gatsby was one example, I guess. (Awesome book) Though Europe does have a much longer cultural and historical timeline than we do. America is still a young country. *shrug* I think in terms of literature, we're catching up and blossoming. It's just a matter of time before we're part of those Nobel prizes.

That's my take on it. You always find such interesting articles.

[spurious-sanity.livejournal.com]

[...]he said U.S. writers are "too sensitive to trends in their own mass culture," dragging down the quality of their work.

*snort* that hardly goes for all authors, or even most. And even if it were true, I'd blame publishers wanting to earn a pretty penny by selecting "popular" stuff, more than authors. There will always be someone out there writing about a subject.

And I'd rather like European publishers to be more selective, actually. Lotta utter crap European "literature" out there. Stuff with awards and shit that sucks harder than a black hole.

I wish we'd stop the damn U.S. bashing, cause really, we're no better ourselves. But then again, Europeans have always enjoyed their high perch with the superior view... -___-;;

[(Anonymous)]

Oh please! Grow the fuck up

[cobecat.livejournal.com]

What I find even more offensive than the American-bashing--which in itself was obnoxious--is the attitude towards Africa and Asia there. Engdahl didn't only say that he doesn't like American writing; he basically said that Europe is the only part of the world allowed to produce good literature. What. The. Fuck.

[maderr.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I get the feeling he's only invited to parties because people have no choice but to send him invitations. If I ever get that high and mighty, I hope someone just shoots me.

[cobecat.livejournal.com]

High-and-mighty-itis is an unfortunate side effect of Stick Up the Ass Disease. *shakes head sadly* Poor man, I only hope his affliction is treatable.