Canadian - Novelist | August 2, 1963 -
I have argued about the future of fiction with jaded novelists, far-seeing postmodernists, technologists, television critics. The argument that future generations will not know the pleasures of the novel has been a staple of book reviewing since at least 1960.
Russell Smith
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The novel is just fine: It's novelists who aren't doing so well.
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Here is a fundamental conflict in educated society: We are not supposed to value beauty so highly, and yet who can defend against its sheer power to move, its rhetorical force?
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Fashion has always been in conflict with convention. Style involves some knowledge of both. But you can pretty much forget these seasonal injunctions.
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Unseasonal clothing actually only stands out when it's visibly uncomfortable.
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We are still vulnerable to gender-targeted marketing no matter how carefully we edit our children's bookshelves.
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I am so sick of being exhorted, as a writer, to improve the world by representing it in a more hopeful way.
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In the best stories, people are morally complex; they are flawed. We read them because the world is flawed, and we want to see it truthfully represented. And because it can be thrilling to be shocked and upset, and even to feel, for chilling moments, what it's like to be a bad person.
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Personally, I see little distinction between an artistic mentality and criminality. You couldn't possibly create a compelling story without some wickedness or some fascination with the disgusting. Being good is a hindrance to a writer.
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No surprise here: Pop music is by far the most conservative art form there is.
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A song is a short composition for voice and instruments. It is a piece of sung poetry set to music. It is usually only a few minutes long.
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Songs are great. I love songs. I sing them in the shower sometimes. They can be poignant or cheery or angry, and they can have catchy and satisfying melodies. There's nothing wrong with songs.
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