I imagine that the storytellers of old had to serve an apprenticeship to get it right. Not only did they have to remember the tales, they had to learn delivery. The storytellers had to be able to weave a spell that could bind their people together. This is in the realm of craft. It takes practice and more practice, hopefully with a skilled guide, but not always. It goes beyond sentence construction that contains a few descriptive adjectives. Nailing a couple of boards together does not make one a master carpenter. Shall we describe a writer as one who knows proper syntax, or is it more than that? These days everyone is in such a hurry that an apprenticeship to words is unthinkable. When we combine a basic impatient narcissism with technology, we not only lose the apprenticeship, we lose the last vestiges of awe and living delight in language. It becomes a daily cataloging of opinions, sorrows, and complaints that keep us mired in our pain. The mystery of language that is supposed to lift us is lost to sight and ear.
Salvaging the the world of language and books is akin to returning awe to the world and bringing a failing ecosystem back to life. Are we ready for this apprenticeship, ready for the long run?
Article comments
1 - Elvira Black
Though i don't know a lot about book publishing, I do think that larger publishers such as (I believe) Random House do have smaller subsidiaries which focus on certain sub-genres--though again these may be mostly commercially driven. I think the internet may begin to reinvent the way books are recognized and marketed however, which may indicate a ray of hope.
2 - gypsyman
What he said!!! Yes and yes again to all that you said in this post John. Thank goodness there are writers more articulate than me to make these points, or at least to elaborate on them.
gypsyman
3 - John Spivey
Elvira-
My thought is to have a web of small independent publishers that stand by themselves, but are also connected through a larger publisher. The subsidiaries still answer to the same corporate logic and pressures as the parent.
gypsyman-thanks
js
4 - Victor Lana
This series keeps getting better and better, John. While I'm hoping things will change for the better in publishing, I think it will take a much longer time. There is hope in the online world and a new kind of publishing (that is a more equitable system) hopefully awaits.
5 - John Spivey
Victor-
Thanks for the compliment. i hope I can contribute a little in that direction.
js
6 - Mark Saleski
great as usual john. seriously.
7 - A.L. Harper
Wow very insightful piece John.
8 - John Spivey
Mark and A.L.-many thanks. seriously.
Wait till I get to the next part about the responsibilities of the reader.
9 - Mark Saleski
looking forward to it.
this is fun. i get to read about writing without adding to my poor, sagging bookshelf holding my writing about writing books.