As a short story writer, this is fascinating. Whenever I sit to write there's always a voice in the back of my mind conjured from traditional writing classes reminding me to 'show, not tell'. Sometimes I think I can get my point across better by just saying what I have to say in the character's voice. I'm finding more and more modern stories detach themselves from the show-don't-tell approach and almost intentionally have a more blunt writing style, i.e. there is less focus on being 'literary', which in many cases speaks the message of the story better than had they opted for an overly flowery piece. Each have there place.
It always amazes me how varied good art can be, whether it’s books or movies or video games. How often you find opposite approaches, yet where both are excellent. I keep learning that there isn’t a “right way” to do it
Jan 4, 2023·edited Jan 4, 2023Liked by Nathan Schuetz
I went to the civic orchestra and saw a piece that I had recently seen a professional orchestra play. It made me realize how great the gulf is between the top flight of artists and the lower orders. This is not to say that the civic orchestra's performance was not enjoyable or good, but it put into stark relief just how dialed in a professional orchestra in a major American metropolis is. I read pieces in The Paris Review and feel much the same. With literature, you can more or less index by time, your criticism of the social content notwithstanding, as anything that has survived for a century or more is likely to be orders better than the vast majority of what is written today. All the same, it is incredibly useful to read contemporary work because of the perspective into craftsmanship, style, and artistry that it affords the reader.
A lot of the time, you can look past the old attitudes and still enjoy the story. Seabury Quinn’s story about the island cannibals is a great story besides the race nonsense
Other times, the entire story is about how all the “scurrying orientals” are turning New York into a pit of filth and corruption (the horror at red hook), and it’s too distracting. They just cross the line into the realm of “utterly distracting.” I found more of that sort than I expected and it was a bummer to not be able to enjoy those stories
Btw, the best early 20th century story I read this year by far was The White Company, by Arthur Conan Doyle. Completely unique and incredibly charming. Check it out some time (I did a writeup on it, but don't feel pressure to read the post). It's really special, as long if you're open to some obtuse language
As a short story writer, this is fascinating. Whenever I sit to write there's always a voice in the back of my mind conjured from traditional writing classes reminding me to 'show, not tell'. Sometimes I think I can get my point across better by just saying what I have to say in the character's voice. I'm finding more and more modern stories detach themselves from the show-don't-tell approach and almost intentionally have a more blunt writing style, i.e. there is less focus on being 'literary', which in many cases speaks the message of the story better than had they opted for an overly flowery piece. Each have there place.
It always amazes me how varied good art can be, whether it’s books or movies or video games. How often you find opposite approaches, yet where both are excellent. I keep learning that there isn’t a “right way” to do it
I went to the civic orchestra and saw a piece that I had recently seen a professional orchestra play. It made me realize how great the gulf is between the top flight of artists and the lower orders. This is not to say that the civic orchestra's performance was not enjoyable or good, but it put into stark relief just how dialed in a professional orchestra in a major American metropolis is. I read pieces in The Paris Review and feel much the same. With literature, you can more or less index by time, your criticism of the social content notwithstanding, as anything that has survived for a century or more is likely to be orders better than the vast majority of what is written today. All the same, it is incredibly useful to read contemporary work because of the perspective into craftsmanship, style, and artistry that it affords the reader.
A lot of the time, you can look past the old attitudes and still enjoy the story. Seabury Quinn’s story about the island cannibals is a great story besides the race nonsense
Other times, the entire story is about how all the “scurrying orientals” are turning New York into a pit of filth and corruption (the horror at red hook), and it’s too distracting. They just cross the line into the realm of “utterly distracting.” I found more of that sort than I expected and it was a bummer to not be able to enjoy those stories
Sure, my standard for the idea of a piece of literature 'surviving' is likely higher than The Horror at Red Hook, although I've never read it.
Btw, the best early 20th century story I read this year by far was The White Company, by Arthur Conan Doyle. Completely unique and incredibly charming. Check it out some time (I did a writeup on it, but don't feel pressure to read the post). It's really special, as long if you're open to some obtuse language