Change Of Plans

Never provoke a sleeping thought. Or post things in the wrong forum.

I'm not sure I can fully agree, as I believe the Twilight series was enjoyable, but then, each to his own, I guess! I can understand your viewpoint though.

All types of writing are valid as are all types of people, tho the bottom line for me is much as Stan says - cross - over. And to be entertaining, thought provoking and well-written must surely be most writer's aim? As for the mightily successful Dan Brown, well I agree his characters are thin and his style sloppy. Use of language not up to much either. Maybe this is a reflection of the general level of education these days. His success has traded on having some good ideas, but personally I find his books confusing to read, feel they need better editing. But who am I to criticise a man who has hit the proverbial heights of literary fame! Linda

Well. I'm a believer in the institutional theory of art. I don't think that you can succeed unless you can appeal to the tastes of the 'artworld' and I can't write the kind of things they want to read, so I just try to write what appeals to me and hope that someone (anyone) else will like it too. Personally, I think that popular culture is more democratic. People have a say in which popular artists succeed or fail. They have the power to make a movie a hit or a flop but they have absolutely no say in who wins the Turner prize.

"Personally, I hope the likes of Salinger, Steinbeck, Baldwin, Ellison and Joyce will be remembered long after the Meyer/Brown/Steeles" Well, if there's ever a nuclear war/meteor collision with the earth it'll be the Salinger, Steinbeck, Baldwin, Ellison and Joyce readers who get the bunkers while the Meyer/Brown/Steele readers are left to die.

'Yeah... and Robbie Williams is our greatest living singer, too...' To some people, he may well be. Whose opinion counts the most? Is the opinion of Robbie Williams fans less important than those of, say, fans of the Clash or Bob Dylan? I think that something is good art if it speaks to you and if Robbie Williams speaks to some people more loudly than Bob Dylan then I think that he is a good artist. I grew up listening to my mums Lena Martell records. Lena Martell made her cry. Mozart didn't do anything for her.