Where have all of the great writers gone?

Ok now i had to start this topic. what ever happened to all of the great writers? and I'm not talking about Shakespeare or Frost. I'm talking about all of the great withen the past decade Fiction, Non-Fiction, History, Science, Poetry, Biography,etc... writers. and this overflow of bullshit reality television. i mean talking about great writers look at today for example J.K Rowling has Harry Potter 6 coming out i find her to be an amazing writer and i am not a child. i just find her writing to be amazing, but besides her and a few others it seems like all of the great writers go to the Big Screen or to HBO where they seem to be respected and well paid for they're art.

i can name a few great writers just in case anyone wants to still have hope for any type of mind stimulating literature or anything thats worth more than the paper its written on.

Kentaro Miura
Laurence Bergreen
ah fuck it i have to through in my man Shakespeare (i watched romeo and Juliet the other night. you know the one with Claire Danes(she is so hot lol) and Leonardo DiCaprio

Edit i don't want to turn this onto another Berserk motion picture thread so all i have is one question.

Claire Danes as Princess Charlotte? it could work

You can't disregard the Greats (capital G) when you talk about what's happened to writing in America. It's all interrelated. Shakespeare's time was surrounded by inspiration. The stagnation of the Dark Ages contrasting with the "rebirth" of the Renaissance, made masters out of many would-be-ordinary men of the age. As for Frost, or Wordsworth, or Hemingway (), they each had their tragedies and all lived in their own times of social upheaval.

Why not now? Well, it's a big question, and not easily answered. This isn't THE answer, it's just my take on it. I believe the vast majority of westerners are sheltered from turmoil; just the sort of turmoil that births Greatness. The people living through social upheaval at the moment, those that could very easily be great writers, don't have the means to be published, or aren't interested in novels, especially television. In addition, racism and the intrinsic social values of America act as a cultural buffer, keeping out oh... let's say potential Latino writers, for example, who don't immediately meet our desires for what a novel/TV/movie should be about.

The great writers you're talking about (HBO? I can only guess you mean guys like David Chase of the Sopranos. And that's by no means Great anything... other than a Great scam. 7 Seasons? Fuck you, Chase.) in my experience, are just guys who latch onto a formula and apply it to a recent trend (the success of Desperate Housewives is a good example), or just get lucky. The best-selling books right now are Non-Fiction: books that teach us stupid fucking americans the cultures and events of the world, all in 3-500 pages. We're lazy and complacent with our understanding of the history and working of the world, and so we get entertainment that's just a BIT LESS lazy and complacent enough to fly into our limited radar and entertain us without challenging us.

How to break the cycle? Keep writing. We'll get there.

Kurt Vonnegut is amazing.

Kakkoii_Guts said:

Kurt Vonnegut is amazing.

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So's Cormac McCarthy, but neither of these guys match up to Greatness standards. And the limited great names out there prove my point.

Skipping my analysis of how 99% of tv is junk and 90% of movies. Here are things I believe are well written.

Movies - Serpico (yes, its an Al Pacino movie!), Dog Day Afternoon, Casino, Heat, The Ring, anything where DeNiro or Pacino is being serious, Resevoir Dogs, Boyz N the Hood (masterpiece), etc

Games - Silent Hill series!!! cant tell you how much I love their elaborate creepy plots. The creator draws inspiration from about 20 sources or more and blends it all together. Some people say Halo but i havent played it. GTA Vice City and San andreas (for games I found the voice acting and Dialogues amazing), Im sure there is more. Games rock more than movies these days.

Manga - Obviously Berserk is the greatest creation of man. Hellsing manga, anything original where the author is not compromising his work by catoring to the mainstream is worth a look. Wolf and cub I think is one someone recommended to me but i havent checked it yet. Maybe someone here knows it.

I dont really find time to read many books these days. Most of the top sellers seem to be political garbage though from what i see, which is fairly lame. After awhile I think people will be bored with that though, and more quality fiction will come back.

I would just like to say that anyone who considers J.K. Rowling "Great" should be raped repeatedly by tentacle monsters.

Anyway, I would argue that there WERE great writers, it is just that great writing isn't fashionable. In the sixties and seventies, Hunter S. Thompson was pulling things off quite nicely (of course, the drugs eventually destroyed his mind). Anthony Burgess was prolific until ten years ago (representing Britain), and Faulkner was able to turn his experiences into the Southern Gothic style. I just think that since the medium is down, it is harder to gain exposure other than through film.

We're still here, I'm just really lazy.

As far as comics go, I'd say that Craig Thompson is quite good.

bph said:

I just think that since the medium is down, it is harder to gain exposure other than through film.

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I have never seen a film that had writing i would call "Great."

Serpico said:

Games - ...GTA Vice City and San andreas (for games I found the voice acting and Dialogues amazing), Im sure there is more. Games rock more than movies these days.

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Jesus Christ. So the Great writers of our time are Rockstar employees?

"Yo homes! You get the shit yet?! Aight! Sweet!"
"Yeah dawg. You know it."
"Aight. Now'ah want you go rob me a bank."
"Peace."

AAAAND SCENE!

Walter said:

I have never seen a film that had writing i would call "Great."

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You've never seen Predator? I'll buy you the DVD man, you should have told me.

Walter said:

I have never seen a film that had writing i would call "Great."

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Fucking nihilist!

Now I haven't read books in 5 years, but this one was very good. If you guys like mistery, go for it.

Walter said:

I have never seen a film that had writing i would call "Great."
Jesus Christ. So the Great writers of our time are Rockstar employees?

"Yo homes! You get the shit yet?! Aight! Sweet!"
"Yeah dawg. You know it."
"Aight. Now'ah want you go rob me a bank."
"Peace."

AAAAND SCENE!

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lol, that gave me a good laugh. Unfortunatly that kinda dialogue is realistic, I hear it more than i would like, aside from the bank robbing. Thats what i'll tell the cops anyway >_> I know the plots are farfetched and insane, but all the twists and characters they manage to incorporate and tie together makes it fun and interesting. Not all good works have to be serious. I get really drawn into them so thats why I include them.

WHAT ABOUT EIVAHNJELLYON?!?!?!

Seriously, can we please get back on topic here? The topic is GREAT works, and GREAT authors, not just some form of entertainment that passed your time while on the plane or you played after school.

I know of hundreds of works from each medium that are "really really really good," but aren't Great. We'd be here forever if we just wanted to talk about "pretty ok" works.

Walter said:

I have never seen a film that had writing i would call "Great."

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Death of a salesman, by Arthur Miller.
Another one I think is great, is "Johny got his gun".

xechnao said:

Death of a salesman, by Arthur Miller.

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Originally a play, by Arthur Miller. Excluded.

You guys are having trouble finding a Great one aren't ya?

Ok
1.000.000 dollar baby
Had its way serving the film as best as it could, IMO.

Hmmm,
"The english patient" ???

Walter said:

Originally a play, by Arthur Miller. Excluded.

You guys are having trouble finding a Great one aren't ya? 

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Depends in what you're looking for Walter... But yes.

bph said:

I would just like to say that anyone who considers J.K. Rowling "Great" should be raped repeatedly by tentacle monsters.

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well all i have to say is that she has made her own little world on paper and then made over a billion dollars with that little world. so if you know of anyone that can write a book for children and then mass amounts of people (Adults) went crazy over it. please state that persons name.... wait i can do it for you his name is J.R.R Tolkien but after that go ahead ::)

Walter said:

You can't disregard the Greats (capital G) when you talk about what's happened to writing in America. It's all interrelated. Shakespeare's time was surrounded by inspiration. The stagnation of the Dark Ages contrasting with the "rebirth" of the Renaissance, made masters out of many would-be-ordinary men of the age. As for Frost, or Wordsworth, or Hemingway (), they each had their tragedies and all lived in their own times of social upheaval.

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yeah but even thats not an excuse. poverty & depression & misery = great writing. because if that was the problem there would be about 30 shakespeares and 100 Hemingway's. there are so many things that could be used for inspiration now its unbelievable.

so i take it that the lack of imaginative writing frustrates you as well. and pretty much anyone that actually enjoys reading

and i thought of a writer from not to long ago (1845 lol) that is great.Edgar Allan Poe :) might have been psychotic but he was a great writer. but anything closer i would really have to say Tolkien he Died in the 1970's i think. and just in case any of you guys love Bio's go and buy some of Laurence Bergreen's work. he is a great writer.

Well, not to diverge wildly, but I shall try to be relevant.
As far as films that qualify as Great, I will name only one.  Errol Morris' 1978 documentary "Gates of Heaven" qualifies, in my opinion.  It is about pet cemetaries, yes, but in it's own weird way captures the human experience.
I would recommend that anyone who hasn't seen it do so.

Also, in regard to DarthVenom...Just because something is purchased in mass by the population does not mean it is art. See Stephen King, for example.

bph said:

Also, in regard to DarthVenom...Just because something is purchased in mass by the population does not mean it is art. 

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actually the point i was trying to make was the amount of people that love her work, and its such a Diverse mixture that it appeals to basically everyone, and everyone enjoys it on such a large scale i really believe that she will be the closest thing to say someone like Tolkien for a long time(hopefully not though). and i do consider her work to be art.

bph said:

See Stephen King, for example.

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well lol he has... I'm not going to even touch this one. i have no clue what happened to his writing.

DarthVenom said:

well all i have to say is that she has made her own little world on paper and then made over a billion dollars with that little world. so if you know of anyone that can write a book for children and then mass amounts of people (Adults) went crazy over it. please state that persons name.... wait i can do it for you his name is J.R.R Tolkien but after that go ahead ::)

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God (do entities count?).

DarthVenom said:

actually the point i was trying to make was the amount of people that love her work, and its such a Diverse mixture that it appeals to basically everyone, and everyone enjoys it on such a large scale i really believe that she will be the closest thing to say someone like Tolkien for a long time(hopefully not though). and i do consider her work to be art.well lol he has... I'm not going to even touch this one. i have no clue what happened to his writing.

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It doesn't appeal to me. I've read books 1-5, and only vaguely enjoyed them. They're something to read while on the crapper. No one is comparing her to Tolkien, and they never will. She's regurgitating old ideas on a mass-scale, and the HP franchise is, at this point, a perpetual hype machine of doom. That doesn't make it art.

yeah but even thats not an excuse. poverty & depression & misery = great writing. because if that was the problem there would be about 30 shakespeares and 100 Hemingway's. there are so many things that could be used for inspiration now its unbelievable.

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Poverty doesn't make for good writing. I never said it did. Generally, those in poverty are more worried about where their food supply is coming from than to tango with existentialism. I was referring to those living in countries that have a more diverse life experience than American suburbanites. I've also heard from several writers (at writing fairs and conventions) that most of the good short stories of today are being written by immigrants. Hardship and life experience = Great writing.

Tolkien he Died in the 1970's i think.

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I don't consider Tolkien Great, either. Poe just makes the cut, for me.

Walter said:

I don't consider Tolkien Great, either.  Poe just makes the cut, for me.

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Never more? ;D

Walter said:

It doesn't appeal to me.  I've read books 1-5, and only vaguely enjoyed them.  They're something to read while on the crapper. 

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well i think if you only vaguely enjoyed them you wouldn't have read over a few thousand pages of her work meaning all five of her books lol. 

Walter said:

No one is comparing her to Tolkien

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i am ;)

Walter said:

I don't consider Tolkien Great.

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well i mean the man did only create his own language (even if its bassically not used) and then incorporate that language into his own world (series of books that are great). i mean why would anyone conscider him a great writer . sorry for the sarcasm.

Walter said:

Poe just makes the cut, for me.

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Poe just makes the cut? the man is considered one of the best poets of all time. i love his work

now i was thinking after i made the topic and i thought of a movie that is probably one of the single best foreign movies i have ever seen "City of God"

Hiroshima mon amour
Nuit et brouillard
La Règle du jeu

I think these are great.

Does that count? Or are we, more specifically, discussing more recent examples.