Can’t Bloggers and Literary Critics Just Get Along?
As many of you know, I’m really interested in the intersection of literature and technology. This is a large subject that includes everything from ebooks, to the way the internet (ie. blogs) is shaping the way we think about literature.
There’s no doubt that previous sources of information of suffered as a result; mainly, print newspapers and the dwindling number of Books sections in news publications around the US. Whether or not this is directly related to the rise of blogs and other electronic media is up for debate. Personally, I think the electronic world of the internet has taken a large bite out of the world of print. People realize that there are more views and opinions than the few "elite" who get their essays published in nationally distributed papers and magazines.
This whole debate between print and digital formats is understandable. Literary critics, theorists and other academics have largely remained creatures of the print world. Whereas the internet is showing that even your average, everyday, armchair critic can have a powerful voice in the literary community. But why must they fight? Why can’t we combine that academic prowess of the old-school critics with the far-reaching, more popular online format?
1 comment - Latest by: Jess : In my opinion, I believe that they will come together but it's quite hard to explain. It's just, I can't ... More

Anthony, Mar 15, 2010 re: J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter, ebooks, and the definition of irony