I Don't Understand this?

[JackLuis]

Bookslut publisher slams ‘MFA culture’ in publishing amid pioneering lit site’s last issue

In a final hurrah as pioneer booksite Bookslut posted its final issue, founder Jessica Crispin gave a take-no-prisoners interview that is generating buzz among readers and provoking sadness from long-time readers. Crispin denounced current American literature, and she blasted the “overcorrecting” nature of Internet culture.

Vox magazine featured what it considered to be some of Crispin’s most provocative quotations–although the entire interview is full of verbal flamethrowing.

When asked about the the current publishing scene:

“I find MFA culture terrible. Everyone is super-cheerful because they’re trying to sell you something, and I find it really repulsive. There seems to be less and less underground. And what it’s replaced by is this very professional, shiny, happy plastic version of literature,” Crispin told interviewer Boris Kachka.

But she wasn’t done, later describing a visit to a publisher’s office as “a sea of 23-year old girls in H&M sweaters–just being run by every stereotype I had in my head.”

Didn't they teach this author to explain acronyms? WTF is MFA or H&M? Am I just too old and out of touch?

 

[sr71plt]

I presume MFA refers to Masters of Fine Arts, which is the graduate degree in creative writing, and H&M is a fashionable clothing line--that's its name.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

Bookslut publisher slams ‘MFA culture’ in publishing amid pioneering lit site’s last issue



Didn't they teach this author to explain acronyms? WTF is MFA or H&M? Am I just too old and out of touch?

MFA refers to "Master of Fine Arts" writers, and is generally contrasted with NYC - New York City - writing, presumably unschooled, though some now are exploring the overlap between the two.

H&M is the world's largest clothing retailer. I think it is Swedish, but I'd have to check. It is characterized by a rather bland young pret-a-porter chic.

 

[NotWise]

Bookslut publisher slams ‘MFA culture’ in publishing amid pioneering lit site’s last issue

Didn't they teach this author to explain acronyms? WTF is MFA or H&M? Am I just too old and out of touch?

The quotation put me in the same place. Even with the subsequent explanations I don't really give a damn about the opinions of the woman being interviewed. Why would I? I don't know who she is. I get the impression that she sells smut, but she dislikes the marketing of smut. That seems like a sort of disassociation, rather like growing hogs and not liking the way the retailers sell bacon.

 

[JackLuis]

MFA refers to "Master of Fine Arts" writers, and is generally contrasted with NYC - New York City - writing, presumably unschooled, though some now are exploring the overlap between the two.

H&M is the world's largest clothing retailer. I think it is Swedish, but I'd have to check. It is characterized by a rather bland young pret-a-porter chic.

Thanks, makes some sense now, but still silly. I thought she had a valid complaint, but it was just sour grapes.

 

[Handley_Page]

Thanks, makes some sense now, but still silly. I thought she had a valid complaint, but it was just sour grapes.

Nice to know it's not just me, then.
I think we in the UK have MA (Master of Arts) but H&M lost me until I looked it up.

There are too many 'authors' writing stuff which is always assumed to be 'understandable'. What they forget is that we ain't all customers of H&M (or who/what-ever) and we may not fully grasp the point.
They are buffoons