One of the most disliked aspects of modern life is the tendency toward centralization is the drift toward conglomeration. To its critics, this leads to a world of products made without passion or distinction. Trying to withstand this tidal wave of multinational corporate dominance, independent book publishers hang on almost against all hope.
When it comes right down to it, the distinction between independent and conglomerate owned publishers is clear. The first has as its ultimate authority a person who entered the industry out of a passion, or at least interest, in books and reading. This offers just a little hope that final decisions about books will reflect that genuine interest, bringing to light the best manuscripts submitted to the marketplace and not just the likely fastest sellers.
Many who staff and own these small companies have degrees from a Master's of Fine Arts program. One generally thinks of these programs as training teachers, either at the college or high school level, who will then pass on the skills requisite to the art. Of course, the teaching career would be a pleasant job that met the graduate's financial needs. Their true passion would be remaining an engaged artist who, with luck, grows in prestige over the years within that art's small circle.
With the growth in MFA graduates, there simply are not nearly enough teaching jobs to create any reasonable expectation of an academic career. This situation is compounded by the deepening crisis of the shrinking audience for the fine arts overall. It has become increasingly obvious that the arts must be fought for in the public sphere.
A growing number of graduates sees the business side of art not just as a fallback to the academy but as the arts' true battlefield in this century. Too few without gray hair seem to be visiting the symphony anymore. More MFA programs each year offer courses in the production of little magazines and small volumes of poetry.
Technology, especially consumer electronics, is assigned much of the blame. Doubtless it has given billions of people worldwide easy access to the arts. However, on the whole it has made it more difficult, not less, to make a living as any sort of artist.
There is worry about an even more direct effect of technology that tends to depress the consumption of challenging art. The public shows signs of having its attention span shortened by the ever more frenetic pacing of mass media. It is not uncommon to come across young people who cannot tolerate black and white movies, much less silent film. Those living such a quick-twitch lifestyle are not likely to sit through a modern dance performance, or even to hear of it.
The new millenium at least manages to open a door for every one it seems to close. Those heroically staffing then small publishing houses might romanticize the modernist 1920s, when the work seemed to matter even to many who could not read it. But the future could just belong to the lone self-publisher working on a laptop, even the one lacking an MFA.
When it comes right down to it, the distinction between independent and conglomerate owned publishers is clear. The first has as its ultimate authority a person who entered the industry out of a passion, or at least interest, in books and reading. This offers just a little hope that final decisions about books will reflect that genuine interest, bringing to light the best manuscripts submitted to the marketplace and not just the likely fastest sellers.
Many who staff and own these small companies have degrees from a Master's of Fine Arts program. One generally thinks of these programs as training teachers, either at the college or high school level, who will then pass on the skills requisite to the art. Of course, the teaching career would be a pleasant job that met the graduate's financial needs. Their true passion would be remaining an engaged artist who, with luck, grows in prestige over the years within that art's small circle.
With the growth in MFA graduates, there simply are not nearly enough teaching jobs to create any reasonable expectation of an academic career. This situation is compounded by the deepening crisis of the shrinking audience for the fine arts overall. It has become increasingly obvious that the arts must be fought for in the public sphere.
A growing number of graduates sees the business side of art not just as a fallback to the academy but as the arts' true battlefield in this century. Too few without gray hair seem to be visiting the symphony anymore. More MFA programs each year offer courses in the production of little magazines and small volumes of poetry.
Technology, especially consumer electronics, is assigned much of the blame. Doubtless it has given billions of people worldwide easy access to the arts. However, on the whole it has made it more difficult, not less, to make a living as any sort of artist.
There is worry about an even more direct effect of technology that tends to depress the consumption of challenging art. The public shows signs of having its attention span shortened by the ever more frenetic pacing of mass media. It is not uncommon to come across young people who cannot tolerate black and white movies, much less silent film. Those living such a quick-twitch lifestyle are not likely to sit through a modern dance performance, or even to hear of it.
The new millenium at least manages to open a door for every one it seems to close. Those heroically staffing then small publishing houses might romanticize the modernist 1920s, when the work seemed to matter even to many who could not read it. But the future could just belong to the lone self-publisher working on a laptop, even the one lacking an MFA.
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