Why Literature Needs a Punk Rock Mindset

Hello readers, I’m deep into drafting two long craft posts—part two of my “principles of plotting” series and a post on how artistic process informs product1—but I’m going to put those on hold to post a little (hopeful?) rant today inspired by the depressing news that the Washington Post is gutting their books section (among many other cuts). The Post is only the latest outlet of many that have cut coverage and those cuts coincide with NEA grants drying up, literacy declining, and other depressing news. Yes, places like Substack are patching over some of the cracks and are increasingly important to the literary conversation. But the economics of Substack will never work to replace these institutions. Things are not great.